Stage Lighting: From Design to Realization Part 1

1. Introduction

Every time we see the excellent performances of the actors on the stage, we will feel so amazed.

In fact, behind their successful performances, there is also a part of the credit design of the stage lighting.

We still have a lot of things to learn about stage lighting.

Today, I will give you some simple understanding of the basic common sense of stage lighting.

Stage lighting is an indispensable part of modern stage art.

Stage lighting is not only for lighting, but expressive lighting color is a crucial element in stage lighting, and it has become a stage lighting design to create a scene atmosphere and create art. important means of effect.

2. The role of stage lighting

• Illuminate the stage

The most basic purpose of stage lighting is to illuminate the performers, sets and props, so that the audience can clearly see what is happening on the stage.

Insufficient lighting will affect the viewing effect.

Dim lighting, for example, can make it difficult for an actor’s facial expressions to be captured by the audience!

• Highlight different areas

Stage lighting can also guide the audience’s eye to where it should go.

What we see the most is this: the majority of the stage may be dark, with only one spotlight shining on one focal point.

• Setting the scene

Stage lighting can also create visual effects, which means using lights to create visual illusions.

For example, we can use moving lights to simulate the sun rising; or when actors turn off the lights in the room, the stage needs to be dimmed; we can also use backlit shades to create the illusion of a starry night, sunny day, or even fire.

• Controlling emotions

Stage lighting has a significant impact on the expression of emotions.

It is necessary to match the lighting with the content of the program to guide the audience to produce the corresponding emotions of the plot.

Generally, scenes where the stage plot expresses happiness requires soft and warm lighting, while the stage plot expressing sadness may require dim and cool lighting.

3. Common items

In order to better understand stage lighting, we need to be familiar with the names of some stage lighting projects and common concepts in this field:

• Wash

It means a wide range of lighting, which can provide full exposure on the entire stage, and the lighting will cover the entire stage.

• Intensity

It is a term used by lighting professionals to describe the brightness level of stage lighting.

Stronger light consumes more power, and reduced power supply results in dimmer or less intense light.

• Diffusion

It is the process of dispersing light.

Diffuse light and strong beams with hard edges are two extremes.

Lighting engineers can use a diffuser material similar to a colorless gel to soften the light.

• Barndoors

Barndoors are a set of two or four metal clamshells that are fastened to the front of stage lights to project a broad, soft beam of light.

Barndoors can make the edge of light stop more in areas you want to keep dark.

• Shutters

Similar to Barndoors, but they are built into oval lighting fixtures.

By moving Shutters, you can manipulate the shape of the light and block certain areas.

• Gel

Also known as a color filter, is something that lighting professionals use to change the color of light beams.

Gel consists of a transparent sheet with a translucent colored plastic sheet in the middle.

• Gobo

It’s a thin metal disc with a pattern cut out, similar to a template.

By placing the gobo in a holder in front of the light source, the light will cast the gobo on the stage.

This pattern can create an image such as a city skyline.

• Snoot

It can reduce flare or stray light from self-illumination equipment.

• Cyclorama

Referred to as “cyc”, is a large cloth background used on the stage.

It is usually concave, extending in an arc from one side of the stage to the other, and lighting equipment can be used to project light or images onto the canopy.

4. Common types of lights

(1) Ellipsoid Reflector Spotlight (ERS)

Oval reflector spotlights produce a strong, clear beam ideal for headlights.

We can use this relatively narrow beam to highlight a person or work on stage.

We can use soft or sharp edges to adjust focus, Shutters to shape the lighting and prevent light from penetrating into dark areas, and we can place patterns in there to cast patterns or logos

(2) PAR

PAR, short for Parabolic Reflector, is a major component in stage lighting.

PAR is a sealed beam light in a cylindrical metal housing, somewhat similar to a car headlight, with a simpler design.

PARs usually don’t have any zoom or focus capabilities, but there are several lens types available to get different beam angles.

PAR is the more common type of stage lighting.

(3) Fresnel

The light is named after its inventor, Augustin Fresnel.

Fresnels are unique in that they have a lens made of concentric rings.

The light is brightest at the center ring, and softer toward the edges.

Fresnels are somewhere in the middle of PAR and ERS, with zoom but no focus, and Fresnels generally cast a much softer light than ERS fixtures.

(4) Spotlight

A follow spotlight is a spotlight that projects an intense, focused beam of light that provides visual focal point for performers moving around the stage.

Because following the spotlight requires manual action, it comes in handy when actors are performing random acts.

In addition to adjusting the position of the follow point, the operator can adjust the size and intensity level of the beam, and the color can be easily adjusted via a built-in panel.

(5) Floodlights

A floodlight is a large unit that the operator can move horizontally or tilt vertically.

Floodlights do not have any lenses, so a floodlight consists only of a reflector and a light type.

In a symmetrical floodlight, the light is evenly distributed above and below the horizontal axis of the light.

In an asymmetric floodlight, light travels farther in one direction than the other on the horizontal axis.

(6) Cyc light

As mentioned earlier “cyc” is a large cloth background.

So a cyc light is an open light fixture that provides a uniform light exposure on a cyc or other type of vertical surface.

Cyc lights can be placed on the floor or hung close to the background, which effectively covers the background with a patch of light.

(7) Strip lights

Strip lights can also be used as cyc lights, but these are wider than most cyc lights.

They consist of multiple lights arranged in horizontal rows.

Many lighting engineers use strip lights to add lots of colorful lights to the stage.

Generally, there are standard and LED strip lights, and we can mix different colors together!