Storyboard:

Zodiac

FanninMusicalProductions

Overview

Zodiacisamusicalandvisualreflectionontheancientartofastrology.Theshowprogressesthrough,anddrawsitseffectsfrom,fourofthe'houses'oftheZodiac:SagittariustheArcher,GeminitheTwins,ScorpiotheScorpion,andLibratheScales.

SetDesign

Zodiacusesseveralpropswhichreflecttheancientartofastrology.Theoverallsetisdesignedtomimicthelookofastandardastrologicalchartwhileframingthefieldandprovidinganarrativefortheaudiencetofall.Alongthefront,twolargescreenshideguardequipmentchanges,andalarge,semicircularstageservesasaplacetohighlightsoloistsandfeaturedgroups.Intheback,fourlargebackdropsrepresentthefourastrologicalsignswhichhaveinspiredthefourmovementsoftheprogramandprovideaplaceforequipmentchangesandeffectstaging.

PropsTwolargefrontscreensprovideastagingpointforcolorguardequipmentchanges.

Directlybehindthepit,alargesemicircularstageservesasafeatureareaforsoloistsandgroups,paintedinthebrightblue[cyan]‘pop’color.Sketchedhereasaslightlyelevatedstage,asimpletarpcouldalsobeused.

Radiatingbackfromthestagearethreestripsoftarpmaterialpaintedintheslightlydarkerbluewhichservetodividethefieldintothe‘houses’ofanastrologicalchart.Thisprovidesanarrativetotheshow,allowingthedrilltoprogressfromonehousetothenextasthemovementschange.Thestripsthemselvescanbeinexpensivelymadefromsurplusbillboardmaterialandthenweightedtoavoidwindissues.

Ineachofthefourquadrants,abackdropservestolabelthe‘house’uponwhichamovementwillbebased,andasastagingpointforeffects.SagittariustheArcher

GeminitheTwins

Scorpio

LibratheScales

Thefourmovementsoftheshowplayoffofthesefour‘houses’oftheZodiactomotivatetheireffects,bothmusicallyandvisually.

Colors,Costuming,Flags

Allflagstiedconceptuallytoshowtheme.Flags,costuming,andpropsalltiedtogetherbycolorpaletteanduseofpattern.

Movements1&2[Preshow&Sagittarius,theArcher]Effects

Thepreshowbeginswiththeguardhiddenbehindthebackdropsandthemusicianslyingontheirbacksacrossthefield,onearmupasthoughwatchingthenightsky.Themusicandvisualcombinetoconveythesenseofwonderonefeelswhenlookingupatthesky.

Whilethemusicianscontinuetolieontheirbackandgesturetowardsthesky[periodicallyshiftingdirectionastheypoint]theguardentersfrombehindthebackdropsasthoughinaceremonialprocession,evokingtheancientnatureofastrologyasapractice.

Asthemusiciansbegintoenter,theyrisefromthegroundandbegindrillthatweavesthosestillontheground.Theguardatthispointbreaksoutofthe‘procession’andbeginstoperformchoreography.Theentireensemblethenbuildsintothe‘house’ofSagittariusforthefirstimpactofMovement.Narrationcouldbeusedtoenhancethiseffectofthe‘planetsmovingintoSagittarius.’

ForthefinalMovement2effect,aguardperformertakescenterstageonthefeaturearea,thengesturesdramaticallydownalineofmusicianswhorippletofacetheSagittariusbackdropjustasanarrowpropislaunchedfromasimplecatapulthiddenbehindthebackdrop.Suchcatapultscanbeeasilybuiltusingcompressedairorothermethods,andtheadditiontobrightlyglowing,blueLEDlightstothearrowhelpsconveyeverythingbacktothethemeofthestarsandastrology.Fullplansforlauncherandarrowavailable.

Movement3[Gemini,theTwins]EffectsInmovement3,theideaoftheTwinsisconveyedmusicallyviaafeaturedduet[sketchedhereastrombone-flute,butadjustabletomeettheneedsofanyensemble]andvisuallyviaconstantlyshiftingsetsofpairs.Themainvisualactiontakesplace‘inthehouseofGemini’andonceagainnarrationcouldbeusedtohelpmakethatideamoreobvious.

Movement4[Scorpio]Effects

InMovement4,theaggressivenatureofthescorpionisportrayedmusicallywithstrong,desert-inspiredpercussion.Theseperformerstakecenterstagebehindthepitforamomentbothmusicallyandvisuallychoreographed,shownherewithshekere-typeinstruments.Thesecouldbepitpercussionists,assketchedhere,orhornlineorguardmemberswhotemporarilybecomepercussionistsforthisscene.Iffeatured,thedrumlinecouldalsotakethismomentoncenterstageinteractingwiththepitpercussionistsinamusicallyandvisuallyappealingsynthesis.

Movement5[Libra,theScales]andReprise

AftertheaggressionofScorpio,themoodreturnstooneofwonderatthegrandeurofthestarsandfateinLibra.Thecolorguardsignalsthischangebyintroducinganewsilk,introducingavibrantpurpleintothecolorpalette.Asthemusicbeginstoreprisesomeoftheideasfromtheopening,thedrillevolvestowardsafinal,majesticstatement.

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