Design Method

I'm largely a self-taught designer and I've been using the 45 degree front light (McCandless) method. Recently, another designer said that many others don't use that method anymore and they do a flat front light with high sides. I'd like to use this method of design but I need advice on how to execute it. Do I need one front light and two side lights for each acting area? What angle is best to hang the high sides? Any input anyone can provide for me on this would be appreciated!
 
I've had to design many times with flat front light out of space or fixture limitations.
Usually 5 sections of front light with warm and cool high sides in close and far sections on both sides. Usually those hang positions are limited, so wherever is available as foh highsides.
If I have flexibility in positioning, I'll try to get 45 up and 45 out on the foh highsides.
 
That configuration is sometimes called Broadway T. With that area lighting system, primary light comes from the top and sides. The role of the front light is to provide facial fill so when setting levels start with the tops or tips (aka sides or pipe ends) to define the overall intensity then bring up the fronts until you have good facial definition. You can get away with fewer instruments and wider lensing for front lights unless you need tighter control.

It doesn't quite zone the same as McCandless as the tips can spill shadows into the wings where the audience can't see. Consequently, the pools tend to be more of a cross-stage lane.
 
Might be a look for your tool box I did at times, especially with few fixtures. Go to research into blending and the concept in why it's a different thing, than as opposed to say if you have enough gear, perhaps add that look in more control of aspect. And or, if your talent tries with intent to stay away from the hot spot... useful in a wash and or blending dependant on the scene and intent. Or could be dramatic in intent.
 

Sorry but I don't remember where I first heard or read the term, probably a 1970's or 80's stage lighting book. The story I heard had to do with making use of available hang positions in broadway houses as designers began using the balcony rail and boom positions to provide front light in preference to the earlier practice of borders, side borders, and footlights which harkens back to the days of gas lighting.
 
Since this designer told me about the method, I tried it on a show I'm working on but I'm just not sure I did it right. I broke up the stage into 15 acting areas- 5 from left to right and 3 down to up. I hung a front light and two high sides for each of these areas. Based on what you all are saying, I'm convinced that's not the correct way to do it.
 
Since this designer told me about the method, I tried it on a show I'm working on but I'm just not sure I did it right. I broke up the stage into 15 acting areas- 5 from left to right and 3 down to up. I hung a front light and two high sides for each of these areas. Based on what you all are saying, I'm convinced that's not the correct way to do it.
Either I was more lazy, or had less equipment. Also musical theatre. So larger fudge factor.
I would usually divide into either 5 wide and 2 deep or 5 wide 1 deep and 3 wide and 2 deep behind that. High sides would usually be2 colors of 4 positions: US close and far and DS close and far.
 
Try thinking in terms of systems - front, side, back, down - and playing with how individula units in each system can work as a special.

I guess it's Tom Slelton influence, but think about shadows and highlights. Tom did not like unlit. His shadows were always colored. (Google or this text editor does not like that word.) Whether fronts, box booms, or side, work for colors that make a show white - not necessarily white but a mix.

Don't not get light in the eyes - foots, rail, low bb - but eyes are a very important actors tool.

Don't let corners of the stage - doesn't left and right --all off. In halogen days if hot spot on the proscenium or torm and shutter in to get enough light there. And cross whites - high diagonal backs blasting into those dl and dr corners - at full for entrances. Got to draw the audience eyes to that important entrance. Bam?

Focus. You want to control the audience focus. Tom taught me to look through my fist which blurred the stage picture and showed what was brightest and what drew audience focus.

Think out of the box and metaphorically. He told me to put a pair of 1k 8" fresnels on the floor and for end of scene about riding in a far fade them up. Everyone loved it ( and all thought crazy when I showed them on plot.)

Take control, listen, look, and innovate through combinations
 
Since this designer told me about the method, I tried it on a show I'm working on but I'm just not sure I did it right. I broke up the stage into 15 acting areas- 5 from left to right and 3 down to up. I hung a front light and two high sides for each of these areas. Based on what you all are saying, I'm convinced that's not the correct way to do it.

Don't think so much about areas in all of your systems. If the show has a lot of dance, and you are able to, you likely want some low side light. If you have low side light you probably don't need five fixtures to give you your side light wash across the stage, probably need two or three.

Sure you can think of areas for your front light ( let's assume that is five across). But do your down lights need five fixtures to give you the kind of smoothness and punch you need? Might be more, might be less.


My point is ( and I think this may be what Bill was driving at) think of the right number of lights for each system. Not I have to have a light for each system on each area. Sometimes you will need more - sometimes less.
 
Five across, three above that and three above that with a pair of fronts, a pair of sides and a pair of top/backs on each sounds nice and may work for a show with no set and a director who blocks the action to fit them. Look at the ground plan of YOUR show and look at YOUR set and where YOUR director puts the actions, then decide how many and where your areas will be, what you need on each and light YOUR show.
 
Sorry but I don't remember where I first heard or read the term, probably a 1970's or 80's stage lighting book. The story I heard had to do with making use of available hang positions in broadway houses as designers began using the balcony rail and boom positions to provide front light in preference to the earlier practice of borders, side borders, and footlights which harkens back to the days of gas lighting.
Perhaps Howard Bay's book Stage Design, which includes a thorough refutation of A McCandless Method. I've never heard the term Broadway T; the anti-McCandless is called "jewel lighting."

I was taught, but have no confirmation, that Norman Bel Geddes was the first to put lights on the balcony rail, in the 1920s. Howard Bay states box booms became a necessity to light stages built out over orchestra pits in the directors' attempts to get the actors as close to the audience as possible.
 
I think the textbook approach to areas and a light from each angle into each area is fine. It is like the set designer always being constrained by 4x8s. Gets old real fast. There are no rules for art.
 
This is a great thread. I come from the self-taught arena too, though I constantly am aware of my shortcomings and try to find scraps of insight whenever I am able. We've got an exciting opportunity coming up to design and light a show that we'll be converting our proscenium theatre into a black box and doing a sort of 3/4 thrust stage. I have typically started with our rep plot (which is in the style of the allegedly-named Broadway T) and then added specials as I saw fit. For this I want to stretch myself and my students and work up a plot and draft out each position, doing the math and see what we get when we take the paper and put it in the air. I think it's a good exercise for all of us since the rep plot will be almost useless in this situation.

I am coming up short in looking for texts that explore the actual process. I understand figuring the multiplication factors of each fixture in order to determine beam spread and size, but the more I get into it the more I'm realizing I don't know. Is there a good resource out there to fill in these gaps? My eventual goal in this is to get to the point where I can draft a plot and hand it off to my kids and have them hang and focus under supervision.
 

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