stage lighting

What is stage lighting?

Stage lighting is the craft of lighting as it applies to the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts.

Color mixing with lights ( often times LED lights) are often used as border lights and _______________________ lights

cyclodrama

Lighting controllers are connected to the ____________________ which allow them to be placed away from the stage and audience.

dimmers

All lights can be classified as either _____________ or _______________.

floodlights or spotlights

What are the functions of stage lighting? (8 ) and an explanation of each

illumination-The simple ability to see what is occurring on stage. Any lighting design will be ineffective if the viewers cannot see the characters; unless this is the explicit intent. Revelation of form: Altering the perception of shapes onstage, particularly three-dimensional stage elements. Focus: Directing the audience's attention to an area of the stage or distracting them from another. Mood: Setting the tone of a scene. Harsh red light has a totally different effect than soft lavender light. Location and time of day: Establishing or altering position in time and space. Blues can suggest night time while orange and red can suggest a sunrise or sunset. Use of gobos to project sky scene, moon etc Projection/stage elements: Lighting may be used to project scenery or to act as scenery onstage. Plot: A lighting event may trigger or advance the action onstage. Composition: Lighting may be used to show only the areas of the stage which the designer wants the audience to see, and to "paint a picture".

What are the 4 main qualities of lighting? (Explain each)

intensity-Measured in lux, lumens and foot-candles. For any given luminaire (lighting instrument or fixture), this depends upon the power of the lamp, the design of the instrument (and its corresponding efficiency), the presence or absence of color gels or gobos, distance from the area to be lit and the beam or field angle of the fixture, the color and substance to be lit, and the neuro-optics of the total scene (that is, the relative contrasts to other regions of illumination). color- Color temperature is measured in Kelvin, and gel colors are organized by several different systems maintained by the color manufacturing companies. The apparent color of a light is determined largely by the gel color given it, but also in part by the power level the lamp is being run at and the color of material it is to light. As the percentage of full power a lamp is being run at drops, the tungsten filament in the bulb glows orange instead of more nearly white. This is known as amber drift or amber shift. Thus a 1000-watt instrument at 50% will appear far more orange than a 500-watt instrument at full. LED fixtures create color through additive color mixing with red, green, and blue LEDs at different intensities. This type of color mixing is also used frequently with border lights and cyclorama lights to create different colors on stage and on the cyclorama. Another form of color mixing is CMY, or subtractive color mixing. Cyan, magenta and yellow dichroic filters are used in different percentages to create different colors. Because it is often difficult to create true reds and greens, a green dichroic filter is often added to fixtures using this method of colour mixing. pattern-Pattern refers to the shape, quality and evenness of a lamp's output. The pattern of light an instrument makes is largely determined by three factors. The first are the specifics of the lamp, reflector and lens assembly. Different mounting positions for the lamp (axial, base up, base down), different sizes and shapes of reflector and the nature of the lens (or lenses) being used can all affect the pattern of light. Secondly, the specifics of how the lamp is focused affect its pattern. In ellipsoidal reflector spotlights (ERS) or profile spotlights, there are two beams of light emitted from the lamp. When the cones of both intersect at the throw distance (the distance to the stage), the lamp has a sharply defined 'hard' edge. When the two cones do not intersect at that distance, the edge is fuzzy and 'soft'. Depending on which beam (direct or reflected) is outside the other, the pattern may be 'thin and soft' or 'fat and soft.' Lastly, a gobo or break up pattern may be applied to ERSs and similar instruments. This is typically a thin sheet of metal with a shape cut into it. It is inserted into the instrument near its aperture. Gobos come in many shapes, but often include leaves, waves, stars and similar patterns. focus, position, and hanging- Focus is a term usually used to describe where an instrument is pointed. The final focus should place the "hot spot" of the beam at the actor's head level when standing at the center of the instrument's assigned "focus area" on the stage. Position refers to the location of an instrument in the theater's fly system or on permanent pipes in front-of-house locations. Hanging is the act of placing the instrument in its assigned position. In addition to these, certain modern instruments are automated, referring to motorized movement of either the entire fixture body or the movement of a mirror placed in front of its outermost lens. These fixtures and the more traditional follow spots add Direction and Motion to the relevant characteristics of light. Automated fixtures fall into either the moving head or moving mirror / scanner category. Scanners have a body which contains the lamp, PCBs, transformer, and effects (color, gobo, iris etc.) devices. A mirror is panned and tilted in the desired position by pan and tilt motors, thereby causing the light beam to move. Moving head fixtures have the effects and lamp assembly inside the head with transformers and other electronics in the base or external ballast. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Scanners are typically faster and less costly than moving head units but have a narrower range of movement. Moving head fixtures have a much larger range of movement as well as a more natural inertial movement but are typically more expensive. The above characteristics are not always static, and it is frequently the variation in these characteristics that is used in achieving the goals of lighting. Stanley McCandless was perhaps the first to define controllable qualities of light used in theater. In A Method for Lighting the Stage, McCandless discusses color, distribution, intensity and movement as the qualities that can be manipulated by a lighting designer to achieve the desired visual, emotional and thematic look on stage. The McCandless Method, outlined in that book, is widely embraced today. The method involves lighting an object on the stage from three angles- 2 lights at 45 degrees to the left and right, and one at 90 degrees (perpendicular to the front of the object).

Hanging?

is the act of placing the instrument in its assigned position.

A lighting instrument is also called a ?

luminaries

What are the 4 types of reflection

specular reflection, diffuse reflection, spread reflection, and mixed reflection

Bubbles?

the lamps inside a theatrical fixture

Direction and Motion?

the relevant characteristics of light

Why are fluorescent lights rarely used for theatre lighting?

they cannot be dimmed (run at less than full power) without using specialized dimmer ballasts and they will not dim to very low levels. They also do not produce light from a single point or easily concentrated area, and have a warm-up period, during which they emit no light or do so intermittently.

Lighting controls?

anything that changes the quality of the light.

Which type of lighting board does the LHS Theatre have?

element 40

Color scroller?

A color scroller allows a conventional lighting fixture to provide a variety of colors

What OTHER positions would you see within the world of theatre that work with lights BESIDES the lighting designer? (Looking for 4)

Master Electrician/Chief Electrician; Production Electrician; Lighting Programmer; Lighting Operator/Light board operator

How many of each (ERS and Freznel) are currently hung for lighting in the LHS Theatre?

25

What are the 4 basic components of a fixture that is used for theatre?

Box/Housing - a metal or plastic container to house the whole instrument and prevent light from spilling in unwanted directions. Light Source (lamp). Lens or opening - the gap in the housing where the light is intended to come out. Reflector - behind or around the light source in such a way as to direct more light towards the lens or opening.

Lighting Designer (LD)?

The above elements of lighting are primarily the domain of the Lighting Designer (LD). The LD is responsible for using the principles above to achieve "the lighting look" — using lighting to affect the audience's senses and evoke their emotions. The lighting designer is familiar with the various types of lighting instruments and their uses. In consultation with the director and the scenic designer, and after watching sufficient rehearsals, the LD is responsible for providing an Instrument Schedule and a Light Plot. The Schedule is a list of all required materials, including color gel, gobos, color wheels, barn doors and other accessories. The light plot is typically a plan view of the theatre in which the performance will take place, with every luminaire marked. This typically includes approximate focus (the direction it should be pointing), a reference number, any accessories required, and the specifics (or channel number) of its connection to the dimmer system or lighting control console.[12]

Constant Power Module?

a 20- or 50-amp breaker in a dimming module casing

Position?

a dark plate or screen used to shield a lens from light.

What is a gobo?

a dark plate or screen used to shield a lens from light.

Dimmer?

a device used to vary the electrical power delivered to the instrument's lamp