– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[music]

>> As a lighting designer, my job is

focused on transformation.

I take blank slates, empty theaters,

stages, sets, costumes, and turn them

into nuanced, cohesive visual worlds for

performers and audiences to inhabit.

Lighting designers are uh curators in

that we generally don't work in

isolation.

Instead, we take content that's mostly

designed by others, like sets and

costumes and on-stage action, and we use

tools like color,

texture, and intensity to shape an

audience's perception of the work of

those directors and other designers.

My job has a couple of parts. By day, I

run the MFA program in lighting design

at the University of Georgia, where I

teach graduate and undergraduate courses

in lighting design and technology, and

maybe most importantly, where I mentor

student designers preparing for careers

in the entertainment industry.

By night, I work professionally as a

lighting designer, where I collaborate

with theater, dance, and opera companies

in addition to orchestras across the

country.

As the designer, it's my job to decide

which lights we'll use for a production,

where we'll put them, how they'll get

focused, and to manage all the people

involved in that process.

Once everything's working, we use a

computer to store a set of light cues,

which are sort of like photographs in

that they represent discrete instances

of different combinations of lights

doing different jobs.

I often find that the strongest

reactions to my work come from dramatic

shifts in color.

Most of my personal practice is in the

theater, where it's common to move

quickly from relatively realistic scenes

lit mostly in white to big, dramatic,

colorful looks. And those transitions

often yield strong audience reactions.

Because they're rich and visually

dynamic, yes, but also because we're

biologically and culturally attuned to

color and its meanings.

Understanding those associations allows

me to deploy color strategically in my

work to emphasize meaning, direct

attention, foreshadow, and set a mood on

stage.

Our experience of the world around us,

including color, starts with

photoreceptors, which are cells in the

retina that collect specific kinds of

light and pass it off to the brain for

processing.

Rods help us sense light and dark,

motion, aid in peripheral vision, and

can function even in low-light

conditions.

Cones function best in brighter light

and respond specifically to red, green,

and blue wavelengths, which in

combination allows us to give see a full

range of colors.

But vision alone isn't enough. We really

need our brains to name and

contextualize color information if it's

going to be of any use to us. Without a

word like red, for example, we wouldn't

have a way to warn others to avoid

poisonous red berries.

Experts generally agree that languages

develop color words only as they're

needed. So, while we've had the same

photoreceptors and been able to see the

same colors as long as we've been a

species, our color vocabulary has

shifted dramatically over time.

One famous example is Homer, the Greek

poet, who often referred to the sea as

wine dark because the ancient Greeks

didn't have a word for blue in the same

way that we do.

It does appear that all languages have

words for black and white. An ability to

describe that distinction is probably a

biological imperative because it allows

us to do things like identify the

difference between good and bad weather,

talk about movement, maybe even point

out the location of a camouflaged

predator.

Incredibly, after black and white, every

language has developed color words in

exactly the same order.

So, next comes red, which is likely

useful for identifying danger.

Then yellow and green, which probably

help us talk about food items.

Then blue and brown.

And finally, purple, gray, and pink.

The colors at the end of that list are

really biological wants rather than

needs. Highly industrialized societies

might benefit from words like purple and

pink to help us describe manufactured

items in daily use.

Less industrialized societies, of

course, can see all the same colors, but

might have less need to describe them

with a single word.

Once we have a variety of words to

describe things, it's natural for us to

start sorting those words by their

characteristics, and color is no

exception.

All colors have at least two definable

qualities, which we call hue and

saturation.

Hue is just another word for color. So,

red, orange, orchid, tan, and green are

all hues.

Saturation describes depth of color. Sky

blue, for example, describes a blue

that's probably closer to white than

navy blue. And forest green describes a

green that's almost certainly deeper or

darker than grass green.

Combinations of hue and saturation evoke

predictable and often universal

responses.

Red makes us feel angry or passionate,

and bright red can make us feel like the

thing we're looking at is urgent.

Biologically, that's because we're

primed to detect blood flow to the skin.

Both because that's a way to know

whether other people are interested in

us, like when they blush, and also to

detect anger and prepare for possible

fight or flight.

Red also has strong cultural

associations. We often use red signs,

for example, to mean stop, go here in

case of an emergency, or danger.

By contrast, blue makes us feel calm or

peaceful.

Exposure to blue in general and blue

light in particular seems to stimulate

the production of serotonin.

Culturally, that might be because we

associate blue with the open sea or sky

and a lack of captivity.

One of the most astonishing aspects of

visual processing is that our brains can

see colors our eyes can't. There's no

pink light, for example, on the visible

spectrum. Visible light waves go from

red to purple through green, but we

experience color in a circle rather than

on a straight line, and our brains have

invented pink to fill in that empty

space.

Pink is a relatively new addition to the

English language. It was first written

down during the Renaissance, and it's

one of our more controversial color

words because of its associations with

femininity.

But that pairing is also fairly new.

As late as the early part of the 20th

century, contemporary color gender roles

were reversed.

Blue was associated with femininity

because it was felt to be delicate,

while pink was strong and masculine.

Those roles reversed in the 1940s and

'50s, which is probably a strong

indication that there's no concrete link

between color and gender or sexuality.

While some of our color associations

have strong physiological components,

others are strictly cultural. And we

often need that cultural context to help

us inform color meanings because lots of

colors have contrary victory

connotations.

Green, for example, seems to evoke a

generally peaceful physiological

response, but it has much less pleasant

cultural connotations like greed and

jealousy, reptiles and amphibians, or

illness.

Similarly, some color associations are

universal, but others are definitely

local.

Yellow is closely associated with

lightheartedness or happiness in in

United States, but in ancient Egypt or

contemporary Myanmar, yellow is a

morning color.

In China, red is closely associated with

good fortune and prosperity, but in the

United States, much more so with anger

or passion.

Advertisers routinely play on our

biological and cultural associations

with color.

What sort of businesses do you think of

when you look at this color combination?

Maybe you said things like health

insurance or agriculture. And that makes

sense given the generally peaceful

associations we've already identified

with blue and feelings of calm, health,

and trustworthiness that can accompany

green and white.

How about this combination?

Good participation.

You almost certainly said things like

fast food or maybe gas stations. We've

already seen that exposure to red can

prepare the body for fight or flight.

And warm colors more generally connote

feelings of urgency.

When using combination, these colors can

make us feel like the only possible time

to stop for a hamburger or get gas is

right now.

So, returning to my career,

for a long time, the tools of my trade

were exclusively the provenance of

lighting designers. Theatrical lighting

fixtures are expensive and efficient

LEDs either weren't yet invented or

weren't widely available.

But, that's changed in recent years.

Home improvement stores have always had

aisles full of lighting, but the

contemporary variety is pretty

extraordinary.

Chances are excellent that many of the

people in this room can change the color

of at least some of the lights in your

home using an app on your phone.

For the first time I'm aware of, it's

possible to easily select the color

temperature of your car headlights.

And that control is just in lighting.

You also have enormous color control of

the other items in your daily life.

That shift in availability means that

it's now not just possible, but

practical for you to curate your

personal color space based on a variety

of emotional, physical, and work needs.

So, with that in mind, here are three

ways you can leverage color in your

personal life using items you already

own

or things that are relatively

inexpensive and easy to get hold of.

Looking to spark attraction?

Try red.

Wear a red outfit, red lipstick, even

red nail polish.

Red's attractive qualities are

universal, and they seem to apply

equally to men and women.

Conversely, avoid red if you're working

on difficult tasks like studying.

Exposure to red and other saturated

colors seems to limit achievement.

Turn the lights to blue if you want to

relax, have just been in a stressful

situation, or want to evoke the outdoors

while you're inside.

But, be cognizant of the time of day.

Exposure to blue light can trick the

brain into thinking that it's morning,

which suppresses melatonin production,

and that can keep you awake. That's the

same reason you shouldn't spend time

with your screens right before bed.

Read and study under warm or neutral

white light.

Paint the rooms where you work white or

light yellow.

And always take notes on white or light

yellow paper.

These colors increase visual contrast

and seem to stimulate brain activity.

The colors surrounding us have a

meaningful impact on our daily lives,

and with just a little bit of context

from science and culture, we can

manipulate them to improve our overall

well-being.

Exactly like lighting a stage, the

colors we choose carry meaning. So,

select them with care to shape the way

you want to feel,

think, and live. Thank you.

>> [applause]

[cheering]

>> Woo!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
transformation /ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən/ B2	noun - a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance
nuanced /ˈnjuːɑːnst/ C2	adjective - characterized by subtle shades of meaning or expression
cohesive /koʊˈhiːsɪv/ C1	adjective - characterized by or causing unity and sticking together
curator /ˈkjʊəreɪtər/ C1	noun - a keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection
perception /pərˈsepʃən/ B2	noun - the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses
collaborate /kəˈlæbəreɪt/ B2	verb - to work jointly on an activity or project
discrete /dɪˈskriːt/ C2	adjective - individually separate and distinct
attuned /əˈtjuːnd/ C2	adjective - receptive or aware; in harmony with
foreshadow /fɔːrˈʃædoʊ/ C2	verb - to be a warning or indication of a future event
photoreceptors /ˌfoʊtoʊrɪˈseptərz/ C2	noun - a sensory cell or sense organ that responds to light
peripheral /pəˈrɪfərəl/ B2	adjective - relating to or situated on the edge or periphery
contextualize /kɒnˈtekstʃuəlaɪz/ C2	verb - to place or study in context
imperative /ɪmˈperətɪv/ C1	noun - a vital or essential requirement
saturation /ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən/ C1	noun - the intensity of a color
provenance /ˈprɒvɪnəns/ C2	noun - place of origin or earliest known history
cognizant /ˈkɒɡnɪzənt/ C2	adjective - having knowledge or being aware of
melatonin /ˌmeləˈtoʊnɪn/ C1	noun - a hormone that regulates sleep cycles

Key Grammar Structures

• As a lighting designer, my job is focused on transformation.

  ➔ Passive Voice (Stative)

  ➔ The phrase "is focused on" describes the state or nature of the job rather than an action being performed on it.

• I take blank slates... and turn them into nuanced, cohesive visual worlds.

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (Transitive)

  ➔ The phrasal verb "turn into" is used to describe the process of changing something from one state or form to another.

• Without a word like red, for example, we wouldn't have a way to warn others.

  ➔ Third Conditional (Hypothetical Situation)

  ➔ The use of "wouldn't have" expresses a hypothetical consequence of not having a color word.

• It does appear that all languages have words for black and white.

  ➔ Emphatic 'do'

  ➔ The auxiliary "does" is used before the verb "appear" to add emphasis or show certainty to the statement.

• Once we have a variety of words, it's natural for us to start sorting those words.

  ➔ Subordinate Clause (Time Clause)

  ➔ The clause starting with "Once" establishes a condition of time that precedes the action in the main clause.

• What sort of businesses do you think of when you look at this color combination?

  ➔ Wh- Questions (Embedded structure)

  ➔ The speaker uses an embedded question structure ("do you think of") to directly engage the audience's perception.

• That shift in availability means that it's now practical for you to curate your space.

  ➔ Infinitive clause as Subject Complement

  ➔ The phrase "for you to curate" explains the purpose of the situation, with 'for you' acting as the subject of the infinitive.

• Turn the lights to blue if you want to relax.

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The speaker uses the imperative form to give a direct suggestion or instruction to the audience.