Lighting Workshop Worksheet

SAFETY

A common injury in theatre lighting design is head injuries due to falling lights. Lights are heavy, lights are often hung up high and a falling light can kill you if it falls on you. To avoid this you must follow proper safety precautions.

  1. No-one should be under a light while it is being rigged. Be aware of where others are in the theatre, and stay out of the way if you’re not rigging.
  2. Use ladders properly – have someone footing/spotting you when you’re on a ladder.
  3. If available, wear hard hats and safety gear.
  4. Ensure you call “Workers Off” and have a response before turning working lights off.
  5. Lights get really hot. Be careful when focusing and don’t put anything against lights.
  6. Make sure all lights are secured on to the bar before letting go of them.
  7. Be aware of hazards and report any new ones you find.

HOW TO RIG A LIGHT

  1. Check the light has a working clamp/hook, and that the hook is securely on and ideally a working safety chain.
  2. Have someone steadying the ladder, and it is often helpful to have someone else pass the light to you if possible.
  3. Place the clamp over the bar and tighten until it is held.
  4. Attach the safety chain to the bar. Check all is secure.
  5. Only then may you take your hand off the light.

FOCUSING A LIGHT

The lighting designer will be on the stage floor giving directions to whoever is focusing the light. Be very clear and put yourself in the space to show them where you want the light pointing etc.

Be careful when focusing as sudden changes/the slider banging at either end of the track can cause bulbs to blow.

GELS – Put these in first, or you may have to refocus the light if you knock the light while changing the gel colour.

Use the following steps and terms for clarity:

STEP ONE – Direction

This should be clear from your lighting plan. Ensure the light is pointed in the right direction to light where it needs to. When giving directions show them by putting yourself in the space, and be clear about whether you mean your left or theirs.

STEP TWO - Size / sharpness
SPOT - bringing the slider ______and making the light smaller, clearer edges – more like a ‘spotlight’

FLOOD – bringing the slider ______which makes the light bigger, softer edges and like a floodlight.

STEP THREE–Cutting in

Direct the focuser to cut the light in using the barndoors (or shutters if it has them) on the light.

DIRECTION OF LIGHT….

Front Light: Direct front on lighting can wash a performer out and make them look flat. It is best to light at an angle to avoid this.

Side Light: Lighting from the side. Creates a sense of depth and accents the sides of face, body, arms. Can be highly effective when used by itself or in combination. Is often used in addition to front light.

High Side Light: Can show more detail than side light, again often used in combination.

Back Light: Lighting from the back. Can be used by itself to create an outline. Often used in combination to help make the performer standout from the set and pop. Creates depth and 3 dimensionality. Do not shine your backlights in your audiences eyes without good reason.

Down Light: A straight down light. This can help make the top of the head, shoulders etc stand out. Often shades the face and creates an imposing figure.

Up Light: A light on a turtle pointing upwards (normally at 45%). Lights from below and creates an uplifting (opposite from downlight).

LIGHTING INSTRUMENTS

There are two basic types of lighting instruments – those used for washes (soft, broad light) and those used for specials (sharp edge and more flexibility).

Below is a list of some lighting instrument types.

TYPE BEAM SPREADS WATTAGE DESCRIPTION

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Plano-Convex 10-65 VARI. 300-2000 ROUND beam, HARD edge

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Ellipsoidal 5-50 FIXED 500-2000 ROUND beam, HARD edge,

Fixed f.l. VARABLE EDGE (hard - soft)

with shutters & gobo slot

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Ellipsoidal 15-35 VARI. 500-2000 ROUND beam, HARD edge,

Zoom (typ.) 25-50 VARI. VARABLE EDGE (hard - soft)

with shutters & gobo slot

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Fresnel 15-70 VARI. 500-5000 ROUND beam, SOFT edge,

Accessories: barn doors

Beam edge is soft ONLY

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PAR64-1K 10-70 FIXED 500-1000 OVAL Beam, SOFT edge

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PAR36-64 PIN 5 -10 FIXED 25 - 480 OVAL Beam, SOFT edge

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Beam Projector 5-15 VARI. 500-2000 ROUND Beam, SOFT edge

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Followspot 1-10 VARI. 500-2500 ROUND Beam, VARIABLE edge

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Box Flood 70-130 FIXED 500-2000 VERY SOFT edge *

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Scoop 70-130 FIXED 500-2000 VERY SOFT edge

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Striplights 70-100 FIXED 75-1000 VERY SOFT edge *

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* some units have a sharp hard cutoff on one or more sides.

REFERENCES

Some safety information was sourced from .

Lighting Instrument chart :

Light Types - as rough source. Useful for more information.

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Created by Tamsin Dashfield-Speight TIC Drama – Heretaunga College. 2012