You'll notice as you peruse this second issue of Live Design that we break things down into four sections. You'll also notice that our tagline is comprised of four words. Oh, how I love symmetry.
Envision, Build, Tech, Go. That's the tagline, and it's our way of breaking down the basic components of each show, project, or event into four distinct aspects. Let's go through them one by one, shall we?
Envision: This is where it all begins, that initial creative spark, those first steps toward the realization of a concept. This is most often (though not exclusively) the designer's domain, and it's the foundation for all that comes after.
Build: Here's where others get involved — the manufacturers, the rental and scene shops, associates, assistants, programmers, etc. This represents the first real steps toward the physical manifestation of a design.
Tech: Here's the fun part. The rehearsals, the constant (and last-minute) changes, the all-nighters, the headaches, the shouting, the open weeping. Hey, you knew what you were in for when you got into this business. (As a grammatical sidenote, we kind of love the idea of using tech as a verb. But I digress.)
Go: Okay, here's the real fun part, at least, if you got the other three parts right. That first cue, after the houselights dim — does anything else compare? This is (hopefully) why you really got into the business.
Now, as you also may have noticed, the layout of the magazine doesn't follow that order in the least. We begin the front of the book, essentially the news section, with Go. Envision comes next; that's where you'll find columns by some of the top designers in the business, discussing all of the issues affecting their worlds. Following the features section, we move to the Build section. This is where you'll find How I Did That, Problem/Solution, and more content geared to the nuts and bolts of getting the job done. And we follow that with the Tech section, comprised of product news, reviews, and other gear-related information. Each meal needs a dessert, so we close each issue with Load Out, comprised of sketches, photos, lightplots, and other visual treats.
And there you have it. Four little words, in perfect harmony on the cover, shot to hell on the inside. So much for symmetry. But then again, sometimes the best projects work out that way.