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INTRODUCTION TO STAGE LIGHTING
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INTRODUCTION TO STAGE LIGHTING
By: Charles I. Swift
Synopsis  |  Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
List of Illustrations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
 
Preface  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
 
PART ONE: Tools and Terminology  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
 
Chapter One:
Lighting Fixtures: The Lighting Designer's Paintbrush  . . . . . .3
Development of the Dramatic Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Tools of the Trade: Principal Electric Fixtures  . . . . . . . . .6
 
Chapter Two:
How to Stage Lights Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Housing and Plug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The Reflector  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
The Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
 
Chapter Three:
Stage and Lighting Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Stage Direction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Drapery and Stage Direction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Identifying Lighting Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Fixture names Based on Function  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
 
Chapter Four:
Light: The Designer's Paint  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
The Specular Quality of Light  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Lighting the Actor's Face  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
The Controllable Qualities of Light  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
 
PART TWO: Manipulating the Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
 
Chapter Five:
Developing the Lighting Key  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Identifying the Sources  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Assigning Color to the Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Identifying the Elements and Their Relationships . . . . . . . . .59
Summary of the Lighting Key and Its Applications . . . . . . . . .59
 
Chapter Six:
Assigning Intensity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
The Importance of Precise Intensity Control  . . . . . . . . . . .61
Using Context to Establish the Overall Lighting Scheme . . . . . .62
Shifting Focus Using Balance and Contrast  . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Creating Mood  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
 
PART THREE: The Collaborative Process  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
 
Chapter Seven:
Communicating the Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Lighting Drawings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Lighting Paperwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
 
Chapter Eight:
Focus: The Rush to Perfection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Acquiring Stage Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Focus Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
The Focus Procedure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
 
Chapter Nine:
Writing Cues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Documenting Lighting Changes for Repeatability . . . . . . . . . .92
The Evolution of the Cues  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Cuing the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
 
Chapter Ten:
Developments in Lighting Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Developments in Manual Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Autotransformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
The Patch Panel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Remote Manual Dimmer Conrol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Remote Computer-Based Control  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
 
Chapter Eleven:
Computer Consoles  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Basics of the Console  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Console Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Imparting the "Feel" of the Show to the Console  . . . . . . . . .126
 
Chapter Twelve:
Tech Week: The Final Frontier  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Tech Week Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Opening Night, Photo Call, and Beyond  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
 
GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
 
INDEX  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
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