Excellent post bbess!!! thanks. Didn't read it before posting my own thoughts but you did so much more artistically in bringing it back to design over mechanics much better than anyone else so far. First design the puppy, than figure out how it's lit and with what.
Hi! this is long, sorry ....
Seems to be plenty of good technical advice so far. I would like to suggest a different approach, you seem to have access to some good toys, and a good general knowlege, so forget about lighting the "stage" for a minute and let's design. Go for a ride on a real subway. Bring a digital camera, or a notepad or both. Bring the director! Any good design starts with a little research and can be fun too. I live in NYC so I've had lots of opportunities to ride the Subway.
How is the car lit? I've seen old style incandescant tube lights with fresnel like fluted covers, they were warm and sickly yellow, and shadowy. The current crop of nyc standards has a very green fluorescent, it shows the dirt and the scars and the blemishes of the cars and the people who ride. Newer cars have an icy blue tint to the indirect, high efficiency fluorescent. LED signage and message marquees are on display. there is always lots of flickering, strobing, chases and the light is changing all the time. When going from one power source to another, sometimes the light drops to only a bare minimum, sometimes emergencies come on. Stations and work lights flash by - each one a little different, sometimes the tunnels are all cobalt blue, sometimes yellow, red, sometimes the sunlight comes blasting through from some where above Sometime you see leaf patterns or grille patterns. Going across a bridge at sunset or early morning is like a 70's rock concert!
So what does your base subway car look like for this production of Godspell?? Why did the director choose a subway car? Where's it going? Where along the ride are the important stops? Who gets on or off? Does it always go in one direction? Is the audience "in the car"? Is Jesus crucified at the end or does he hit the third rail? Oooh Sparks! Is John the Baptist a squeegee man?
The play itself is wide open to creative thought, so you can have a field day with the lights. Anyway, my point is pretty clear, sorry about the length. Open your eyes and mind, study some real light (really look at it) and then figure out how your car is lit in the reality of the play and use your tools to build those looks.
Once you know why you're lighting something a certain way, how you do it is only a distribution on equipment. Forget lighting methods for a while, beyond a certain visibility, you have hundreds of ways to create mood. Any angle, color intensity, is valid if you know the "why". Don't put up a "texture wash" unless it's "the light coming through the forth wall windows in a particular station, don't have a "yellow wash" unless there's track work being done. Go through this process to get to your design. Then pull out all your design weapons and help sell this play. You'll be brilliant!
