Lighting Design

“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.