1. Abbie Godmair 7 th Hour Independent Study March 26, 2009

2. History of Lights Early plays did not have lights and took place outdoors so the actors were lit by sunlight Early plays did not have lights and took place outdoors so the actors were lit by sunlight Theater was moved indoors during Renaissance Theater was moved indoors during Renaissance Italy 1580-1618: Candles first appear as general illumination in theaters Italy 1580-1618: Candles first appear as general illumination in theaters -Mounted as chandeliers over the stage and house, footlights on the front edge of the stage and ladders backstage between the side wings 1780s: Swiss chemist Aime Argand creates the oil lamp 1780s: Swiss chemist Aime Argand creates the oil lamp -Soon replaces the candle in theaters but mounted the same way

3. History of Lights Cont. 1816: Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia has the world’s first gas stage-lighting system installed 1816: Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia has the world’s first gas stage-lighting system installed 1840s: The gas table, or control board, starts to become widely used 1840s: The gas table, or control board, starts to become widely used 1881: World’s first electric lighting system put in at London's Savoy Theatre 1881: World’s first electric lighting system put in at London's Savoy Theatre -Many theaters convert to electricity due to strict health and safety regulations and convenience for directors to use brighter light in shows 1882: Boston's Bijou's Theatre first theater in America to have electric lights 1882: Boston's Bijou's Theatre first theater in America to have electric lights -Mounted as footlights, wing lights, and border lights (between each set of borders)

4. 6 Purposes of Light 1.To see -Houselights 2.To focus audience attention -Spotlighting characters or set pieces 3.Special effects -Ex. Thunderstorm= flashing lights -Make objects appear flat or three dimensional 4.To convey time -Night, day, evening 5.To establish mood -Dark=melancholy, mysterious 6. To light actors, especially their faces

5. 4 Properties of Light Color Color -Gel colors assigned to lights based on wattage and intensity -Can be used to flatter the actors' faces, cast a warm glow over set or heighten colors of scenery and costumes Intensity Intensity -Highlight mood -Contrasting effects to be worked out with lights on the stage Placement Placement -Where a light is placed can create different effects, such as shadows behind a piece of the set Movement Movement -Change in lighting over time ex. A scene that starts out at dawn (dim lights) can end at night (few lights)

6. Lights as a Replacement for Scenery Lights can sometimes take the place of scenery through the use of projectors Many prefer this because of the cheaper cost Can add a deeper mood to the overall piece

7. The name may be derived from go between, Goes Before Optics, or Graphical optical blackout. Productions with smaller budgets can create these by using pie tins with punctured holes in them Goes over a stage lighting device Flat, metal sheets with designs cut out to create a silhouette Colored, intricate designs can be created using glass, similar to stained glass pictures Plastic gobos can be used to create more detailed designs, but they are not often used because they can easily be overheated and melt Lights as a Replacement for Scenery

8. Cookies ? More popularly known as cucoloris Used in film and theater to create shadows or silhouettes Classified into 3 categories: 1. Hard cookies: Made from plywood or posterboard with random shapes cut out from it 2. Soft cookies: Made from plastic screens 3. Natural Cookies: Any ordinary object that can be placed between the light and the subject ex. A tree limb

9. Flood lights- Wide angle beam to illuminate stage Flood lights- Wide angle beam to illuminate stage -Useful for background scenery on stage behind a door, window, or flat Borderlights- Hung on a batten, or rod Borderlights- Hung on a batten, or rod -Covered with individual gels or roundels (individual pieces of glass for more permanent structures) for colors -Help establish mood or time of day Scoop lights- Circular lights with no lenses Scoop lights- Circular lights with no lenses -Sometimes used as work lights during non-technical rehearsals or during set work -Used to flood stage or light backdrops

10. Work lights- Backstage lighting, usually florescent and controlled by dimmers Work lights- Backstage lighting, usually florescent and controlled by dimmers Intelligent lights- Programmed to move from a motor Intelligent lights- Programmed to move from a motor -Moving mirror reflects beam -Can be equipped with gobo wheels -Cannot be moved during show and focused with a remote

11. House lights- Incandescent lights to light up audience before and after shows and during intermission House lights- Incandescent lights to light up audience before and after shows and during intermission -Fluorescent lights rarely used -Controlled by dimmable or non- dimmable wall switch or on a light board Follow spots- Used to highlight or follow actors onstage or perhaps put emphasis on an object Follow spots- Used to highlight or follow actors onstage or perhaps put emphasis on an object -ex. A gun on a table in a murder mystery -Carbon rods used to be used as a light source but due to hazards from fumes emitted xenon is now used

12. Unlike floodlights they can be focused Unlike floodlights they can be focused Fresnels: Fresnels: -Beam can be altered in size by moving lamp and reflector -When beam is at maximum size instrument is in flood position -Barn doors placed around lamp to control and shape light - Equipped with a Fresnel Lens= glass lens with concentric ripples visible on the front of the light that casts a soft, even illumination across the beam Used on the stage, too bright for house -Scenery can help control light Most common size is 6-inch lens, bigger lens used in television Because of powerfulness of bigger lens sometimes used in lighthouses

13. Light directed by a mirror system Light directed by a mirror system Throws a sharp edged beam Throws a sharp edged beam -Can be softened by moving lens barrel but cannot get as soft as a fresnel Light controlled by shutters in front of lamp Light controlled by shutters in front of lamp Gobos fit over them Gobos fit over them To light up a stage and to create a starry glow

14. Used to control multiple lights at once Used to control multiple lights at once -Placed at front of house or in control booth Control intensity of light (dimmers), fog machines and other special effects devices Control intensity of light (dimmers), fog machines and other special effects devices Lighting cues recorded as dictated by director and programmed into a computer so oftentimes a lighting board operator only has to push a button at start of show Lighting cues recorded as dictated by director and programmed into a computer so oftentimes a lighting board operator only has to push a button at start of show Light board operator stays on Light board operator stays on headset with stage manager during performance in case sudden changes need to be made due to unexpected circumstances -Important to be familiar with light plot for this reason

15. It is important for the director to have some knowledge of how color will effect the mood of each scene Lighting designer can mix light colors through positioning Light frost can be used to soften edges of spotlights without changing colors

16. How Lighting Can Affect Make-up Red lights Red lights Any red on the face will be blended in with the light Any red on the face will be blended in with the light In order to reduce this make-up should be pale and corpselike In order to reduce this make-up should be pale and corpselike Yellow lights Yellow lights Similar to red lights in the sense that the effects will be lost Similar to red lights in the sense that the effects will be lost Green lights Green lights Make-up should be simple otherwise the actor will look extremely pale Make-up should be simple otherwise the actor will look extremely pale This may be ideal in some dramatic scenes where a character is going through excessive turmoil This may be ideal in some dramatic scenes where a character is going through excessive turmoil Blue lights Blue lights Red lines and spots on the face appear violet Red lines and spots on the face appear violet Any blues or grays should be put on heavily so the shades do not blend in with the lights Any blues or grays should be put on heavily so the shades do not blend in with the lights

17. Positioning Lights Soft and hard edge spotlights on batten directly behind proscenium Soft and hard edge spotlights on batten directly behind proscenium Perches (booms) rods in a vertical position with swiveling spots Perches (booms) rods in a vertical position with swiveling spots -Sometimes behind proscenium Wall brackets: Light on a wall in the house to illuminate downstage and apron Wall brackets: Light on a wall in the house to illuminate downstage and apron

18. Role of a lighting designer Carefully reads script and determines where lights change and notes additional ideas for lights Carefully reads script and determines where lights change and notes additional ideas for lights Consults with director and brainstorms how light can be used to enhance production Consults with director and brainstorms how light can be used to enhance production Attend rehearsals to understand where actors will be placed and where to focus light Attend rehearsals to understand where actors will be placed and where to focus light After blocking is set the placement of lighting instruments can be determined After blocking is set the placement of lighting instruments can be determined