Lighting Designer Title?

[lighttechie5948]

Okay, So I've been asked to work on this production in 2 weeks. First off, I'm not receiving any design fee, although I will be putting 60+ hours into the production within 2 weeks of tech. Not getting paid isn't the issue, I am still a freshmen in HS, so I design more for the experience than the cash.

The producer wants someone else to design the plot, and me to "program the show", which in his way means, to take the plot from the other person and create all the cues from that. He wants me to do this because he says I'm the "best and fastest programmer he knows" (again referring to programmer as designing the "look" of every cue)

The problem I have with this is that he only wants the person designing the plot to receive "Designer" credit in the playbill. I feel that if he's designing the plot and I'm designing the looks of the cues, we both should receive the "Lighting Designer" title. Personally I would like it to say "Lighting Design - Me & Him", and "ETC Programmer - Me"

Am I Wrong?

Please give your opinion, it is greatly appreciated.

[Raktor]

LD should be there during plotting to say what he wants.

If he's not going to be there, you're pretty much designing too.

Just my 2c.

[lighttechie5948]

Not to mention the fact that i will probably design 40-60% of the light plot, I'm pretty sure I will end up hanging 30-70% of the fixtures and probably focus the entire plot with him on the ladder and me calling the cuts.

[arfinator]

wouldn't let technically make him like a ME but before the design is finalized?

[Omega]

You'd be the Master Electrician and Dimmerboard Operator. If you helped with, or altered, his design, you could be the assistant ld.

[Footer]

The guy doing the plot is usually called the Lighting Director, or Lighting Supervisor. I have worked for a few theatre companys that will have a Lighting Director design the plot for the season, and then talk to the designer for each show to determine what else they will need, (the place I am thinking of had a plot that contained about 50 movers as well as 100 or so CXI's, so really not much had to change between shows).

The LD never touched the drafting table. They would come in and call the focus, and usually touch every fixture, but once again the plot was not theirs. The would then, along with the Lighting Director on the console, cue the show. I think this is simular to the situation you will be in.

My feeling is the person setting the looks is the designer. Anyone can make a plot, there is no design in that. Its the person that brings that plot to life who is the actual designer.

[xander]

I think if we clarify some terminology we might be in a better place to determine what exactly is going on here. The term "programmer" refers to the person that is doing the button pushing. This (in the theatre world) will have verrrry little to no artistic value. You are just pushing buttons. Setting the looks-channel levels and fade times-would be called "cueing" the show. This would normally be done by the Designer. The designer will also come up with the plot, although s/he may not actually do any drafting (that is what an assistant is for!!), it is still their responsibility. Now, in my opinion, if I had to put numbers to it, I would say that the plot is 25% of the design and the cueing is 75% of the design. The same plot can be cued a million different ways, but the direction/color/shape/texture of a light is also very important. The more automated a plot is the less important that part becomes because you can change almost all of those characteristics during cueing.
So, with this in mind, if the "designer" you are referring to is just drafting the plot but wont be focusing or cueing anything than they are not doing much in terms of designing. If you are the one that actually picks which channels are at what levels for how long, NOT JUST pushing the buttons to make tham that way, then I think you are more of a designer than the other guy.

[Anvilx]

Let who ever designs the plot take the Lighting Designer title. The title you want is Master of Illumination, a name of my own creation.

[lighttechie5948]

Originally Posted by Anvilx

Let who ever designs the plot take the Lighting Designer title. The title you want is Master of Illumination, a name of my own creation.

LOL! That made my day! As cool as that title sounds, I'd like a title that matches what's under my name on my resume - Lighting Designer.

I agree with what's been said above I feel that the cueing is 75% of the design. A plot is useless if it's not cued properly.

[seanandkate]

In my world, you'd be the Lighting Designer. If you're designing half the plot and, more importantly, cueing the show, it's your creative vision. You could certainly offer the other person an ALD credit for his help on half the plot, though . . .