Lighting Design
A lighting designer with a keen eye and a solid understanding of color theory can shift the entire feeling of a show with a push of a button.
Introduction
“Photography” literally translates to writing with light, from the Greek words phōtos and graphe. If a photographer writes with light then it is the lighting designer who paints with it. A lighting designer with a keen eye and a solid understanding of color theory can shift the entire feeling of a show with a push of a button. However, a lot of work goes into research, planning and preparation before the magic can happen.
A lighting designer (usually abbreviated to LD) is often chosen by the director, but many also have seasonal contracts with a theatre company. They work closely with the set and costume designers to create a cohesive world for the play onstage, answering to the director for artistic choices and working with the electrics (LX) department to implement their design.
Terminology
- Beam Angle: The size of the cone of light emitted by a fixture, measured in degrees. A narrow beam will create a smaller focused circle of light, a wider one will cover more area.
- Channel: A number used to designate a dimmer or group of dimmers on the console, used by the lighting designer to organize lighting systems and recall them during cue building.
- Dimmer: A device that controls lighting intensity by limiting voltage.
- Fixtures: Also known as lighting instruments; any lights used specifically for stage lighting including fresnels, ERS (Source4s), Parcans, plus various LEDs and moving lights.
- Gel: Heat-resistant plastic filters used to color conventional lights, brands include Rosco, Lee, and GAM.
- Gobos: Metal or glass stencils that can be inserted into lights to create patterns. Gobo refers to where it is inserted into the light - GOes Before Optics (between the lamp and the lens).
- Head of Lighting: The crew person responsible for implementing the lighting design, overseeing light hang, and maintaining all lighting equipment for a show.
- Lamp: The “bulb” in the instrument. These can be halogen incandescent, arc, or xenon bulbs depending on the fixture.
- Levels: The process of setting and recording lighting cues, measured channel by channel on a range from 0-100%.
- Lighting Cues: Lighting levels as recorded on the console; the stage manager calls for these in numerical sequence during the show.
- Programmer: The crew person who operates the lighting console. They input cues from the lighting designer, conduct preshow checks, and run the cues during the show.
- Snap/Fade: Types of cue times; a fade is a more gradual lighting change while a snap is instantaneous.
- Tech Week: A period of time for load-in and building the technical elements of a show before performers take the stage.
Context & Analysis
“Photography” literally translates to writing with light, from the Greek words phōtos and graphe. If a photographer writes with light then it is the lighting designer who paints with it. A lighting designer with a keen eye and a solid understanding of color theory can shift the entire feeling of a show with a push of a button. However, a lot of work goes into
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- Show Guide: Matilda
- Tech Guide: Lighting Production
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