Notes for Lighting Designers

Notes for Lighting Designers

The Role

Working in concert with the director and the rest of the technical team, the lighting designer will create the visual ambience and setting for a production.

In practice you will be responsible for determining the type and positioning of the lanterns and other equipment required to create the desired visual effect(s), ensuring that everything is rigged appropriately (and safely) during the get-in, programming the required cues for the production during the technical rehearsal and ensuring that the lighting operator is familiar with the script and the requirements of running the lighting for each performance.

Designer Time-line

Rehearsal Period

Read the script. As early as possible, get a copy of the script from the director or the office and read it. Look for lighting cues and settings in the stage directions and any other suggestions about location or time of day.

Production meeting. The director or stage manager (SM) might arrange a formal production meeting. If not, make sure that you sit down with director and the set designer. The director may have very specific ideas about what they’re looking for, if not, you may have more of a free hand in your design. Make sure that you draw out any expectations from the director though, e.g. will the setting be naturalistic or abstract? Are they expecting all of the lighting cues and effects in the stage directions? How will scene changes work, do they want blackouts, non-naturalistic lighting etc?

Discuss the intended set with the designer and consider challenges it will pose or specials it may require.

For certain types of show, also consider the costume designer. If it’s a non-naturalistic production in which you’re using strongly coloured light – make sure it’s not the same colour as the costumes.

Draft Plan. After the production meeting, you should be able to draw up an initial plan. You can find lighting bar plans and lists of available lighting stock for our regular venues on the Tower website, as well as details of Tower’s own stock. (N.B. if you’re planning to use all or most of a particular type of lantern at a venue, make sure you have a contingency plan or some Tower stock as back-up – as not everything will necessarily be in working order.) For other venues, consult their website or speak to the management/technical team.

Run Through(s). In the last couple of weeks of the rehearsal period, the cast will generally be running whole acts or the full play. The director or SM should be able to give you a timetable of intended run-throughs. Make sure that you go along to at least one to watch the play in its entirety to get a sense of cast positioning.

Refine Plan. If it’s necessary after seeing the run-through. (It usually is.)

The Get-in

Stock. If working anywhere other than the Bridewell, make sure that you arrange the transport of any lanterns, gels, cables, grelcos, gobos (and holders) – whatever equipment you require – to the venue.

Tower lanterns along with scaffold bars, sash and other miscellanea are stored under the Bridewell dressing room. If you need access to the dressing room store, you will need to arrange this in advance with Mikey ().

Cables and gels are in the electrical cupboard in the Bridewell rehearsal room. Contact Laurence Tuerk () for the code to the cupboard lock.

If you need practicals such as table lamps, wall lights etc., these are mainly in the props store at the Bridewell, but may also be in the scenery store at the arches or under the Bridewell dressing room. If you can't locate the kit you need, or if you need special kit or accessories such as gobos, boom arms, fairy lights, smoke machines, follow spots etc. contact Laurence Tuerk () in the first instance - the Tower has a lot of items in store and he knows where most of it is.

If we don't have what you need, you can hire in if absolutely necessary, but the budget for this must be discussed with the production team. You will then be responsible for arranging the delivery and return of all hired items.

Preparation. The SM is in charge of the get-in and should contact everyone in advance with the plan for the day. Typically LX will be allocated about an hour to themselves before the van and the set-building team arrive. This will allow you to make a start on rigging any areas that will be difficult or impossible to reach once the set has been built. If you need this time and it hasn’t been allocated, make sure that you discuss this with the SM.

Rigging. The rigging of all lighting equipment is entirely the responsibility of the designer. Experienced operators will usually expect to be at the get-in and help with the rigging but do make sure that you know who will be available to assist you.

Focussing. Make sure that you arrange in advance with the Stage Manager, Director and Build Crew a period of dark-time once you have rigged the lanterns, to focus them. If rigging takes more or less time than expected, keep the rest of the team updated.

Programming. The Director and SM will decide how to arrange the Tech-Rehearsal / Cue-to-cue – you will have time to program your cues during the tech. but it will speed up the process if you pre-programme basic states or sub-masters where possible.

The Run.

By this point you should have handed everything over to your operator.

Relax.

The Strike

General. As with the get-in, the designer is responsible for ensuring that the lighting rig is struck. The lighting operator is generally expected to assist, unless they have made it clear that they're not available. Feel free to draft in cast members where needed.

The Bridewell. Unless you have arranged otherwise with the incoming show, all bars need to be cleared. Bridewell stock should be returned to the appropriate racks / cases. Tower stock (including gels) should be returned to the lighting cupboard / the store under the dressing room.

Technis. The theatre's lanterns can be left rigged. Take down all Tower stock and ensure that it's returned to storage.

Other venues. Take down local stock if required by the venue. Take down all Tower stock and ensure that it's returned to storage.

NOTES FOR LIGHTING DESIGNERS

Technical Appendix

1 SAFETY

Safety is the most important factor at all times, and the Lighting Designer is responsible for the safety of the lighting rig. The following basic rules must be observed, no matter what else you do.

1. Equipment should only be used for the purposes for which it is designed.
2. Any bar that is hanging above the stage or auditorium and is carrying electrical equipment must itself be supported in at least three places.
3. All hanging lanterns (whether in use or not) must be securely clamped and must also have a safety chain attached.
4. Lantern yokes must always be fixed vertically. G-clamps may only be used if the lantern is clamped to a horizontal bar. Boom arms may only be used if the lantern is clamped to a vertical bar.
5. Barndoors must be clipped to the lantern safety chain.
6. Chains on lens tubes must be attached to the lantern.
7. If it is necessary to open the front of a lantern (for example to change a lamp or lens), then the colour frame and barndoor must first be removed.
8. Before changing a lamp, unplug the lantern first.
9. No equipment may be put in Fire Lanes.
10. The minimum of trailing cable should be used.
11. If you notice any safety hazard in the theatre (whether electrical or not) it is your duty to take some action to make it safe. Make sure you have read the Tower's overall safety policy in the note "Theatre Safety : Key Essentials".

1. Please report any fault or malfunction in any electrical equipment as soon as possible. If the equipment belongs to the venue, tell the venue manager. If it belongs to the Tower, let Laurence Tuerk know either by e-mail (see below) or by a note to the Tower office. If the equipment is unsafe, label it clearly, saying "Do not use because …." and sign and date the label.

2 GENERAL NOTES

a. Dimmer outlets must not be used for anything but stage lanterns and lighting effects equipment. Dimmers will be damaged if, for example, power tools, maroons, flash boxes or heaters are connected to them. Motors for effects lanterns are best fed from a non-dimmed (maintenance) socket. If they are fed from a dimmer, they may not work.

b. Check the maximum load of the dimmers at the venue you are using. (Most dimmers are 2kw, but some are lower and some are higher ratings). Also check that you will not be exceeding the total load on the supply to the dimmers. School halls often have a very limited supply to the stage, which is likely to limit the number of lamps you can use at any one time.

c. Fluorescent tubes and UV floods cannot be dimmed satisfactorily without special equipment, which we haven't got.

d. If the load on a dimmer is less than 60w., it may not dim correctly; if necessary, add another lantern off-stage to act as a dummy load.

e. Where to find things :

• In the store under the dressing room at the Bridewell – Lanterns
• In the small store in Tower’s building at the Bridewell - Smoke/Haze machines, Colour Filter, Cable, Adaptors, Marilyn Gold Dimmer, Tall Stands
• Under trapdoor at rear of Bridewell stage – Heavy Stands
• Stored by Laurence Tuerk - Gobos, Masks, Clamps, Colour Frames, Lenses, Spare Bulbs, Nuts & Bolts, Plugs, Sockets, Safety Chains, Switches, Lampholders for practicals.
• Currently in long-term storage (check with Laurence Tuerk if you need to use these) - Slider Dimmers, Festoon cables and lamps, Fairy Lights & Follow Spots.

f. Equipment Hire. Providing the cost is within the show budget, you are free to hire extra equipment if necessary. However, it should normally only be necessary to hire special effects equipment - we have enough lanterns, cable and dimmers to cope with any normal show. If you do hire equipment, it is up to you to arrange for the efficient collection and return of it. Remember every day the equipment lies around not being used costs us money. Preferably arrange to collect equipment on the day before the fit-up, and return it on the day after the strike.

3. LIST OF EQUIPMENT

The following equipment is normally available for use. However, it is necessary to remove individual items for maintenance or repair from time to time, so designers are advised to check on the current position before their production.

a. Control.

Several portable 6-way dimmer packs (various control systems : none are DMX)

Simple manual control desk

Three single channel follow spot dimmers

b. Lanterns.

10x standard PARcans (mainly CP62 1kw. lamps)

6 x short nose PARcans (CP88 500w lamps)

8 x CCT Silhouette zoom profile spots - 4 of these are the original prototype design, and four are of a more recent vintage (1kw. T11 lamps)

4 x T Spots (1kw. T11 lamps)

32x Strand Patt. 23 profile spots (500w. T17 lamps).

3 x Narrow angle lens tubes for the above.

1 x Strand Prelude 40 zoom profile spot (500w. T18 lamp).

10x CCT Minuette fresnels (500w. T18 lamps).

4 x CCT Minuette pebble-convex spots (500w. T18 lamps).

16x Strand Patt. 123 fresnel spots (500w. T17 lamps).

2 x Strand Patt. 45 fresnel spots (500w. T17 lamp).

7 x Strand Patt. 223 fresnel spots (1kw. T11 lamps).

9 x Mole Richardson 2050 fresnel spots (500w. T17 lamps).

6 x Strand Patt. 44 fresnel spots (500w. B1 lamps : Note – no spare lamps available).

1 x Strand Patt. 52 spot (500w. B1 lamp : Note – no spare lamps available).

1 x Strand Patt. 58 pageant lantern (1kw. B1 lamp: Note – no spare lamps available).

6 x Strand Patt. 60 floods (500w. GS lamps).

14 x Strand Coda floods (500w. K1 lamps).

7 x Strand Patt. 137 floods (200w. GS lamps).

Normal accessories (barndoors, masks, colour frames etc.) are available for the above lanterns. Let Laurence Tuerk know what accessories you need.

c. Effects

2 x Strobes (master and slave units)

JEM haze machine with cable remote control

Le Maitre smoke machine (no remote control).

In addition, the following equipment is currently in store :

2xLeko profiles

4xTBA 65 series fresnels (650w lamp)

2 x Strand Patt. 793 follow spots (2kw. CP41 lamps)

2 x Strand Patt. 93 follow spots (1kw. A1 lamps; 2kw. lamps available by special arrangement).

1 x Strand Patt. 293 Follow Spot

4 x Mole Richardson 2kw Fresnels

2 x Ianiro Castor 2kw Fresnels

2 x Strand Patt. 239 scoops (500w. GS lamps).

1 x Mole Richardson 17 scoop (500w. GS lamp).

If you wish to use any of the items in store, please ask Laurence Tuerk giving at least 4 weeks notice.

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QUERIES

If you have any queries on the lighting facilities available, please contact Laurence Tuerk (Technical Equipment Manager).

Phone 020 8953 2787, e mail .

These notes written by Tony Batchelor & Laurence Tuerk, first issued February 1981. Fourteenth revision issued, September 2015