Cue3Go!

Issue 45

Techie Tip of the Week

APPLICATION OF LIGHTING

Part 2 of a 4-part series on STAGE LIGHTING, which will be posted every other week.

(Tip:  Even if you don’t have an extensive stage lighting system in your theatre, your vocational students will probably work with them in college or in the real world, so teaching these enlightening tips is always a good idea!)

What is lighting actually used for?  Lighting is used for three primary purposes; lighting the actors, lighting the set, and effect (setting mood, location, etc).  Following are some tips for each purpose.

LIGHTING THE ACTORS

AREA LIGHTING - Actors or dancers should be lit from two lights from the front at 45 degrees.  One side is a cool (bluish) light and the other is a warm (pinkish) light. This mimics the psychological impression of shadow on one side of the face.

DOWN LIGHTING - ideally each acting area should have it's own down light.  This provides a 3-D effect to the head.

BACK LIGHTING - ideally each acting area should also have it's own back light.  This gives a halo effect, and defines the head and shoulders, making the performer “pop” out from the background..

"SHIN BUSTERS" - mounted on free standing light trees on the sides of the stage deck.  Usually for dance lighting.  Defines the whole body.

LIGHTING THE SET

When lighting a set, take these items into consideration.

BACKDROPS – give these their own washes to avoid lines from stray instruments.

CURTAINS - usually not lit other than from spill light from area lighting.

CYCLORAMA OR "CYC" - solid flat back drop, can be flat along the back of the stage or encircle the stage, hence the name “cyclorama”.  Usually white.  Lit from the front at a steep angle, from instruments from the pipe above, and/or from floor mounted instruments.

SCRIM – a see-through mesh back drop.  Can be white or black.  Lit from the same direction as a cyc.  If lit from the front appears as solid wall.  If lit from the back, it's see through.

SPECIALS - fireplaces, doorways, etc.  Usually lit from hidden fixtures in or behind the set, gelled appropriate colors.  Eg:  a fireplace would be lit from one or more small instruments, gelled with reds and oranges, a doorway would be back lit from above, with the appropriate color gel, depending on whether the door led to another room or to the outside.

VARYING LEVELS - most sets will have different levels that the actors use.  In general,

each level should be treated as its own acting area and lit accordingly. 

EFFECT LIGHTING

Actors should be enhanced with more than area lights.  Ideally two or three color washes should be available, and each area should have a down and/or back light.  Other effects are also useful.

FRONT WASH - this is generally from several instruments hung from the house that are aimed from straight on.  By itself a wash is very "flat" and does not pick out the features of the face.  Best used in conjunction with area lighting for washing the stage with color, for example: for suggesting night time (dark blue).  Ideally two or three color washes should be available in your rep plot.  

HIGH SIDES - this can be used for molding or color effects. And can, for instance, suggest a sunrise.

GOBOS - Thin metal patterned templates that can be slipped into ellipsoidal instruments.  These pattern the stage, such as a dappled leaf effect on the floor and actors, a moon on a back drop or perhaps light coming through a window.

This editorial is the express opinion of Beth Rand, and is not intended for substitution for professional advice regarding your specific situation or circumstances.

Leveling-Up

Online courses for school theatre teachers and staff

Courses that leave you empowered with actionable strategies to level-up support and funding for your theatre operations and educating your students. ​

Check with your admin - many districts will pay for Professional Development!

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DO YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR THEATRE'S OPERATIONS AS WELL AS TEACH!?

HELP IS HERE!

please visit:

Theatre Management Training Course

Lighting and Safety Courses

Safety Webinar for Students​

Dear Techie,

I am looking for some references and advice! Our school wants to implement a facility management plan for people and groups that want to rent our space for events and performances and I am one of the ones that will be in charge of the meetings and over seeing the rentals. So my job will be checking the equipment in and out and setup and managing monies. So I need advice in any systems you recommend or prices to charge for use of equipment and hiring operators. Suggestions on applications and handbooks, basically anything. We've never really had any system like this before (until recently no one has really been using the space but now we are starting to see more request. So ANY advice from application to booking to checking out, etc. Thanks!

TM Rookie in AZ

Dear TM Rookie,

Congrats!  The job of a High School Theatre Manager is a rare hybrid job that combines education and business management and a theatre background. 

More and more high school are managing to raise the money for capital projects to build a theatre facility, but once the keys are handed over there is no money budgeted to operate these facilities.  This typically leaves the high school with a state-of-the-art theatre facility and no one to properly staff it so that it is appropriate and optimal for educational purposes and suitable for practical and safe operational use.  So kudos to your district for realizing that highly qualified management and staff is needed in order to set up the operating systems, create a safety program, maximize student learning, and optimize building usage!

Finding training and advice about this growing field can be difficult. One subject that is not often taught in university theatre programs is Theatre Management.  This differs from Stage Management in that Stage Management is the management of the actual show or event that comes into a theatre, while Theatre Management is the management of the theatre into which the shows and events come.  However with so many high schools building theatres on their campuses these days, I predict that High School Theatre Management is going to become an essential specialty.  

And, as your duties list shows, a High School Theatre Manager must be a jack of all trades. There’s no one easy answer, and I encourage you to have a look at joining the Theatre Management Training University.  You can find out more at https://www.presett.org/tmtu.html ​

Submit your Dear Techie questions to [email protected].  

A student smuggled some chocolate into the house
Let's just say, they had a few Twix up their sleeve...

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It is PRESETT's mission to provide information to assist in endeavors for safe and functional operations of school theatres. However, PRESETT is not a safety consultant or professional, and any information provided or advocated is not intended to supplement, not supersede, industry safety training. Always consult a theatre safety specialist about your specific situation or circumstances.