THTR 3531

control board/control console

A console containing controls for a number of dimmers.

electricity

A directed flow of electrons used to create kinetic energy

douser

A mechanical dimmer with movable slats or an iris to block or allow light to pass. Typically used in fixtures with non-dimmable sources such as followspots and intelligent/moving light fixtures

I=E/R

How is the relationship of Ohm's Law mathematically expressed?

instruments

Lighting fixtures designed for use in the theatre

lens train

One or more lenses, placed at a specific distance from the source, to create the desired angle of dispersion of the light.

bank

Refers to the number of individual fluorescent tubes or lamps contained in a fluorescent light fixture

production design team

The producer; director; and scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers who develop the visual and aural concept for the production

1. to influence the audience's perception and understanding of what they're seeing 2. to selectively illuminate the stage 3. to sculpt, mold, and model actors, settings, and costumes 4. to create an atmosphere that is supportive of the play's production concept 5. to convey the environmental circumstances of the scene (time of day, type of tight, atmosphere, etc.)

What are the five primary goals that the lighting designer uses light to achieve?

voltage in volts

What is "E" in I=E/R

current in amperes

What is "I" in I=E/R

resistance in ohms

What is "R" in I=E/R

series circuit

a circuit in which all the electricity flows through every element of the circuit and the voltage is reduced by each load in the circuit

parallel circuit

a circuit in which only a portion of the electricity flows through each of the branches of the circuit

repertory theatre

a company that presents several different plays alternately in one theatre in the course of a season. In the context of lighting design, adjustments are normally made to the focus and color of lighting instruments for each play each time it is performed.

lighting sectional

a composite side view, drawn to scale, of the set, showing the hanging position of the instruments in relation to the physical structure of the theatre, set, and stage equipment; primarily used to determine effective masking positions in a proscenium theatre

circuit

a conducive path through which electricity flows

production meeting

a conference of appropriate production personnel to share information

pipe

a counterweighted batten or fixed metal pipe that holds lighting instruments or equipment

scenographic designer

a designer responsible for the entire artistic look - scenery, costumes, lighting, properties - of a production

load

a device that converts electrical energy into another form of energy; a lamp converts electrical energy to light and heat; an electrical motor converts electricity to mechanical energy

fuse

a device to protect a circuit from an overload; has a soft metal strip that melts, breaking circuit continuity

top light

a directional term meaning light that approached the stage from above, or on top of, the stage floor

cue

a directive for action: for example, a change in the lighting

neutron

a fundamental particle in the structure of the nucleus of an atom; possesses a neutral charge

proton

a fundamental particle in the structure of the nucleus of an atom; possesses a positive charge

atomic theory

a generally accepted theory concerning the structure and composition of substances

light board

a generic term used to describe all types of lighting control consoles

plano-convex lens

a lens with one flat and one outward-curving face

moving light fixture

a lighting fixture that can be remotely controlled to move, change color/beam shape, and so forth. also known as an intelligent light fixture

followspot

a lighting instrument with a high-intensity, narrow beam of light; mounted on a stand that allows it to tilt and swivel so that the beam can "follow" the actor

pigtail

a lighting instrument's electrical cable containing the hot, neutral, and ground wires used to connect the fixture to, typically, a stage circuit

electron

a negatively charged fundamental particle that orbits around the nucleus of an atom

light plot

a scale ground-plan drawing that details the placement of the lighting instruments relative to the physical structure of the theatre and the location of the set(s)

parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR)

a sealed-beam lamp similar to the headlight of an automobile

unit set

a single set in which all of the play's locations are always visible and the audience's attention is usually shifted by alternately lighting various parts of the set

amperage

a term denoting current flow within an electrical circuit

boom

a vertical pipe with a heavy base, frequently equipped with horizontal crossbars or sidearms. Used for a hanging position for lighting instruments

dimmer

an electrical device that controls the intensity of a light source connected to it

cable

an electrical extension cord used to connect instruments to dimmers or instruments to permanent stage circuits

free electron

an electron that has broken away from its "home" atom to float free

busking

an improvisational style of light board operation widely used in concert settings where the exact musical context is also improvised

patch panel

an interconnecting device that allows you to connect any stage circuit into any dimmer

sidelight

any light striking the side of an object relative to the view of the observer

insulator

any material with few free electrons, such as rubber, paper, glass, and certain types of plastics

conductor

any material with many free electrons, such as copper, silver, gold, and aluminum

changeover

changing from one play to another in a repertory theatre situation. involves exchanging sets, costumes, and properties and making adjustments to lighting and sound

running

controlling or operating some aspect of a production

short circuit/short

created when a very large surge of current causes a portion of a conductor to explosively melt

centrifugal force

force that moves away from the center; the circular motion of electrons spinning around an atom's nucleus generates this

kinetic

having to do with movement. in the case of lighting design, having to do with moving lights

focus

in stage lighting, the location onstage where the light from an instrument is directed

location

in the context of lighting fixtures, those instruments designed to be used outside the studio, Typically these fixtures are small, lightweight, and are equipped with a telescoping stand

white light

light that contains all wavelengths of the visible spectrum in relatively equal proportion

color

one of the four controllable qualities of light; a perception created in the brain by the stimulation of the retina by light waves of certain lengths; a generic term applied to all light waves contained in the visible spectrum

distribution

one of the four controllable qualities of light; the direction, shape and size, quality (clarity or diffusion), and character (texture) of light

intensity

one of the four controllable qualities of light; the relative brightness of light

mood

one of the four functions of stage lighting: the ability of light to create a mood

selective focus

one of the four functions of stage lighting: the ability of light to direct the audience's attention to a specific location

modeling

one of the four functions of stage lighting: the ability of light to reveal three-dimensional form

visibility

one of the four functions of stage lighting; to light the stage in a manner that supports the production concept

lighting designer

person responsible for the appearance of the lighting during the production

cohesion

sharpness of a light

diffusion

softness of a light

light cue

some type of action involving lighting; usually the raising or lowering of the intensity of one or more lighting instruments

look

the appearance - the way a light looks onstage - of a particular cue

nucleus

the central part of an atom; composed of protons and neutrons

production concept

the creative interpretation of the script that will unify the artistic vision of the production design team

potential

the difference in electrical charge between two bodies; measured in volts

focal length

the distance from the lens at which the light rays converge into a point; for lenses used in stage lighting instruments, it is most frequently measured in whole inches

electrical current

the flow or movement of electrons through a conductor

running crew

the individuals for running the various technical areas - sets, lights, costumes, sound, props - during rehearsals and performances; also known as "run crew"

Ohm's law

the law that states: as voltage increases, current increases; as resistance increases, current decreases

law of charges

the law: like charges repel and unlike charges attract

plug

the male portion of a connecting device

resistance

the opposition to electron flow within a conductor, measured in ohms; the amount of this is dependent on the chemical makeup of the material through which the electricity is flowing

source

the origin of electrical potential, such as a battery or a 120-volt wall outlet

valence shell

the outermost shell of the orbiting electrons in the structure of the atom

lighting production team

the personnel who work on lighting for a production

color media

the plastic or glass materials used to color the light emitted by lighting instruments

circuiting

the process of connecting a lighting instrument to its specific stage circuit

hanging

the process of placing lighting instruments in their specified location

atom

the smallest particle of a chemical element that retains the structural properties of the element

lamp

the stage term for "light bulbs" used in stage lighting instruments

watt

the unit measurement of power required to do work

ampere

the unit of measurement of electrical current

volt

the unit of measurement of electrical potential

acting areas

those areas of the stage on which specific scenes, or parts of scenes, are played

electricians

those who work on the stage lighting for the production

mask

to block the audience's view - generally of backstage equipment and space

patch

to connect a stage circuit to a dimmer circuit (hard patch) or, in computer lighting consoles, to virtually connect a channel to a dimmer (soft patch)

face

to increase or decrease the intensity of the lights

gel

to insert color media in a color frame and place on a lighting instrument. color media made from gelatin or plastic

repatch

to remove one circuit from a dimmer and replace it with another during a performance OR to shift a dimmer from one channel and to another (on computer lighting consoles)

combination circuit

typically, a circuit where the elements are in a parallel configuration and the controls are placed in a series with the load

a source, a load, and a circuit

what 3 things does every electrical system have to have?

profile

what category of lenses create relatively narrow, hard-edged beams of light like followspots or ERSs?

wash

what category of lenses create soft, relatively diffused light such as fresnels and PARs

P=IE (P=power, I=current, E=voltage) and W=VA (W=power in watts, V= voltage in volts, A=current in amperes)

what two equations represent the power formula?

instinct and learned response

what two things control our emotional reaction to what we see?