Stage Lighting is used for many things such as Shakespearian theatre production, Rock concerts or cabarets
If you dont have light, you do not have vision so therefore there is no perception!
Lighting directors have the power to change peoples perceptions and what the see
The lighting directors control things such as brightness (amplitude), color (frequency / wavelength), change rates, and direction (angle of incidence).
(added by Bailey, period 8)
On The Stage
Stage Basics
To understand how stage lighting works, One must first understand the basics of the stage.
The picture underneath is a picture of half of the stage looking from the wings or side where the run crew stands and actors/actresses make their entrances from during a performance.
.
A diagram of the curtains on a stage and where they fall.
The Cyclorama, Main, and Traveler curtains all stretch across the entire stage where the Legs are about an eighth of the stage. Each curtain has it's own specific function
Cyclorama- Rear curtain that covers the back wall or Upstage wall of the stage. This curtain can either become a backdrop or will have a backdrop in front of it. Usually a dark blue or black.
1st and 2nd legs- cover the wings from view and also provide a dramatic effect for the audience. Most theaters have two legs and can have more depending on the size of the stage. Will be dark in color (blue, black, maroon).
Traveler- This curtain is used during scenes to add for dramatic effect by forcing the actors to work in a small area with the focus on them or create the illusion of a small room, hallway, pathway, etc. This is the primary curtain that moves during a performance as it signifies the change in scenes when accompanied by a blackout.
Main- The "front" curtain. Opened and closed only two times during a performance. Opened when the show begins, closed for intermission, opened as act II begins, closed at the end of the show.
Orientation of oneself on the stage is not difficult, but it can be confusing. Due to old tradition that began at the Globe Theatre, The rear of the stage is upstage, and the front of the stage downstage. This is because the first theaters were slanted so crowds standing on the floor of the theater could see the action happening on stage. The directions that are given to the actor (ex. Stage Left) are from their point of view looking at the audience. Often a director will give a direction such as "more upstage right" which means, step backwards and to your right.
A diagram of stage directions and where they lie on the stage.
History of Stage Lighting
Technological History of Stage Lighting:
Like most technical theater, stage lighting did not enter into the theater as a job until the Renaissance. This is because the Greeks and Romans had open, airy theaters and relied on the sun to light the stage. During the Renaissance, however, candles were used for small, private performances. This continued until the 1780's when Aime Argand created the worlds first oil lamp. This new invention soon turned daytime theaters into night active showplaces. Actors could now practice twice as long and put on twice as many performances. Though, theoretically, theaters could have stopped their progression through technology there, many theaters were the first to adopt the initially expensive electronic lights that now occupy most, if not all, stages currently in proper use.
The Purpose of Stage Lighting
On Stage Visibility
Obviously the stage is without light when the house lights are taken down, therefore stage lights are 100% necessary in todays auditorium which is windowless and consists of closed, non windowed doors in order to see the performance.
Mood
Stage lights are also used to portray moods and the feel of the scene. (Ex. a pure blue lighting on half of the stage will show a cold feeling when the performers enter into that area.
Setting
The lighting can show different areas of the world, different climates,etc. (ex. Red in the desert or blue in the ocean).
Wicked video which demonstrates the power of mood lighting in a scene.
Light Terms and Basics
(click link for definitions of lighting vocabulary)
Lighting is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for any major production. Most productions, even high school and amateur performances, hire private companies for at least part of the lighting work.
Overhead Lighting
Overhead lights are the most common used lights on the stage. There are usually three to four sections of lights on the stage and each are stratigicaly placed behind or in front of curtains in order to provide for the proper effect.
Yellow and purple tinted lighting are strongly advised against as they tend to be easily wiped out of a scene or seem to harsh.Colors that are used more often than not are white (a staple in theatrical lighting) red, blue, and occasionally green.
Overhead lighting is most often used for lighting large areas or lightening up what a spotlight will miss.
Overhead lighting can be adjusted for use with scrims (see scrims)
Can be direct and overhead on the actor or angled to light a large area. Can also be used as a silhoetting effect by placing the actor infront of the light or directly below)
Overhead lights are strung from ropes attached to Battens (or large poles) that are the length of the stage and are raised and lowered using a system of weights and pullies better known as a counterweight system.
lights on Battons
linesets
^^Counterweight system ^^
Several examples of overhead lighting are in the Rent video above (the clips where the actors are on stage singing)
Spot lights
Spotlights tend to have a "washing" effect when videotaped. meaning that an average camera will not correctly record the actions on stage and will show, instead, a white object.
Spots are used primarily to focus on actors on stage.
Spots consist of a high powered light bulb which is surrounded in a chamber by many mirrors to focus the light. light can be concentrated or dispersed by increasing and decreasing the distance between the bulb and mirror.
Wicked video- Watch as the actresses play off their light to create a well played scene!
Scrims
A scrim being raised into the rafters of a stage.
A scrim is an intricately made piece of fabric that works as a curtain. The scrim is raised and lowered using a counterweight system.
The purpose of a scrim is to add dramatic effect to a scene. By using different lighting techniques, a different effect is achieved.
By staging an actor behind the scrim with no lights on behind the scrim, a black effect will be achieved and the actor will not be seen.
By staging an actor behind the scrim with lights directly above or behind the actor a silhoetted effect is achieved where the actors frame is seen, but not the actor themself. No color will show through.
by lighting an entire area of the stage behind the stage- a lit and colored scene will be showed through the scrim.
Aida video which demonstrates the use of Scrims in the theater.
Lights and Scenery
Lighting is controlled by a light board which is controlled by a lightmaster during the performance in a back room or cued by a preset computer.
The light board is the most effective lighting technique due to the fact that if something goes wrong during a performance, the lights can be manually controlled to solve the problem.
The approach of using a computer eliminates human error and is easier than using the light board during a performance.
Lights are controlled by levers that are pushed up and down on the board to increase and decrease the amount of a specific color and combination of colors.
The scenery also must match the lighting in that if it's an intricate scene, the lighting must be intricate as to match the idea set forth by the set pieces. The same goes for simple sets needing simple lighting.
Simple sets require simple lighting (as seen in the broadway version of Rent)
Light Control
The lights and the scenery may be two seperate parts of theater- yet they work as one to create the mood onstage. Lightmasters must be careful to combine colors and set lighting correctly, this is because too much, for example, red on a blue backdrop or actor in blue, will wash out the article and make it appear black. Lightmasters must know how to incorportate white light and other colored lights to reach the desired effect when occurrances such as these are possible.
As the lights on stage are extremely harsh (150+ watts per light on an actor) the make up an actor will wear will portray not only their character, but make expression readable. Lightmasters must work with the directors to create the desired effect a character needs through out the show.
Makeup artists (in larger productions) and/or actors will apply at least 2 shades darker foundation to all exposed skin (face, neck, shoulders, chest, bust, arms, hands, wrists, legs, feet, stomach, etc.) and rouge to cheeks, bustline, and a little to the nose depending on the character. All actors must have dark eyeliner and mascara on (Yes, boys, even you!). When the final touches come into play, most characters will have dark red lipstick and colored eyeshadow. Again, this is all dependent on the character. And all this is so the actors expressions show on stage and the look does not run off the actors face from the sweat build up that can occur from the intense light's.
Lightmasters and artists/actors must work together with make up to create desired shadows, and color effects. One stroke of the make up brush can turn a 16 year old into a 91 year old. Or a human into a feline. Even a woman into a wicked witch. And only if the lighting complements it. Also see keisha's pageCats Wicked Our Town
Light and Costumes
1956 trailer to The King and I. The differences in costume styles creates a difficult lighting obstacle.
Costumes and Lighting must work together to create the proper effect desired for a scene.
For example: the lighting in a palace of a Siamese king will complement the color of his friend and mentor's dress. Or the lights on a stage of shipwrecked sailors must look hot, humid and exhausting to complement their costumes and attitudes. As well as a girl singing about her first love at the county fair should feel light and airy and country like. All are necessary elements that, when combined, will create an intense effect.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.