Lighting Angles ???

[achstechdirector]

Ok so I have a slight problem

My front lighting positions are at weird angles

I am trying to figure out (of the two possible) which angle is better.


MORE INFO:

I want a general wash for assemblies and speakers

The 50 degree position cannot light the very upstage area because of the valance
the 40 degree position can throw light all the way upstage

Maybe the real question is Which is more flattering to a person?

 

[icewolf08]

I think the answer to this question really lies in how you want the show to look. I assume that one position is farther from the stage than the other? You might consider using one for lighting the extreme DS edge and the next position to light just upstage of that. then your angles would probably come closer to matching.

I don't think there is an answer as to which is better as that is totally subjective.

 

[IEGPR]

I would do what wolf08 said

 

[willbb123]

At this moment I am using both. (In a show right now)
The FOH catwalk is probably 50%, and the front boxes are around 40%.

I don't think one is better then the other. Normally I use the catwalk for frontlight, but I've gotten sick of the look. So I'm changing it up a bit.

 

[icewolf08]

MORE INFO:

I want a general wash for assemblies and speakers

The 50 degree position cannot light the very upstage area because of the valance
the 40 degree position can throw light all the way upstage

Maybe the real question is Which is more flattering to a person?

The added info actually really reinforces what I said before. You don't want to use one position to light the entire stage. I assume that you measured the angles from each position to the same point on stage, but what you really want to do is layer so that all the light comes into the stage at the same angle.

I am still assuming that you are talking about positions that are relatively parallel to the proscenium line as opposed to box positions. If that is the case, start your wash from the farthest position from the stage. Depending on what fixtures you are using and the size of your stage you probably want 4 areas across focused at the DS edge of the stage. Then layer in a second row from the next position focused just US of the first row. That should help match your angles so the light doesn't flatten as you go US. Then depending on other lighting positions and size of the stage you might do another row focused further US.

 

[gafftaper]

It all depends on how far the lights are throwing and how large of areas you want to have on stage. In my theater I'm using all 36 degrees for the general wash. My friend down the street it's all 26's. It all depends on how far you are throwing.

 

[sk8rsdad]

40 is likely to be more flattering to an actor's face.

If I had to build the FOH position I would be more inclined to go to 50 degrees when a light is hung straight on. It's easy to flatten the angle by moving the instrument off to the side (McCandless method) but it's hard to make an angle steeper.

 

[jerekb]

Some one really smart should list off the differences in angles like 30 degrees and its benefits and cons and 50 and its pros and cons and yeah you get the point??

 

[derekleffew]

Some one really smart should list off the differences in angles like 30 degrees and its benefits and cons and 50 and its pros and cons and yeah you get the point??

The difference in straight on frontlight between 30° and 50° is largely arbitrary and a trade-off between flattening facial features and undesirable facial shadows. Here is a rudimentary site with pictures: Stage Lighting for Students--Lighting Angles .

 

[rochem]

Basically what everyone else said - use both. In an ideal theatre, you would have the same angle of front light coming in for every zone of front light (DS, MS, US). Use the 40 degree position to light the DS areas, and use the 50 degree position to light the MS areas. Assuming you measured them from the same place, this should come out to roughly the same facial shadows. Then to get the far US areas, mount units on your First Electric (maybe even Second depending on stage depth/trim heights) and try to match the angle. This gives you lots of flexibility with selectively only lighting the areas you need to see, and being able to keep everything else dark.