Intensity (the brightness of the light)

Impression of brightness is subjective.

• Compare the brightness of the sun to the brightness of car headlights at night. The latter appears more blinding.

In the theatre, brightness is determined by:

• the number of instruments used
• size of each light source
• dimmer use
• set and costume colour scheme
• gel use.

NOTE: The point to remember is not how bright the light is but how bright it appears to be. For example, a single candle on a dark stage may appear bright whereas a 1000 watt spot may appear dim on a brightly lit stage; eight lights striking a white set will appear brighter than the same lights striking a black set.

Adaptation: a bright scene will appear even brighter, by contrast, if it follows a dim one.

• For example, prior to a dim scene, the houselights are slowly dimmed, allowing the audience to adjust more easily.

Visual Fatigue: too much (glare) or too little light or too many rapid changes of intensity may prove tiring to the observer.

Visual Perception: the amount of illumination needed to allow an object to be clearly seen depends on its:

• colour
• reflective quality
• contrast
• size
• distance from the observer.

Intensity and Mood: bright light makes an audience more alert.

• bright light for comedy.

• On stage, this is the product of the colour of the light and the colour of every object. This can easily be understood by observing the effect of two different gels on the same set walls or a screen.

Visual Perception

• People see more clearly in the yellow-green zones of the middle spectrum than at the red-blue end zones.

Colour and Mood

• Warm colours are more generally associated with comedy.
• Cool colours are more generally associated with tragedy.

All light has form and direction, ranging from a soft, shadowless diffusion to a stark shaft of light.

Control of direction gives highlight, shade, and shadow to the composition.

• Compare/contrast strong overhead light to backlight; side light from different angles; front light from different angles.

The eye is invariably attracted to the brightest object in the field of vision.

Each of the three properties of light (intensity, colour, distribution) may be changed either quickly or slowly.

• A room may grow darker.
• A setting sun may slowly change colour.

Intensity, colour, distribution, and movement are all controllable properties of light. How they are controlled is determined by what is to be achieved on the stage.

Remember: members of the audience must be able to see clearly and correctly those things that they are intended to see.

• An actor who cannot be seen cannot be heard.

Not only must all actors and objects on the stage be clearly lit, they should also receive the correct amount of illumination.

• Highlight an area to draw attention to it.
• Two different actions taking place concurrently can be lit by two distinct pools of light.

Brightness on the stage is determined by:

• the amount of light
• the amount of reflection from the object
• A black object on a bright stage will appear dark.
• A white object will appear bright even if only dimly lit.

Most of the time, the actor's face should be the brightest object on the stage in order to focus the audience's attention on her or him. This requirement determines almost all the basic principles of stage lighting.

Scenic or theatrical forms must appear to be naturally three-dimensional. This involves the use of "form-revealing light":

• Shade and shadow are of equal importance to the light itself.
• The actor may be set apart from the set through the use of 3-D light (front, back, sides).
• The set may be lit two-dimensionally with front floodlights.

This involves organizing the visual elements of design into a unified form or arrangement of forms.

Lighting is the final unifying force of the stage composition together with set design, costumes, and make-up.

The intensity, colour, and distribution of light create compositions of light, shade, and colour over the setting and around the actors.

It is the lighting designer's duty never to achieve an attractive visual picture at the expense of visibility.

Lighting design is visual design in space and time.

Through the use of special lighting effects, light can also be used as scenery.

Light has an undeniably powerful effect on our state of mind and on our emotions.

By using intensity, colour, distribution, and movement, the designer can exploit the emotional and psychological effects inherent in light and thereby increase dramatic effect.

• musicals vs. drama
• comedy vs. tragedy
• dramatic effects of specific scripts.

The director is the overall leader of the production team and it is his or her vision that determines the overall artistic effect of a production. The lighting designer should be in on early discussions with the director and other department heads and must have read the script at least twice.

1. First reading -- to get the basic story and overall idea.

2. Second reading -- slower and more analytical; make notes.

3. The actual design involves paperwork including four documents:

• lighting plot
• lighting/instrument schedule
• "magic" sheet/patching schedule
• cue sheet.

Stage Lighting Design: How To Do It

(from a seminar by A. John Cope, Saskatoon)

These light the face of the actor and should be angled between 35°- 45° both horizontally and vertically.

These model the actor (make the actor appear three-dimensional).

• Low angles cause shadow from one actor to another.
• High angles avoid actor-actor shadows.

These complete the modelling and separate the actor from the scenery.

Developed by Prof. Stanley McCandless of Yale University, the "rules" should not be too strictly adhered to. Rather, these are good principles and guidelines to follow with a flexible approach.

Divide the stage into acting areas that can be filled by a light beam at the available throw (distance), but not so large as to limit flexibility in its control.

• Assume the beam to be 8' - 10' in diameter on the stage.

Note: If the audience is to see the front of the actor, at least some light must come from the front.

Use two lights for each area, keeping in mind location and angles.

Double or triple hang lights, if possible. This allows for the use of "key" and "fill" lights.

• Key lights represent direct light (e.g., sunlight).
• Fill lights represent indirect or reflected light.

Each acting area should be lit by both key and fill lights and gelled by more than one colour or the actors will appear "flat."

Always keep in mind: Where is the source of the light? The answer will influence decisions about key and fill.

This method achieves the objective of selective visibility.

These are areas other than the main stage areas, such as porches, stairs, etc.

• Use similar principles but fewer instruments.

If limited to a certain number of lighting instruments, use flood or scoop lights to blend the acting areas.

A soft wash of light and colour can act as a fill light, affecting the colour tone of the whole stage.

The general rule is: "Don't, unless you have to." Much of the set will be well lit by reflection.

These are any light sources used on the stage, such as lamps, fireplaces, chandeliers, etc.

Motivating light will often be the key to the lighting composition of a scene.

These light sources should in turn influence the movement of the actors -- behaviour is influenced by light.

• For example, one sits near a light to read a book.

The lighting designer must create the illusion of light coming from a chosen source.

• Sun is an offstage light source so the motivating light will suggest the sun's rays.
• Motivated light is going to be the most dominant light in the room, such as sunlight shining through a window.

This refers to special lighting such as a spotlight on an actor's face, a pool of light on a sofa, etc.

This is of secondary importance to lighting the actor dramatically.

It includes things like swirling light, fire and flame, ghosts, clouds, lightning, etc.

Cyclorama and backdrops can be lit with real or stylized projected images.

This stems from the desire to create a 3-D atmosphere of light around the actor. Founded upon the inspiration of natural light, instead of the acting area and motivated lighting approach, the divisions are:

Set the dramatic "key" of the scene (key light) with light of clearly pronounced direction, intensity and colour.

This light is all-important because it provides the basic construction upon which the remainder of the composition is built.

This follows the McCandless theory of area lighting but is supplementary to the keylight.

In effect, this is the "reflection" caused by the keylight.

• In exterior scenes, the secondary light will be the light from the sky (not the sun) and reflections from the ground.
• In a night scene, the keylight might be a lantern and the secondary light the moonlight.

This is highlighting from the top, back or sides of the actor.

This light must be at a higher intensity if modelling is to be apparent.

This is light, generally from the front, that softens the shadows and blends the keylight and secondary light. It also provides toning light for the setting.

Spotlights: capable of throwing a shaped beam

• fresnels
• lecos or ellipsoidals

Floodlights or Scoops