Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Effective stage lighting not only lets the spectators see the action of the play but also ties together all the visual elements of the production
It also helps create an appropriate mood and atmosphere that heighten the audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the play
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Learning how to see—to understand how light shapes and modifies people and objects—is absolutely essential in learning to understand lighting design
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Distribution
Intensity
Movement
Color
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Distribution
Distribution refers to several elements
The direction from which the light approaches an area, actor, or object
The shape and size of the area that the light is covering
The quality of the light—its diffusion and clarity
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Intensity
Intensity is the actual amount, or level of brightness, of light that strikes the stage or actor
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Movement
Movement can be divided into three general categories
The timed duration of the light cues
The movement of onstage lights
The movement of an offstage light source
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Controllable Qualities of Light
Color
Color is an extremely powerful tool of the designer
The judicious use of appropriately tinted light can assist the audience’s understanding of and reaction to the play
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Functions of Stage Light
Visibility
Stage lighting needs to make everything on stage clearly visible to the spectators
The number of lighting instruments and other sources used to light a scene, the color of those lights, and their directions and intensity, all affect visibility
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Functions of Stage Light
Selective Focus
Selective focus means directing the spectators’ attention to a specific place
The primary method is by manipulation our instinctive response to light
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Functions of Stage Light
Modeling
Modeling is the revealing of the form of an object through the pattern of highlight and shadow that is reflected from the object to the eye
The distribution and intensity of the light will determine our visual understanding of that object
Direction is the primary element used in modeling, although it is also affected by intensity, movement, and color
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Functions of Stage Light
Mood
Creating a mood with light is one of the easiest and most difficult aspects of stage lighting
Within the parameters of the production concept, stage lighting is usually designed to enhance the mood of the play as unobtrusively as possible
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Designing with Light
Varying the direction of light affects the face of an actor
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Designing with Light
Surrounding an actor with a number of light sources provides the potential for modeling with light
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Designing with Light
Key and Fill
These terms are frequently used to describe the relationship between the direction and relative intensity of light striking objects
Key light is the brightest light on the scene
Fill light is used to fill the shadows created by the key light
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Designing with Light
Psychological Effects of Light
The concepts of good and evil are often associated with light and darkness
When a scene is lit with dark and murky shadows, most people instinctively react with a sense of foreboding
The direction from which light strikes an object has a direct effect on our perception of that object
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Light Plot
The light plot is a scale mechanical drawing that indicates where the lighting instruments should be placed
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Lighting Section
The lighting section is a scale drawing that isn’t really a sectional drawing
It is a composite side view drawing that shows the position of lighting equipment in relation to the set and the physical structure of the theatre
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
A legend, or instrument key, provides complete identification information about each instrument used on the plot
The legend should also contain an explanation of the peripheral information that is associated with each instrument symbol
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Instrument Number
Each instrument needs to be assigned an identification number so that it can be cross-referenced with the instrument schedule, or hookup sheet
Instrument schedule—a form used to record all of the technical data about each instrument used in the production
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Focus Area
The focus area for each instrument is identified by a large letter placed in front of the lens housing the symbol for that instrument
The letter corresponds to the same letter that identifies a specific lighting area on the light plot
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Circuit Number
The circuit number identifies the stage circuit into which the lighting instrument should be plugged
This decision is left up to the master electrician
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Dimmer Number
The dimmer number identifies the specific dimmer that will control the instruments
This decision may be left up to the master electrician
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Channel Number
The channel number identifies the control channel to which the dimmer will be assigned
This decision is left up to the master electrician
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Legend
Instrument Color
The instrument color number refers to the specific color media that will be used with that particular instrument
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Light Plot and Related Paperwork
The Instrument Schedule
The instrument schedule is a specification sheet that contains everything you need to know about every instrument used on the production
Also known as the hookup sheet
All of the paperwork required in lighting design can be generated with computer programs
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
The image of light is a picture or concept of what the light should look like for production
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
The Lighting Key
The analysis of the image of light to determine its controllable qualities is not just an idle intellectual exercise
The lighting designer codifies that information to create the lighting key
The lighting key is a drawing that indicates the plan angle and color of the various sources that illuminate the image of light
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
The Lighting Key
Acting and Lighting Areas
A lighting area is a cylindrical space approximately 8 to 12 feet in diameter and 7 feet tall
To achieve a smooth wash of light throughout an acting area, it is necessary to overlap individual lighting areas by approximately one-third
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
The Lighting Key
Acting and Lighting Areas
A lighting area is a cylindrical space approximately 8 to 12 feet in diameter and 7 feet tall
To achieve a smooth wash of light throughout an acting area, it is necessary to overlap individual lighting areas by approximately one-third
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
Layering
A lighting design exists in times as well as space
Creating a temporal development in the lighting design requires that some method of creating that time-based element be designed into the light plot
Layering is primarily an organizational tool that designs layers of light
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
The Image of Light
Designing Lights for Thrust and Arena Stages
It is not significantly different from designing for a proscenium theatre
The only difference is the location of the audience
It is the lighting designer’s responsibility to light the stage so that all of the spectators are able to see the production well
In arena staging, the instruments are hung closer to the actors
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Drawing the Light Plot and Lighting Section
The lighting designer needs drawings and files from other members of the production design team before he and she can start to draw the light plot
In addition to sketches, models, or photos of the scenic models, the LD needs the following:
Ground plans of the scenic designer
Sectionals of the scenic design
Scale ground plan of the stage and auditorium
Sectional of the stage and auditorium
Layout or, and specifications for, the stage lighting systems of the theatre
Accurate inventory of the theatre’s lighting equipment and rental budget
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Drawing the Light Plot and Lighting Section
Determining the Sectional Angle
The sectional angles of most lighting instruments is usually somewhere between 30 and 60 degrees
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Drawing the Light Plot and Lighting Section
Selecting Instrument Size
Lighting instruments provide beam and field angle templates that are simple triangular, scale, acetate or cardboard templates that contain the throw distance and the beam and field angles of the light emitted by each instrument
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Electrician’s Cue Sheet
The board operator’s bible
Contains the primary operating instructions for every lighting cue
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Recording Dimmer Intensity Levels
There are two methods of recording lighting cues
Electronically—electronic cue storage allows you to electronically store the intensity levels of each dimmer that is used in each cue and the time associated with each cue
Manual or preset—a preset sheet is used to record the intensity levels for each dimmer during major shifts in lighting
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Designer’s Cue Sheet
Also known as the cheat sheet, it is a form that identifies the function of the lights associated with each channel or dimmer and provides a space for recording intensity levels
These sheets should be kept in a loose-leaf binder so cures can be easily added and deleted
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Lighting Rehearsal
The lighting rehearsal is devoted to setting the intensity levels and timing for each lighting cure
The lighting designer, electrician, stage manager, and the director are the only people needed at this rehearsal
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Technical and Dress Rehearsals
Changes and adjustments to the timing, content, and positioning of lighting cures are normal during the technical and dress rehearsals
Theatrical Design and Production
Chapter 12: Lighting Design
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Rehearsal and Performance Procedures
Instrument and Dimmer Check
Several routine equipment checks should be conducted before each technical or dress rehearsal and each performance
All dimmers and instruments need to be checked to determine that they are functioning properly
A check sheet can aid in this process
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