Versatile Lighting Design

[nealsam]

Hello guys,

So I've got the job of drawing up the lighting designs for a few upcoming school productions and am pretty stuck for ideas. I'm using very limited resources, although it's a fairly small space, and need something versatile that will be able to cope with multiple productions of varying styles, as I often don't have time to get up to the rig and re-focus between shows.

The first show coming up is a dance production and so I had some ideas with that, but then the very next day there's a Shakespeare play that needs lighting. This is where I've got my problem, has anyone got any ideas of how I can use the lighting equipment to create something that will work for most shows?

Here's what I'm working with:
9 fresnels
8 par cans
4 profiles

I've attached a basic layout of the electrics so you can get an idea of what's going on.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

[DuckJordan]

This sounds like a do my homework post to me. Search the forums list what you have to accomplish and go from there.

[nealsam]

This sounds like a do my homework post to me.

It's definitely not a 'do my homework post', for starters I'm not even studying tech theatre merely doing it to make some cash.. Anyways, I've already come up with some ideas and have drawn up a rough plot myself, I'm still not happy with it but wondered what other people would do. I didn't want to put up my plot because I wanted to see people's a ideas with a fresh view of te situation, I just wanted to see how people would approach it.

[DuckJordan]

Okay well, list out what you would need to put into the plot for both events. Such as if you want back light, side light, top light, front light. Figure out what you would like for either event. Then figure out if any of that will transfer to either. It sounds like a rep plot you are making. Since its dance and theater with as little inventory as you have...

What is your stage dimensions, what are your throw distances from each of the lighting positions?

[Aman121]

Do you have any other lights you didnt mention, like strip lights? I personally do allot of dance shows at our school, and directors are usually okay with a warm/cool wash as long as faces can be seen. Sometimes I throw in some cyc lights for variety. Asssuming that the play is low key without allot of blocking, as most shakesphere is, this should work fine for that as well. With so few instruments, I would start with an even warm wash and go from there. Sometimes I run into similar issues with getting consecutive shows rigged, as our space is large and hard to move around in and our instruments are old and underpowered. Always remember when stretched for time and resources, FACES BEFORE PREETY COLORS.
Some advice from a total noob, hope this helps.

[Dovahkiin]

Since we don't know the stage dimensions or the throw of the fixtures I'm not sure how well this will work, but I'll try my best. I've also never used a profile, so I'll just treat it as an ERS for now.

First, I'd start with a PAR on each end of the first electric angled just slightly upstage. This should help show the dancers' form while also helping a bit with the visibility in other shows and creating some interesting angles.

I don't know how many areas you'll need, so I'd say use the profiles on the FOH electric and light as much of the downstage as you can. Probably best to stick with two of them focused together about 90 degrees apart. If profiles can be adjusted like an ERS, throw the beam out of focus so it blends more smoothly with the fresnels and PARs. If the distance from the FOH electric to the stage is too much for a fresnel to be used effectively, try using some PARs to fill in the downstage areas that the profiles don't cover. Fill in the mid to upstage areas with fresnels angled much like the profiles. I'd probably try spot focus first (adjust the lamp so that it is as far away from the lens as possible) and see if that works. If not, go with flood focus (do the opposite). If you have any fresnels left over, hang them on the second or third electric (in flood focus) and angle them downstage to create some back lighting.

Take the leftover PARs and hang them on the electrics to create some washes and you should be good.

If you're going to use color, it's probably best to stick with a pale tint of blue (like AP4830) on one side with a pale tint of amber on the other (like AP7050) and a nice lavender for any back or side lights (like AP3300). Washes should be more saturated with whatever colors work for the shows, most commonly red, blue, and clear/amber

Hope this is at least a bit useful.

[jglodeklights]

How big is the space, actual dimensions? This will change, significantly, how you use your resources. Also, the PAR cans and Profiles (I assume you mean ERS and not PC fixtures) have other specifications such as lamp wattage available and beam size/type that affect what you will choose to do. Ultimately, you need to create a plot that serves a dual purpose of mood evocation and being able to see the actors. Having done this with a similar set up, in regards to fixtures available, I can tell you it is most likely doable (unless the venue is actually quite huge or the instruments' specifications are drastically out of proportion to it) if you make smart decisions about where to place instruments. Ultimately, you are the one in the room designing these shows. We can only give you information or help you to find information that will save you time in that you won't have to redo mistakes in physical placement of lighting instruments. You have to make the difficult decisions about what actually happens.

PS: Whether you are attempting to make some cash or doing a homework assignment, it is always a good idea to approach and/or present the design issue with some idea of what you think may be correct (even if it is completely wrong) and present that to your peers. One, it gives us further insight into how you think, what you may actually know and what you are truly working with. Two, it isn't asking us to do your job. Asking us to do your job as a paid individual or as a student is, to some degree, insulting to us and perturbing as it dilutes our market in several ways. None of us can know EVERYTHING, but we can, collectively, know most of everything.

[nealsam]

Thanks for the all the responses, it's given me lots of ideas to play with. The actual stage space that I'm lighting isn't that big, it's only 10m wide by 6m deep and everything is quite compact, pretty short throw distances etc.

I understand what you're saying about not having you do the plot for me, but I just wanted some ideas to put into action, and that's what I've got!

Cheers

[DrPinto]

The actual stage space that I'm lighting isn't that big, it's only 10m wide by 6m deep and everything is quite compact, pretty short throw distances etc. Cheers

Let's see. That's about 33 ft wide by 20 ft deep.

I sooooo wish the US was on the metric system like the rest of the world! It's so annoying trying to visualize distance and dimensions when everyone else uses another measuring system while we're still multiplying by 12 and using fractions!

[chausman]

I sooooo wish the US was on the metric system like the rest of the world! It's so annoying trying to visualize distance and dimensions when everyone else uses another measuring system while we're still multiplying by 12 and using fractions!

Don't get them started again.

Just search, and you'll know what I mean.

but imperial won...

[tdeater]

For a pretty flexible layout, from trying to do lighting layouts in our own theater that we do not have to change a lot, I would try the following:

The 4 profiles on the FOH position.
4 cans each on 1st and 2nd Electric
4 Fresnels on 1st and 3rd electric
the extra Fresnel center on 2nd electric or maybe the 3rd.