Rock of Ages
Projection Designer. Springfield Contemporary Theatre, 2024.Â
Creative Team
Director/Choreographer: Logan Torbet
Music Director: Alex Huff
Stage Manager: Kathleen Hains
Assistant Stage Managers: Jake Vollmar, AnnaLee Lujan, Mollie Lee Glenn
Scenic Design: Katie Wylie-Gaspard
Lighting Design: John M. Johnson
Sound Design: Christian Allen Barnard
Projection Design: Jake Vollmar
The concept behind the projection design of this production of the jukebox musical Rock of Ages was to create a backdrop which would ground the audience, to contrast with the rapid jumps the story makes from location to location. By using full location shifts sparingly, we were able to heighten the theatricality of the fantasy and dream sequences by making full shifts between the reality of the sunset strip and the more abstract, rock-video inspired visuals that heightened the show-stopper musical numbers.
"I Wanna Rock" Projection Design from Rock of Ages
"Oh Sherrie" Projection Design from Rock of Ages
The primary background of the Sunset Strip, with three variations for time of day that changed with the progression and the mood of the piece.
The projections functioned both as a cyc fill as well as the primary method to convey location, contrasting with the static unit set.
The exterior of the Venus strip gentleman's club
The interior of the Venus club
Created Assets: Neon Signage
The Bourbon Room (Based on original logo)
The Venus Club
The Champagne Room
One challenge when designing this piece was the steel truss extending above the platform that the band played on, which changed the sightlines on the projections once installed. I ended up incorporating the truss into the design itself, making it appear that the neon signage projections made to convey location extended directly from the set.
