Lighting
In stage lighting one of the most important parts is power distribution and making sure it is distributed correctly because “ Power Distribution may be set up for one show, and changed for another,” (Holloway). Parts of the power distribution system are the light board console, the dimmer rack, and the cables. When you know the system set up properly, it makes it easier to solve problems that might come up on the spot like when a lamp dies. A lamp is another word for a light bulb in theatre and some common types of lamps are “Two-Pin Lamp, Double Ended or recessed single contact lamp, high wattage mogul bipost lamp, and HPL Family lamp,” (Holloway).
Lighting Console
Example of a Profile light is a Source Four light
Stage lighting uses different times of lights that are refer to as Lanterns, “…five main types of Lanterns in the world of stage lighting are Floods, Fresnel, Prism Convex, Profiles, and Parcans,” (Primrose). Flood lights “consist of a lamp and a reflector in a box, with no lens…there is no control over focusing of the flood,” (Primrose) and flood lights are mainly used as cyc lights and to reflect different colors on a white cyc or wall. “The Fresnel is a soft edged spotlight with more controls over beam angle than Floods…the beam can be shaped by the four barndoors attached to the front of the lantern,” (Primrose). With Prism Convex lights, they are mainly found “…in Europe, but is rarely seen in the US…the edge of the beam is slightly harder than a Fresnel, but is not hard edged,” (Primrose). Profile lights are a commonly used light that “…produces clearly defined spots of light (hard-edged or soft-edged) and are the most focusable and versatile of the lanterns,” (Primrose). One common thing that is used in Profile lights are Gobos, “Gobos are metal cutouts or metal etched onto glass, which are used in a gobo holder to project a defined shape or two break up a beam in a particular pattern,” (Primrose). The last common type of Lantern is a Parcan, which can be found in “…music or comedy venues where the amount of light and splodgy beam are not a problem,” (Primrose).
When these lights are put to use most of the time they are going to have a color and that color holds the tone or some emotion to it. Some of the basic colors have some emotions like “ Red equals anger or jealousy, Pink equals love and light, Yellow equals poppy and bright, Amber equals awakening and rootsy, Green equals Rootsy and organic, Aqua equals gentle and simple, Blue equals water and Nighttime, and White equals open and raw,” (What Are the Rules to Using Color in Stage Lighting?). The emotion that is found in the lighting design will change the audience members experience as they watch the show.
