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Stage Lighting Guide

Stage
Lighting
Guide
A GUIDE TO LIGHTING
TYPES OF LIGHT

Floods

Soft Spots

Profile Spots

Beamlights

CHOOSING LIGHTING POSITIONS

Lighting from the front

Lighting from the back and side

Finding the compromise

SPECIALS

For the Actor

For Special Effects

For the Scenery

DIVIDING THE STAGE

Dividing by Area

Area planning for a play

Area planning for a musical

Colour planning for a play

Colour planning for a musical

THE DECISION PROCESS

Example plan for a play

Example plan for In the Round

Example plan for a musical

DECIDING WHICH LIGHTS TO USE

THE RIG PLAN
LISTS
FOCUSING

Focussing in comfort

What can we adjust?

GLOSSARY

A GUIDE TO LIGHTING
Whatever the scale of a production - amateur or professional - lighting like other design processes is based on a
sequence of logical decisions plus a good measure of creative inspiration.
This brief guide offers a sequence of step-by-step decisions to form the basis of a lighting process for the smaller
scale production. It has been prepared by a lighting designer with experience of working on productions of all types
and sizes. We hope that it will be especially helpful to amateur groups, small touring companies and educational
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theatre.

Types of Light
How do we choose which type to use in each position? As lighting equipment is so robust choice is further
complicated, in that in addition to the range in today's catalogue, many earlier models are still in use. However
lighting instruments group into families and it is convenient to consider our requirements in terms of what each
family offers in terms of beam size, beam shape, and beam quality.
Floods
The beam size, shape and quality emitted by a flood is fixed: there are no adjusting knobs. The light is therefore
suitable for lighting skiesand cloths. It is not selective enough for lighting actors. Strand Lightings Coda units may
be single or grouped in 3s or 4s for colour mixing. They have areflector that is specially designed to ensure an even
wash over a large area from a short throw
Soft Spots
Prism Convex (PC) spots allow control of the beam size, and the beam may be roughly shaped by a rotatable barndoor.
The quality is evenand soft-edged, with less light-spill outside the main beam than in the case of a fresnel. In
addition to the PCs, Fresnels have a very softedge. The beam angle is adjustable and its shape roughly containable
by a 4-leaf rotatable barndoor. The extent of the spill outside themain beam makes them unsuitable for longer
throws, particularly from the auditorium.
Profile Spots
Profile spots give precise control of the beam. An iris diaphragm (for round edges) and shutters (for hard edges) can
produce shapes in allsizes. For more complex shapes, special masks can be cut. Edge quality can be adjusted from
very soft to very hard by moving the lens,while a metal pattern plate called a gobo can texture the quality of the
whole beam. The number in the profile's name indicates the beamangle.
Whereas standard profile spots have a fixed beam angle, which is narrowed by shuttering, variable beam profiles use
a pair of lenses whosedifferential movement gives a wide range of beam angles and edge qualities. The shutters are
then only required for shaping. Adjustmentsare faster and more efficient use is made of the lamp's output The
number in a variable profile's name indicates the range of available angles.
The SL New Generation Profile Spots, from Strand Lighting, now provide increased light output with reduced power
consumption. Often referred to as a coolbeam profile, they do this by using state of the art optical coating on a
glass reflector, allowing the optical light to be passed forward,while the heat and infra red spectrum is allowed out
of the rear.
Beamlights
Most lighting instruments produce a conical beam so that the spread widens as the throw increases. Beamlights use a
parabolic reflector(and no lens) to produce a near parallel beam which is more intense than a lens spotlight of the
same wattage. This is one of the more important developments of the past decade. The optics are fully contained
within the glass envelope of the lamp. Various Lamps providing angles of a squashed near-parallel beam are available.
The intensity produces a depth-enhancing haze in the air, so intense that it is effective even with deep colours. The
basis of most rock lighting today.

upstage from the actor - i.e. the light

is slightly less selective.

CHOOSING
LIGHTING
POSITIONS
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Lighting from the front

Consider the effect of a light
startingas a vertical downlight on an
actor thenmoving in a frontal plane
until its beambecomes horizontal and
then carries on to light from below.
How visible will be the actor's face,
particularly eyes and teeth? To what
extent will face and body be
modelled or flattened? Whatarea of
stage will be selected and what will
be the size and direction of shadows
cast on floor and scenery?

As the lighting comes increasingly

from the front, the actor's eyes and
teeth receive more light. But the
area lit extends further and further
upstage, reducing the selectivity and
increasing the likelihood of the
actor's shadow hitting the scenery

A vertical beam is the most selective

light possible. The lit area of stage,
and the shadow cast upon it, need be
no wider than the widest part of the
actor. However, the actor's eyes will
be black pools and a highlighted nose
will shade the mouth.

Light from below projects an actor

shadow that looms above the actor
rising and falling as she moves
towards and away from the light
source. When this is the only lighting
angle, the effect on the face is not
at all natural. But a little from below,
usually just reflected light can help
to soften the harshness of light
from above.

Lighting from the back

and side
Now consider a light from behind.
Then a light or lights from a series
of side angles (i.e. lights at right
angles to those considered above).
Once again the criteria is visibility,
modelling, selectivity and shadows.

As the light becomes more and more

frontal, the actor's features become
flattened (and so also does three
dimensional scenery). The lit area and
the actor's shadows increase until,
when the light is horizontal, there is
a lit corridor for the entire depth of
the stage, and the actor shadows
become actor length.

If the light comes from a little

forward of the actor, it will start to
reach the eyes and mouth (provided
that she keeps her chin up and is not
defeated by a hat brim!). However,
the lit area, and shadow cast, starts
to extend
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A light source behind the actor does

not illuminate the face, but it helps
to give depth to the stage by
separating the action from the
scenery through creating a haze and
highlighting head and shoulders. The
shadow of the actor is cast forward,
helping the selection of areas. Since
the light does not fall on the face,
strong colours can be used.
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face from a lower angle, it will light

more into the eyes and teeth,
although there will still be a
tendency towards a central dark line
where the beams meet down the
centre of the face.

vertical and horizontal and midway

between front and side. However to
restrict the shadows cast and to give
a better 'join', the lights are often
positioned closer to the vertical and
to the centre.

As the angle lowers, sidelight has an

increasingly modelling effect on the
actor's face and body. This is
particularly important in dance.
When the light becomes horizontal
there will be a lighting corridor
across the whole stage. By focusing
just clear of the floor, it is possible
to lose shadows into the wings, and
the light will only be apparent when
an actor stands in it.

A backlight added to the basic

crossed
pair brings depth to the scene and
generally enhances the 'look' of the
actor. The backlight can be used for
strong
atmospheric
colour
if
required, while the crossed pair
maintain a more natural tint on the
actor's skin tones. Note: The actor is
now It by three beams with a 120
separation between them.

If the light comes from a little to

one side of the actor it will start to
reach the eyes and mouth on that
side. The area lit, and the shadows
cast, will extend along the stage
floor on the other side.

Finding the compromise

Add a second light source from the
other side, and both sides of the
face will receive light. However,
there is now a second shadow and the
selected area of stage floor extends
to both sides of the actor.

We normally seek to light an actor

for maximum visibility and maximum
modelling, with minimum shadow.
Additionally in many productions, we
need to select as tight an area as
possible. Which combination of
angles
offers
the
optimum
compromise?

The problem with 'crossed pair'

lighting (with or without a backlight)
is the extent of the spread of light
on floor and scenery beyond the area
where the actor's head is lit
(remember that head is usually about
five feet above the floor). Although
a single beam can be flat it can also
be quite tight.
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As the side lighting comes from an

increasingly lower angle, the shadows
will lengthen to both sides of the
actor and a larger corridor will be
selected across the stage. As the
light hits the

The basic compromise that has long

been the standard approach is a pair
of beams crossing on to the actor
(one for each side of the face) from
positions that are both forward and
to the side of the actor. The
suggested angle is often around 45
degrees in both directions - i.e.
midway between

Adding a backlight can enhance this

flatness quite considerably - and the
selectivity is still a tightly controlled
upstage/downstage corridor without
side spillage.

For modelling, sidelights can be

added and, although they will spread
the lit area, they can be at quite
steep angles since they do not need
to make a major contribution to
visibility. Note: Four beams now light
the actor with a 90 separation
between them

SPECIALS
The major proportion of a stage lighting rig is focused to form a palette of areas and colours whose various
combinations will provide the desired fluidity of selectivity and atmosphere. However there are certain lights whose
function is so 'special' that they cannot make a significant contribution when mixing the basic palette.

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For the Actor

Specials usually consist of spotlights set so tightly that the spaces they light cannot be considered as areas. They
are often for moments when an actor has to be picked' out (perhaps only head and shoulders) on an otherwise
blacked-out stage. They need to be listed in a priority order for close scrutiny and reduction to essentials.
For Special Effects
There may be a request for equipment to produce clouds, flames, water, lightning, etc. When listing it is always
prudent to remember that such effects can draw attention away from the actor rather than positively support a
performance. And if the effect is essential, then the effect of light reflected from fire or water is often more
telling than a pictorial representation of the actual fire or water
For the Scenery
The proportion of the rig focused on the scenery will be very small. With the exception of skies and back or front
cloths, scenery normally gets sufficient general wash from the reflected light bouncing off the stage floor from the
lights that have been set for the actors. Indeed, as discussed in the following pages, many of the basic problems of
lighting design arise from difficulties in stopping actor light hitting directly on the scenery Successful lighting of
scenery depends on augmenting the diffuse reflected general light by selective highlighting of chosen scenic
elements, or parts of these elements. This can vary from bold gashes to soft emphasis. Again, to be listed and
reduced to essentials after a debate based on priorities and available resources.

DIVIDING THE STAGE

Dividing by Area
Once decisions have been made about the kind of
contribution that we expect lighting to make to the
production that we are
planning - and these contributions have been put into
some sort of order of priority - we need to break down
the stage area into the segments over which we require
independent selective control. The required breakdown
may be symmetrical, in which case the stage plan will be
divided into something that resembles a series of areas
of different sizes corresponding to the placing of the
action. Of course it could well be that there is no need
for division into what it is useful to call production
areas: all the stage may be in use all the time. In this
case a simple division into centre and sides will allow
balancing for maximum 'enhancement' of the look of the
scene. Note: Adjoining areas overlap - both side to side
and back to front. And remember to remember that
these are areas where an actor's head is to be lit - they
ore unlikely to be the some as the light patterns on the
floor

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Area planning for a musical Musicals tend to have many

scenes and many selective and atmospheric light
changes within these scenes. Therefore, unless there
are many - very many - lights available, the breakdown
into areas has to be very general. In this example the
breakdown is symmetrical because, as in so many musical
productions, the settings consist of a symmetrical
series of wings leading to a backcloth, possibly a
skycloth. With the addition of cloths and scenic pieces,
the method of staging gives a flexible masked acting
area with the possibility of sufficient open space for
dancing and lots of entrances for a large chorus to get
on and off quickly In most musicals the big moments are
staged in the downstage areas: to help both musical
balance and the 'putting across' of numbers to the
audience. For the same reasons, much of the essential
action takes place centre stage. The most common
selective lighting cue is to 'concentrate centre', usually
downstage centre, by 'losing the edges'. This suggests a
minimum of three areas across the stage - certainly at
the front of the stage, and probably also midstage.
However, it is often quite practical to consider the
whole width of the rear of the stage as one area. This
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provides a seven area combination that offers an area

palette giving the director considerable selectivity with
the possibility of progressive tightening from back to
front and from sides to middle.

Area planning for a play

In this naturalistic play -possibly but not necessarily in
a box set -the areas are determined to a considerable
extent by the positions of furniture and doors. And the
lighting is expected to make some logic in terms of
practical light fittings (table lamps, wall brackets, etc.)
and the natural sunshine and moonlight coming through
windows (including those in the audience's 'fourth wall').
In this particular example, we have a play where it is
desirable to focus attention at various times on the
sofa, the armchair, the table (with that essential tool of
modern drama, a telephone) and the doors. These doors
are tremendously important in any drama: some of the
key appearances and speeches are made there. But for a
long intimate scene on the sofa, it is useful to
concentrate on that sofa and loose peripheral areas like
the doors. Consider the seven areas shown here in terms
of possible combinations: the area palette gives the
director a wide range of selectivity of audience vision whether a subconscious fluidity (slow cues that are not
obvious) or an area selection obviously linked to the
switching of the practical lamps

Colour planning for a musical

The dialogue scenes of a musical require the subtle
colour tones that are appropriate for a naturalistic play
However, the musical numbers, particularly when solo
singers can be given isolating visibility from tightly
focused follow spots, usually call for strongly
atmospheric colouring. And many dance sequences,
where the body is relatively more expressive than the
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Colour planning for a play

In a naturalistic play, colour is often used to create a
fluid atmosphere that can shift from warm cheerfulness
to cool sadness. If an area is lit with some lights in
warm tones and some in cools, the dimmers of the
control board can be used to achieve a whole series of
options from an extreme of the warm colour alone,
through the neutrality of both together, to the other
extreme of cool colour alone. Which (if any) of the
areas need to have this kind of 'double cover' of colour
tones? In this example, discussion with the director has
established that such a colour palette seems necessary
around the central areas and the desk, whereas the
upstage corners and downstage right can manage on a
warm tint only - although perhaps one that is a little
closer to a compromise neutral than the warms in the
mixable areas. In such a naturalistic production the
actual colour tints chosen are likely to be quite subtle.

respond well to positive use of quite strong colour This

example shows a much used technique where the colour
is applied in rather broader washes than the areas
selected for scene location. The front half of the stage
is divided into three areas, each lit from above in rather
saturated colours: a hot and cold rather than a warm
and cool. The rear half is treated as one area, also with
a hot and cold from above. From the side comes further
washes, probably in slightly less saturated hues. These
may divide the stage into bands: in this case an upstage
band and a downstage band, possibly splitting the stage
into left and right but just as likely covering the full
width. With relatively neutral colour from the front,
saturated colours from above and intermediate colours
from the side, we have a colour palette that offers
considerable scope.

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face,

Or ratherthan a pair, we could use a single straight in but if so, we must make it really straight in because a
single crossing beam does not do much for the other
side of the face!

THE DECISION PROCESS

So how does one decide where to put the spotlights? On
many stages and in many auditoria there is not much
choice: but, to make the best use of the positions
available, it is necessary to start from an ideal and
compromise that ideal to fit reality. By WHERE, we
mean where to put the light and where to point it.
Traditional advice involves a lot of crossing of light
beams - partly to help model/sculpture the actor by
introducing a partially side-light angle and partly
because lighting diagonally across a stage provides a
bigger spread of light from each lamp: an important
bonus when equipment is in short supply. Crossing the
beams opens out the area lit but can cast excessive
shadows on side wall or masking. And so, with spotlights
becoming increasingly versatile as to beam width, there
is every reason to consider using the traditionally
discredited method of lighting the actor with light
coming straight in from the front. Of course if this is
the only light, yes it will be flat. (And if the available
positions are so low that an actor shadow will be thrown
on to the sky, then better to come diagonally - priorities
again!) But with the addition of some backlight (even if
it is nearly vertical) and some sidelight, the front-lit
actors will come alive and the areas/ shadows brought
more under control. There need not be precise side
lighting for every area: it can often be quite general
since it is frequently more important in the big wide
areas than in smaller tighter areas (more important,
that is, in priority terms!).
In the examples shown here, the traditional crossing
method has been used for the play, while the actors in
the musical are lit' flat frontal'. But it could be vice
versa. Whichever way, the next stage in the planning is
to establish where the lights go and where they point.

Example plan for In the Round

For staging in the round, light needs to come from all

sides. And it should be evenly balanced to avoid
favouring one segment of audience to an extent that is
not really permissible in a staging form so democratic as
theatre-in-the-round. To avoid hitting into audience
eyes, light has to come from both within the acting area
and from outside it. Angles can be closer to the vertical
than in other forms of staging because the audience is
closer to the actors and thus visibility is 'easier'.
Example plan for a musical

Example plan for a play

In this musical the actors' visibility light is provided by

spots in a neutral colour hitting straight in. The front
areas are covered from the auditorium, the midstage
areas from a bar just inside the proscenium, and the
upstage areas from a midstage bar If the stage is very
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wide, two or more lamps may be required for each area

as indicated. Strong colour comes from near vertical
backlights and medium colour from the wings (on stands,
booms or ladder-frames to be discussed under 'rigging).
Note: For clarity these plans only include actor lights.
The play would require light outside the window and on
the door backings, while the musical is likely to need a
colour mix for the backcloth and possibly specials for
elements of scene.

For each area of our play we need two lights. One for
each side of the actors' faces. When an area requires a
full colour control of cool and warm, the number will
double to four spots - a crossed pair in warm and a pair
in cool. A spot bar immediately behind the proscenium
arch will give a suitable angle for lighting the upstage
areas, but for the downstage areas a position in the
auditorium is necessary Red and blue have been used to
indicate warm and cool filters in the spots. Green
indicates more neutral washes that have been added
from back and sides. Not enough equipment? Well, do we
really need all these areas? And so many of them with
both warm and cool? (Back to priorities?)

DECIDING WHICH LIGHTS TO

USE
Deciding which instrument to use obviously depends to a
large extent on what is available - meaning another
exercise in listing priorities. For 'foh' (front of house)
throws of any distance in the auditorium, profiles are
essential, both to avoid undesirable lighting up of the
auditorium from scatter light, and to allow sufficiently
precise control of the beam to prevent spillage on to the
proscenium. However in a small hall there is a lot of
merit in considering fresnels or PCs (well barndoored) at
close range when a lot of spread is possible from a few
lamps. For onstage use, Fresnels and PCs come into their
own with fast-to-set soft edges - profiles are the most
versatile instruments but they inevitably take longer to
focus. For backlight, fresnels and beamlights are
favourite, while floods are to be thought of only for
wide expanses of scenery. (Use for actor light only in
situations of extreme desperation). For theatre-in-theround, barndoored fresnels give the required
smoothness and spread. Existing installations in most
theatres and halls are likely to be based on fresnels and
profiles: anyone buying new equipment should look
seriously at including a goodly proportion of the new
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Fresnels have been allocated everywhere because they

have a good smooth spread (profile edges can be very
difficult in small theatres in the round). Every spot
must have a barndoor to contain spill from the audience
eyes. Each become a pair of spots since this is the only
way that it is possible to light fully to the sides of the
acting area.
Too many-spots? Then perhaps just one cover in a
neutral shade (thereby halving the number on the plan)
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generation PCs giving smooth soft-edge beams without

stray scatter light and at the versatility of the variable

beam profiles.

and utilising a couple of pairs of straight downlighters

to add colour toning in warm or cool.

This plan shows instruments being allocated to our play

in a very orthodox way: profiles for the front-of-house
and fresnels for onstage. If a couple of PCs were
available, they would be a useful alternative on the ends
of the stage spot bar: this is a position where any
scatter light shows up badly on the side walls of the set.
Whether 500 or 1000W units are required will depend
mainly on length of throw, perhaps with the changeover
around 6 to 8 metres. However, it is important always to
remember that the actual level of light intensity is not
so important as the BALANCE.

The actor face lights are profiles from the front and
fresnels onstage, with the second bar being less
powerful units - face light is rarely important upstage in
a musical. The backlights are fresnels, although parcans
would be nice if available. For the sidelighting, profiles
have been used downstage to contain the light in a tight
corridor across the front - often advisable when front
cloths or running tabs are in use. Midstage sidelighting
use fresnels for a good spread, while the optional
upstage sidelight again uses profiles to keep the light
clear of the skycloth.

THE RIG PLAN

A good procedure is:

THE PLAN is the kernel of any lighting design. It shows,

at minimum:
1. The POSITION of each light.
2. The TYPE of light in each position.
3. Any ACCESSORIES, such as barndoors or gobo,
required by any particular light.
4. The DIMMER that will control each light.

1. Establish all lighting positions with Xs

2. Convert these Xs to symbols of available (and/or
acquirable) lighting instrument types, drawing them
pointing in the approximate direction of proposed light
travel.
3. Write colour numbers inside symbols.
4. Add dimmer numbers alongside symbols.
5. Trace through key features of the set and stage - it
is usually possible to trace through (in spaces clear of
lighting drawing) enough to relate the positions of lights
to the geography of the setting and stage.
This will bring the plan to a point where it can be used
to prepare and rig the equipment. The lighting
designer's own copy will grow many extra markings to
indicate precisely where the lights are to be pointed markings so detailed that they would only confuse if
included on all copies of the plan.

LISTS
From the plan, lists are prepared of the required
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The plan should be drawn to scale (1" to 1 ' or 1:25). This

helps accurate indication of light positions. And if scale
symbols are used for these lights, there is a check on
space problems: if it can be drawn on the plan, there will
be room for it on the stage. Any shapes may be used to
indicate lights, but plans are more easily read if the
symbol resembles the outline shape of the light. Either
way, the plan should certainly include a key showing the
type of lighting instrument represented by each symbol.
Colour and dimmer are indicated by number: the usual
convention is to write the colour number inside the
symbol and the dimmer number alongside the symbol.
Lights fixed to horizontal bars are easy to show in plan:
the bar can be drawn in the position that it will occupy
over the stage and its height indicated by a note (such
as + 14') written at the end of the bar. Lights fixed to
vertical bars, or stacked on a series of brackets, are
more difficult to draw - they must be indicated
diagrammatically FOH lights in the auditorium are
usually drawn much closer to the stage than their scaled
real distance which would make the plan inconveniently
large. The easiest method is to work on tracing paper
over a ground plan of the scenery and stage.

number of:
1. Types Of Light
2. Lengths Of Cable
3. Accessories
4. Colour Filters
5. Section Drawings

FOCUSING

Most profiles have an adjustment whereby the light can

be adjusted so that it is either smooth across the
whole spread of the beam, or 'peaked' to be brighter in
the middle with the amount of light falling off towards
the edge. For most purposes it is easier to light with an
even brightness across the beam and so it is
recommended that anyone beginning to work with light
should use an even beam until through experience they
discover a need for a 'peaky' beam.

Focusing is probably the most important part of the

whole lighting operation. Not even the most sophisticated
marvel of a microprocessor control desk can fill in that
dark spot where the lights have not been properly
overlapped. Nor can a hard edge be softened or a
disturbing spill on to a border be shuttered off. Focusing
involves tricky ladder work so that there is every
incentive to get it right first time - although, inevitably,
it will be necessary to get at the odd spotlight between
rehearsals for a little fine adjustment.

Will there be borders to mask the lights (and other

things) hanging above the stage? If so, draw a section
to check that all the light beams will be able to reach all
desired parts of the actors and the scenery. Usually
(but not always) the heights of the borders and lighting
bars can be adjusted. Only a section will determine what
these relative heights should be, and only a section will
determine how effective the masking arrangements will
be for an audience eye in the front row.

SOFT SPOT

Focussing in comfort
If you stand with your back to the light that you are
focusing, (I) You will avoid being blinded (2) You will be
able to see what the actor's light is doing to the scenery

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Clear shadow of
head, therefore
head is lit

No clear shadow
of
head,
therefore head is
not lit.

If the lighting
designer
is
shorter than the
actor, make an
allowance - check
by raising hand

VARIABLE ANGLE PROFILE SPOT

What can we adjust?

ON ALL LIGHTS
Left/Right & Up/Down
ON SOFT SPOTS
Bigger/Smaller
with optional Barndoor Rough shaping (& control of spill)
ON PROFILE SPOTS
Round size by optional Iris
Shaped size by Shutters
Texture by optional Gobo
Beam edge quality by Lens and on Variable Beam Profile
Spots
Size and edge quality by differential movement of two
Lenses
Shape by Shutters

FIXED ANGLE PROFILE SPOT

The most difficult types of light are the basic Profile

Spots since there is an interaction between shutters (or
iris) and lens movement. Although adjusting the lens is
principally a means of making the edge of the beam
harder or softer, it will also change the size. Therefore
it is usually necessary to adjust shutters and lens
alternately to get the desired combination of size and
edge quality

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Stage Lighting Guide

Cue The signal that initiates a

change of any kind. Lighting cue is a
change involving light intensity
alterations.

GLOSSARY
Backlight Light coming from behind
scenery or actors to sculpt and
separate them from their
background.

Cyclorama Plain cloth extending

around and above the stage to give a
feeling of infinite space. Term is
often rather loosely used for any
blue skycloth, either straight or
with a limited curve at the ends.

Bar Horizontal metal tube of

scaffolding diameter for hanging
lights (pipe in America)
Barndoor Four-shutter
rotatable device which slides into
the front runners of fresnel and PC
focus spots to shape the beam and
reduce stray scatter light.

Dead (1) The plotted height of a

piece of suspended scenery or bar
of lights. (2) Discarded items of
scenery.
Dichroic Colour filters which work by
reflecting unwanted parts of the
spectrum rather than absorbing
them in the manner of traditional
filters.

Battens Lengths of overhead lighting

floods arranged in 3 or 4 circuits
for colour mixing.
Beam angle Angle of the cone of
light produced by a spotlight.

Diffuser A filter, often called a

frost,
which softens a light beam,
particularly its edge.

Beamlight Lensless spotlight

with parabolic reflector giving
intense parallel beam

Dimmer Device which controls the

amount of electricity passed to a
light and therefore the intensity of
that light's brightness.

Board Contraction of switchboard or

dimmerboard. The central control
point for the stage lighting.
Boom Vertical pole, usually of
scaffolding diameter, for mounting
spotlights.
Boom arm Bracket for fixing
spotlights to a boom.
Build An increase in light intensity.
Channel A control circuit, identified
by
number, from the 'board' to a light.
Channel access The method (levers,
pushes, keyboard, etc) in a memory
system by which individual channels
are brought under operator control.
Check Decrease in light intensity.
Colour call A listing of all the
colour filters required in each
lighting instrument.
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Directional diffuser A filter

which not only softens the beam but
spreads it along a chosen axis. Also
known as a silk
Director Has the ultimate
responsibility for the interpretation
of the script through control of the
actors and supporting production
team.
Discharge lamps Special high
powered
light sources whose use is normally
restricted to follow spots and
projection because of difficulties in
remote dimming by electrical means.
includes C.S.I., C.I.D. and H.M.1
lamps.
Downstage The part of the
stage nearest to the audience.

clearly defined image but usually

used to cover the whole process of
adjusting the direction and beam of
spotlights in which the desired
image may be anything but clearly
defined.
FOH All instruments which are
'front of house', i.e. on the audience
side of the proscenium.
Follow spot Spotlight with which an
operator follows actors around the
stage.
Fresnel spot Spotlight with soft
edges due to fresnel lens which has
a stepped moulding on the front and
a textured surface on the back.
Frost A diffuser filter used to
soften a light beam.
FUF Full-up-finish. An increase to
bright light over the last couple of
bars of a musical number.
Gate The optical centre of a profile
spot where the shutters are
positioned and where an iris or gobo
can be inserted.
Gauze Fabric which becomes
transparent or solid under
appropriate lighting conditions.
Gobo A mask placed in the gate of a
profile spotlight for simple outline
projection. Also used, with
softened focus, to texture the
beam.
Groundrow A low piece of
scenery standing on the stage floor.
Also lengths of lighting placed on
the stage floor.
Group A subdivision, temporary or
permanent, of the channels in a
control system.
Hook clamp A clamp for fixing an
instrument to a horizontal bar,
usually of scaffolding diameter.

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Colour temperature A method

of measuring (in Kelvin units) the
spectral content of 'white' light.
Control Surface Any device such as
lever, push, wheel, rocker, mouse,
pen, cursor, etc, used as an
interface between an operator's
fingers and a processing system
which activates dimmers or motors
controlling lighting instruments.

Stage Lighting Guide

Ellipsoidal Strictly a type of

reflector used in many profile spots
but extended in North America to
cover all profile spots.

Flys Area above the stage into

which scenery can be lifted out of
sight of the audience.
Focusing Strictly speaking, the
adjustment of lights to give a

Kilowatt see wattage

Pipe ends Spotlights on the ends of

lighting bars, crosslighting to model
dancer's bodies.

Lamps The light source within an

instrument, but sometimes used as
an alternative to the word
instrument.

Playback The part of a

memory system where memorised
lighting states are recalled to
control the light on stage via master
levers or pushes.

Lantern A lighting unit designed or

adapted for stage use. A traditional
word now being overtaken by
'instrument'.

Practical Light fitting which is

not merely decorative but is wired
to light up.

Linear flood A flood using a long

thin double-ended halogen lamp,
allowing the reflector to be
designed for an increased beam
spread.
Load The lights controlled by an
individual dimmer and limited by the
rating of that dimmer.
Master A lever or push which
overrides (or 'masters') a complete
preset, or group within a preset or
selected memory.
Memory Lighting control systems
where channel intensities for each
cue are filed automatically in an
electronic store.
Multiplexing Passing control
instructions, particularly to dimmers

or remotely focusable lights, by

sending all information in digital
format along a single pair of
screened wires.
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Instrument A stage lighting unit,

such as a spotlight or flood. An
American term coming into
increasing international use.

Flood Simple instrument giving fixed

spread of light.

Cross-fade Lighting change

where some of the channels
increase in intensity while other
channels decrease.

Ladder Framework in the shape of a

ladder for hanging side lighting.

Houselights The decorative

lighting in the auditorium.

Iris An adjustable circular

diaphragm to alter the gate size in a
profile spot. Also the
muscleoperated
diaphragm in the human
eye which adjusts the eye's aperture
to changing light
intensities.

Sightlines Lines drawn on plan

and section to indicate limits of
audience vision from extreme seats,
including side seats, front and back
rows, and seats in galleries.
Silks Diffusion filters which
stretch the light in a chosen
direction.
Spigot An adapter screwed to the
hanging bolt of an instrument to
enable it to be mounted on a floor
stand.

Preset Anything which is positioned

in
advance of its being required --such
as props placed on the stage before
the performance. A control system
where each channel has more than
one lever to allow intensity levels to
be set (i.e. preset) in advance of a
cue.

Spill stray or scatter light outside

the main beam.
Spotlight An instrument giving
control
of the angle of the emerging light
beam and therefore of the size of
area lit.
Strobe Device giving a fast series of
very short light flashes under which
action appears to be frozen.

Profile Spot A spotlight which

projects the outline (i.e. the profile)
of any chosen shape and with any
desired degree of
hardness/softness.

Theatre-in-the-Round A form of
staging where the audience totally
encircle the acting area.

Profiled Cue Lighting change

where the rates of increasing and
decreasing intensities accelerate or
decelerate during the progress of
the change.
Rating The maximum and minimum
power in kilowatts that can be
controlled by a circuit or dimmer
channel.

Throw Distance between a light and

the actor or object being lit.

Thrust Form of stage which projects

into the auditorium so that the
audience are seated on at least two
sides.
Tilt Vertical (up/down) movement of
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Pan Horizontal (left/right)

movement of
an instrument.
Parcan The simple instrument which
holds a par lamp and therefore does
not require any optical system of
lenses or reflectors.
Par Lamp A sealed beam lamp with
the
filament contained within the same
glass envelope as an optical system
producing a near parallel beam.
Patching A sort of central 'telephone
exchange' where channels can be
connected to dimmers and/or
dimmers connected to socket
outlets.
P.C. [Plano convex] lens A lens
with one flat surface and one
curved surface. This 'PC' lens and
the fresnel lens are the alternatives
normally used in stage spotlights.

Stage Lighting Guide

Record Plotting a cue state by filing

it
in the electronic data storage of a
memory board.
Resistance dimmerAn older
mechanical
form of dimmer which reduces the
flow of electricity to a light by
progressively converting the surplus
into heat.
Rigger's control A remote portable
hand-held control unit which allows
channels or groups to be switched
from the stage for focusing when
the control room is unmanned.
Scatter Low intensity light cast
outside the main beam of an
instrument.
Scrollers Colour changer where a roll
of
filters are taped together and
positioned by a very fast motor
activated by digital signals from a
control system which includes a
memory facility.
Shin Busters Low level lights at
stage floor level, used mainly for
dance.

Wattage The power of consumption

of a lamp, or the maximum available
power from a dimmer. A kilowatt is
1,000 watts. Ways The number of
channels in a control system.

Zoom A differential movement of

two lenses in an optical system. In a<
simple zoom, the lenses are moved

independently, but in more complex

forms a single movement alters the
size of the beam while the image

an
instrument.
Tungsten lamps Older type of lamps
(the stage types are high wattage
versions of standard domestic
lamps) whose tungsten filaments
gradually lose the brightness of
their light output.
Tungsten halogen lamps Newer
lamps
(now virtually standard in
professional theatre) which maintain
their initial brightness of light
output throughout life.
Upstage The part of the stage
furthest from the audience.
UV Ultra violet light (from which
harmful radiation have been filtered
out) used to light specially treated
materials which fluoresce in an
otherwise blackened stage.
Variable bean profile Profile
spotlight using a type of zoom (q.v.)
arrangement where the differential
movement of two lens allows wide
variations in both beam size and
quality.
remains in constant focus. Used in
advanced profile spots and scene
projectors.

Other Sites of interest

SEECOL
The Strand Archive

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