11 Lighting and Sound © Geraine Lewis Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Brief History Originally outdoors with daylight/sun as illumination Torches and candles onstage as theatrical devices 1600s-1700s, theatre moves indoors with candles and oil lamps 1803—gaslight installed in London, adding control element to lighting 1879—Thomas Edison and the electric light begin the era of imaginative lighting Growth of the electronics industry—better lighting and better controls Computer industry—revolutionizes control of lighting and expands potentials for creative application

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Objectives of Lighting Design Provide visibility Reveal shapes and forms Provide a focus onstage and create visual compositions Assist in creating mood and reinforcing style Help to establish time and place Establish a rhythm of visual movement Reinforce a central visual image

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Process of Lighting Design 1.Read the script 2.Meet with the director / other designers to discuss ideas and concept 3.Observe rehearsals to see blocking patterns 4.More meetings with the director 5.Develop a lighting plot (location of instruments in the theatre space) 6.Move into the theatre, hang and focus lights 7.Write cues to create the finished piece and “tech” the show This is a mutable process that changes with every director/designer relationship as well as different production needs. 11-4

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Properties of Stage Lighting The controllable aspects of stage lighting: –Intensity—relative brightness Dimmers –Color—use of gels to create colored light Warm vs. cool colors –Distribution/direction—the way the source is placed on or near the stage, forcing the light into a certain angle Downlight / backlight / frontlight –Form—also known as texture or pattern of the light Gobos –Movement—create a sense of this by shifting the audience focus by adjusting the visual composition of the stage picture Cross-fading

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Types of Stage Lights Types of stage lights: –Sharp, concentrated spotlights Ellipsoidal reflector spotlight –Soft-edged spotlights Fresnel –Floodlights –“Scoops” –Strip lights / border lights –Practicals –Automated or moving lights Intelligent fixtures

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Lighting Controls Types of lighting cues: –Blackouts –Fades –Cross-fades New technologies in lighting: –Automated or moving lights Computer controlled Can shift color, pan, tilt, iris, gobo during the show –Rock-concert lighting commonly uses this type of technology

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Collaborative Process The lighting/sound designer does not work alone in the theatre process… And this is only a basic crew with no special effects… Director Scenic designer Lighting designer Sound designer Costume designer Props designer Technical director Make-up designer Costume shop manager Stage manager Master carpenter Scene shop Running crew Sound technician Master electrician

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Areas of Sound Design Sound is relatively new as a “recognized” design field. –Amplification Manipulating the level of reproduced sound against the level of the live sound source Controversial subject—How loud is too loud? Should speech be amplified for dramatic production? –Sound effects: Originally created by devices specific to particular types of sounds (wind machines / thunder sheets), sound effects are considered a vital part of creating the “illusion” of reality in a theatrical performance.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Process of Sound Design 1.Read the script 2.Meet with the director / other designers to discuss ideas and concept 3.Observe rehearsals to experiment with design choices 4.More meetings with the director 5.Develop a sound plot (location of speakers in the theatre space) 6.Write cues to create the finished piece 7.Technical rehearsals to integrate the sound into the performance This is a mutable process that changes with every director/designer relationship as well as different production needs! 11-10

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Sound Technology Sound reproduction –Use of motivated or environmental sounds Sound reinforcement –Amplification of the sounds produced by a performer or a musical instrument Technology and sound –Microphones (shotgun mike, general mike, body mike) and loudspeakers –Analog vs. digital recording and playback devices –Computers and digital sound have revolutionized the concept of design, allowing designers to mutate and manipulate sounds creatively with greater ease and less expense.