An Interview with Lief Liu - By Melody Quan

“The point of a production is that audiences don’t notice.”

That was Lief’s answer to whether or not he would like the production team’s work to be recognized by the audience. No doubt, his words make sense. When everything goes off without a hitch, rarely, if ever, will the audience notice the logistics required to keep the stage running.

Lief is a third year in the SFU theatre production program. The program throws students into the heart of production work, with almost stereotypically realistic problems to solve, such as managing tight budgets, and maintaining tense workplace relations.




Melody Quan (MQ)
“Are there many creative processes involved [in theatre production?]”

Lief Liu (LL)
“Creative in terms of problem solving, yes. Not in terms of design. Say I need a cable to run from the tech ledge to a dropping sandbag. I need to collaborate with the set designers and the lighting designers and the director to find a spot that won't block the set, the light, and won't hit the actor.”

MQ
“Regarding theatre, is there a favourite work of yours?”

LL
“To me, it was Topophilia. It was a show I helped on, that includes moving walls and dancing, produced at SFU.”

MQ
“What was it about? What about Topophilia did you enjoy?”

LL
“[There was] something technical that surprised me. Topophilia had a sequence where the walls changed shape and arranged. The windows on the wall were used creatively to frame the character within or without it.”

MQ
“Could you elaborate on that a bit?”

LL
“Sure. There was a scene where the wall closes around a window, the light got dim, and the music dense. It created a sense of suffocation. Whereas another had the walls align and the light shine on the frame, accompanied by quietness. That had a sense of wonder and calmness.”
Link to Topophilia

MQ
“Regarding that setup, were there already schematics for that frame designed by the commissioner - in this case, I guess it was SFU - or was the frame something built and designed by the production team?”

LL
“Production team, I think I was there to build the wall.”

MQ
“Do you plan on staying in theatre production, or do you intend on trying other fields like film production? Or is there more you want to do than production only?”

LL
“I want to try and research shows to work in VR, like designing VR experiences from the ground up.”

MQ
“Oh, I am familiar with those VR experiences that often pop up, usually with horror or rollercoaster themes, but I assume you want to make something more theatrical?”

LL
“A bit more abstract, but yes. I want to design shows, not games, if that makes sense.”

MQ
“In VR the viewer is usually able to move their heads in any direction, have you considered how to deal with that?”

LL
“Yeah, which is to use knowledge from game design. The company Valve makes great work. In their games, they use in-game events to guide players.”

MQ
“That makes a lot of sense! Good game design will always lead the player - in this case viewer - where to go.”

LL
“Yup. By the way I want to expand on my “I want to design shows, not games.”

MQ
“Sure, I am interested in that as well.”

LL
“I think games can be difficult to tailor and experience, so in my mind the less systems there are the better. So less GTA and more like a walking sim, where interactions are somewhat limited. Of course, the more systems there are the more training you need for your audience, so accessibility is key here.”

MQ
“In this case, would the viewer need to use a controller?”

LL
“Yes, but limited in actions available. So I’m thinking movement, grab, and interact. Similar to how VR started off as.”

MQ
“That seems reminiscent of first-person horror titles.”

LL
“Yeah, like PT and other indie horror games.”

MQ
“Last question. Is there anything you would like to say to someone looking to get into theatre production or production in general? Tips or advice?”

LL
“Watch out for burnout. Know you will make mistakes, but try not to burn bridges while you are making them, those can be hard to mend, especially since the industry is based on connection and networking.”