Understanding Color in Theatre Color in The Design Understanding Color in Theatre

Introduction What this unit is all about

Color is paint; light merely reveals it! Color is light! Color is in the eye, for no two people see color the same way and some are color-blind! Color is paint; light merely reveals it! Color is in the mind – after all, people can dream in color!

It’s ALL of that stuff! Scenic Designer James Noone, of Boston University

We need 3 main terms to describe color in an objective way: HUE VALUE SATURATION

HUE The first variation of color. The position of a color in the electromagnetic spectrum. The six easily identified hues in light and pigment. PRIMARY HUES The three hues which form the basis for mixing color in light and pigment. In light: red, blue, green. In pigment: red, yellow, blue. SECONDARY HUES 1. Hues produced by mixing any pair of primary hues.

VALUE The second variation of color. The light-to-dark ratio of a hue or mixed color. TINTS SHADES Used by painters more than lighting designers, in part because in colored light there is no “black” – just the absence of light. The main limiting factor in a value scale is the eye’s ability to perceive differences between steps in the scale.

Low Light High Dark Low Dark White High Light Light Medium Dark Black See Color Plate 8-2 in text for integration of hue and value.

SATURATION The third variation of color. The amount or percentage of a hue in a color mixture. Sometimes known as “chroma” or “intensity.” NEUTRAL means GRAYSCALE. See Color Plate 8-3 in textbook for how this works…

PIGMENT The coloring agent in paints, dyes, and nature. The chemical properties that create hue. Indigo plant various ochres Madder plant

Color in Paint Without a light source, there is no visible color! A colored surface reflects only the colors of that surface, i.e. a red surface will reflect red light and absorb all others. Because we must use subtractive mixing for these mediums of color, instead of six principal hues we use twelve. Using twelve full-intensity hues allows an artist greater versatility when mixing and reduces neutralization that occurs in subtractive mixing.

COLOR CHORDS MONOCHROMATIC One color, across the entire value scale. ANALOGOUS Three neighboring hues. SPLIT COMPLEMENT Avoids direct contrast by using softer hues COMPLEMENTARY Direct opposites on the color wheel

Light & Color A little review…

Light A small part of the electromagnetic spectrum; white light is broken up into the spectrum of visible light, often thought of as a rainbow.

Pigment The substance in an object that absorbs different colors of light, giving the object its apparent color.

Primary Colors The three basic colors that form the basis for the color wheel.

Subtractive Mixing Crossing or combining of color mediums in front of a single source of light, used for painting, primary colors are RYB.

Additive Mixing Blending of colored light from two or more sources of light, used for lighting, primary colors are RGB

Lighting Instruments Leko, Fresnel, Scoop, Cyc,

Ellipsoidal/Leko/Source 4 A lamp with a hard-focus, used to send a defined beam of light over a long distance.

Fresnel A lamp with a soft-focus, used for short distances.

Scoop A lamp with a soft-focus, used at short distances to light a large area.

Cyc/Bank Light Rectangular scoops used to light the cyclorama.

Follow Spot Creates a concentrated beam of light, used to highlight specific performers on stage. The beam of light can be controlled in two ways: color and size.

Tools of the Trade What you need to work with lights!

Gloves Cotton vs. Leather Leather gloves are used when focusing lighting instruments. The lights get very hot, very quickly, and these will help to protect your hands from burning! Cotton gloves are used for changing lamps (light bulbs) in lighting instruments. Who remembers WHY from the safety unit in the beginning of the year???

Wrench A tool for gripping and turning the head of a nut or bolt.

LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE! Pipe Clamp C-Clamp Type of clamp used to attach lighting instruments to pipes/battens. NOT to be used to attach lighting instruments to pipes/battens!

Safety Cable A metal cable that can be clipped to itself in a loop.

Color Gel A transparent, colored material used to change the color of the light from a lamp. Modern gels are thin sheets of polycarbonate or polyester. Require a special frame to be used, depending on the type of lighting instrument you are working with.

Gobo Metal disks inserted into ellipsoidal/Leko instruments to create unique patterns of light on stage. Require a special frame to be used.

Barn Doors Metal shutters which allow you to control the shape of a beam of light, especially on Fresnels.

Places to Know Where all this stuff goes…

Control Booth Where the dimmer board lives. NO FOOD OR DRINKS HERE, EVER!! You must be certified to use this equipment!

Catwalk Walking area above a stage where lamps are hung.

Battens Pipes on which lighting instruments are hung, specifically when a dimmer control panel is present (these connect the lights to the control board in the booth).

Lighting Trees Different heights & widths allow for extra lighting. These are usually used on the side of a stage (as shinbusters or overhead lights) or in places where battens/catwalks do not exist.

Basic Safety The DO’s and DON’Ts of Lighting

SAFETY RULES The catwalk is not a place to play! Minimum of 2 persons and no more than 6 on the catwalk at any given time. You should never be on the catwalk without permission! LIGHTS ARE HOT. THEY CAN AND WILL BURN YOU. Wear gloves when working on lights: cotton for changing lamps, leather for focusing. ALWAYS hang a lighting instrument with a safety cable. You must be certified to use scaffolding. NEVER move scaffolding while someone is on it!!! Gels & gobos are expensive – do not play with them or cut them into “fun” shapes!