What should I learn about how to build shows/live control beyond the basics

[Dragonfire]

Tldr; I am between beginner and intermediate adeptness and have run into a wall finding resources to level up my skillsets.

I originally posted on reddit a while back, and was frustrated by most of the responses being along the lines of "get more expensive fixtures". And that is the most frequent response I get on reddit regardless of how clearly I try to specify how . So I need to make it very clear from the beginning. What I'm looking for are resources to learn new design concepts or get inspiration on how to utilize my lights creatively, not advice on what hardware to use. I firmly believe that while good equipment is important, what matters most is how you use whatever is at your disposal, and that your skills and capabilities are the most significant factor in any endeavor.

So, I've had a good eye for lighting since high school, and I ended up choosing DMX lighting/programming as my quarantine skill as it was relevant to my industry. I started out with a 192 channel controller and two Wash FX 2's, and now I'm started to get hit up to bring my rig out to events and run lighting for them. It's been really fun, and something I can sit and design/program/research for 30 hours a week and not be bored. I’ve had a blast but about 4 months ago I started hitting a wall with finding YouTube videos or blog posts to help me advance my skillsets. Most of the videos I find fall towards one of two extremes: novices (“How to program a chase on an RGB par”) or experienced designers beyond my skill level (“How to still scrape by with just a paltry 10 universes at your disposal"). I need something in the middle because I feel like I’m starting to program the same kind of scenes over and over again. I'm also aware that I need to spread out laterally in my skill range and do more with the tools at my disposal before trying to tackle more advanced things.

In lieu of having guidance I've been looking up more about color theory, additive and subtractive color wheels, and how the two kinds interact when light meets material. How to use hues rather than the pure colors and not make things too rainbow or too monochromatic, etc. I particularly want to know how to make better use of my beams. I’ve looked at festival shows, but their setups can be so massive (and expensive) that it can be hard for me scale it down to what I have. For the past couple of months I've been learning how to program for pixel control while building my own pixel bars & e1.31 control hubs.

So where could I be looking for design ideas and ways to mentally approach the design aspect? Since my setup is personally funded it's going to grow slowly, and I want to focus on HOW to be a better LD so that no matter what gear I have, I can do a good job.

 

[StradivariusBone]

I'd recommend reading a lot. One of my favorite books is A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting by Steven Louis Shelley. He takes you through his design process from start to finish for a pretty large-size imaginary production. But through it you realize that everything he does is scalable to any size or budget show and that everything he does is adapted to serve his needs best. He doesn't do it if it doesn't help the show move forward.

The other thing I can recommend from my personal experience is just try random stuff. One of my favorite effects as of late was just putting a clip light behind a scenic element with an LED lamp in it and a cut of R14 taped on front. The clip light just hitting the wall totally popped this unit out way more than the $2000 moving head that was hitting it from the electric ever did by itself. It was a whim and it was just from trial and error and using whatever tools I had within reach.

 

[MNicolai]

Join a bunch of lighting groups on Facebook, follow lighting subs on Reddit, spend a bunch of time on Pinterest, and follow a bunch of lighting accounts on Instagram. Not just live event lighting but architectural, interior design, film, photography, themed attractions, etc. You won't learn much directly, but the constant exposure to different techniques, concepts, contexts, discussions, and seeing the final results in photos builds a foundation for what you like, what you don't like, and which techniques you can beg/borrow/steal from another context. Over time this will broaden your vocabulary for lighting and when you find yourself thinking about how to light a scene, solve a problem, or build an specific effect, you will have faster instincts about how to apply your brushes onto canvas regardless of whether you have crayons, color pencils, or oil paints to work with.

Also tons of content on YouTube, especially when it comes to film/photography lighting. Lighting for the camera can be different than for a live audience, but many of the fundamental concepts are the same.

 

[jtweigandt]

IMHO coming from the community theater side of things and helping with a lot of Junior High/ High School projects,
Having a limited budget and limited hardware forces a lot of creativity that really can blossom when you do finally get
your hands on better stuff. Also working 10 hours to set a 30 second sequence is well worth it when you hear the audience gasp
as a stark toplight beam from the "water's" surface passes down through a light haze straight onto the actors heads, and a water effect of counter rotating gobos on a black curtain are the only scenery
as Ariel is flown out "swimming" Prince Eric to the surface. Conventional lighting and one specialty gizmo.. all analog.

 

[Crisp image]

While you are reading and looking at YouTube videos might I suggest that you look at some of the big manufacturers of lighting consoles used in industry. I think they all have an "offline" version that you can play with on your computer and some will even let you output light on a limited number of addresses for free using some sore of usb to DMX device. I personally use ETC products for what I do and they have some great videos on how to do stuff with their consoles. It another thing for you to learn but the beauty is that they are free to try and learn before you shell out any money to unlock the systems.
I have seen ETC, Martin, GrandMA and Chamsys just to name a few. There are plenty more options out there too. It will come down to what work you are doing and how each product performs in that space.
As far a design goes there is a series of videos on the ETC study hall You Tube channel "Make light fantastic" which I found really helpful too.

Enjoy the ride down the rabbit hole
Regards
Geoff

EDIT: Fixed spelling mistakes pointed out by @RonHebbard

 

[Dragonfire]

Thank you all, especially for the specifics. I'll for sure check out the book by Steven Louis Shelley, and look into the different styles of lighting. I am trying to brainstorm creative stage fixtures to make to add to my setup since I've been doing a bunch of pixel mapping.

@MNicolai Definitely already on that for those exact reasons, but I haven't joined photography pages with that in mind. I do a bit of photography as it is, so I'll for sure dedicate some time to seeing how I can translate those concepts.

As far as the free softwares by the big companies go @Crisp image , how easy is it to visualize what the lights would be doing without being able to output to any fixtures? I'm sure some of them have a 2d or 3d visualizer, but don't some of them account for you outputting fixtures or having some matching hardware?

 

[TimMc]

Yes, ANY rendering is based on the fixtures you specify in the design... but it's all virtual so you can change your plot/fixtures at any time an look for the changes in the visualizer. For your immediate purposes having the comparisons may be enough to train your 'mental eye'.

There are so many components to lighting - angle and position, brightness and contrast, color and color temperature, use of textures and gobos, and then the way the light plays on the scenic elements (shape and pigment); actor's makeup, hair and wardrobe. Are there particular aspects that you feel present greater learning needs?

Edit ps: I think the "mental eye" is the key. Photographers call it "pre-visualization"... seeing the picture in their mind and then composing, exposing, and printing in the darkroom the image in their brain. Like when sculptors say "I just chisel away the parts that don't look like David". You need to be able to "see" (or at least anticipate) the effect of the visual components of light in your mind - otherwise you're relying on "happy accidents", and that requires a squirrel in your pocket.* So Experiment. Lots. With lights and gels and surfaces and objects.

And finally, are you lighting theater or music events or corporate/industrial or...?

*Bob Ross moment

 

[Crisp image]

@Crisp image[/USER] , how easy is it to visualize what the lights would be doing without being able to output to any fixtures? I'm sure some of them have a 2d or 3d visualizer, but don't some of them account for you outputting fixtures or having some matching hardware?

I use ETC Nomad with Augment3d which is bundled with he software. ETC call it a 3d workspace as opposed to a visualizer but it works for me. I think Either Martin or Grand MA have something. Augment3d uses a tethered computer via network connection to work however you can do it on the same computer (I use a second screen in this mode). A good graphics chip/card will help out here.

 

[rsmentele]

I would suggest looking into Onyx control software. Super powerful for the price. 4 universes of output for... free.
You mentioned pixel mapping, they've made that task super easy with the new integration of Dylos. It takes media and auto maps it to any lighting fixture, pixelated or not. the next public release will take the effects engine and move more of it to Dylos as well by allowing it to control any parameter in a lighting fixture, not just Intensity and Color.
They've also been in close working with Capture visualizer software with their CITP integration. Build a rig in Capture and auto import everything into Onyx. Patch, Fixture Layout, and control the fixtures with Capture or Onyx, its a bi-directional connection with full integration, unlike other platforms.

Here is a link to download: https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/Support/Downloads.htm

Let me know if you have any questions

 

[cbrandt]

Everyone has made some great suggestions so far. I'd add that watching rock shows on youtube has been invaluable to me. And not just shows from the last 10 years. Even going back and looking at the choices from classic tours can really be informative. Even though a lot of shows that you do aren't the big budget rock show style, those ideas can be really informative. It isn't critical to know exactly what fixture that they're using, but it can be a great exercise to try and sketch out a rig in generic fixtures. The best effects I've got in my bag of tricks came either directly from other designers, or from watching shows and seeing what color and movement choices they've made.

The trick after that is to figure out how to make your board do them...

 

[macsound]

Lots of great stuff has been mentioned here.

For me, I started lighting design in community theatre, then started doing even smaller theatre, kids-teen & blackbox.
What I learned when going smaller was how to make something just as beatiful and flexible with many fewer fixtures. (This was all conventional fixtures too)

If you're getting into using a visualizer (which I've never done), start by building a simple set like a 3 sided house and put a couple people on stage. Then work with a limited number of conventional fixtures to understand how angles and fixture placement can work in your favor and completely screw you.

We think of many "standard" things like Front light, Top light, Side light, Highsides, Shinbusters etc. Figure out what those mean and using your visualizer - how you can and should use them, and when you can't.

Nothing worse than learning lighting design on a completely empty stage and then realizing all of your tricks don't work once someone adds a set, projection screen or drapes.

Also color. This really only works in person. I taught with 3 lights. No color, R54 and R66. R54 is one of those amazing colors that when used with a warmer color it looks cool. When used with a cooler color, it looks warm. You can design 100 straight plays with these colors and make visual magic.

Then to make it more advanced, you just scale up and see if you can make the same effect. Designing 100 fixture rig isn't the same as designing a 500 fixture rig. I've seen lots of designers get lazy and group all of their fixtures, but then you lose the subtle emotion because every scene that should feel X is exactly the same because you're using 100% of the system you gelled for that emotion. Same goes for moving lights. No one wants every single Sharpy doing the same chase simultaneously.

 

[almorton]

I found The Stage Lighting Handbook, by Francis Reid, had some useful stuff when I started out. It's getting on a bit now, being predominantly about using conventional halogen fixtures, but it does go through some useful exercises like how can you light the stage with one fixture, 2, 3, etc and the effects of top light, backlight, up light, side light etc. Useful stuff to have in the arsenal.

Also, sometimes less is more.

 

[cbrandt]

Also, sometimes less is more.

This is a huge one. Early on as a designer I used most of my rig for every cue. And they looked great! But they started looking better when I used only small segments of the rig that were carefully chosen for those moments. This doesn't have as much effect now, since you're working with the small rig you have, but don't be afraid to cut it down to a fraction of your total rig, even one light at a time. This can give you an amazing contrast to your other cues. It also gives you room to go big when the moment is right.

 

[Dragonfire]

@TimMc I do stage lighting for small electronic music events. So I when it comes to the pre-visualization, I'm often thinking about how the wash lighting will fill out space and set the tone, how the beams will visually draw the eye, and how the speed of the movers will affect the feel of the show. I have a few positioning scenes to light the DJ booth, but because DJ booths generally have their own lights I've focused on how to draw the audience in. My lights are all LEDs, most of them moving heads. If I can make haze, I try to utilize my beams the most, and if not, then I focus on the patterns I can do with my wash lights. I think My biggest problem is that my different scenes are all full-bodied, utilizing most of my lights in some form or fashion like a band regardless of which ones I'm using as the focal points. Whereas I need to be using them like an orchestra and not having too much going on at once.

@cbrandt I actually really like that suggestion and will definitely get some value out of that. Some of the people I know who do lights for EDM are about flashy displays and FX, but I always feel like they're missing out of the importance of the simpler things that make up the foundation of the show for FX and flashy stuff to be layered on top of. I imagine that lighting at rock shows are more supportive of the musicians and less greedy visually, and therefore better to use as that foundation for the flashier stuff. Would that be accurate to some degree?
Also I love rock & metal so I'll enjoy my study time.

@macsound Since I don't do theater I'm unfamiliar with R54 and R66. Are those lavender and cool blue by Roscolux? I don't have any experience with fresnels or conventional theater lights with gels so while I get the terms for things like front lights, top, side, etc., the more specific terms will be lost on me.
I do absolutely agree with you about the grouping. I don't like grouping my lights because I feel like it's limiting. If I want to include them all in a coordinated chase or sequence then I'll just select them as needed. I prefer to be nuanced and get it just right rather than marking a checkbox and moving on. The attention to detail is what makes something stand out to the audience even if they can't identify it.

@almorton I actually think that I downloaded a PDF of that onto my computer recently. I have read up on the methods for using varying amounts of lights and how when using a small amount of lights, you're looking at how you shape the shadows as much as how you illuminate a space.
Ands yes,"less is more" is something I'm currently figuring out how to apply. A lot of my scenes started to look similar in structure with different color palettes, but I was still getting bored visually. So I'm working on subtracting elements. and making the scenes more distinct.

 

[cbrandt]

It largely depends on the band, the performer, and the designer. You'll see a huge amount of variation in "rock" lighting. I just use them as a starting point because there's so much out there. Metal is a fantastic place to look for interesting things, because they use their lights totally differently. You're in huge luck working in the EDM space, because it is one of the most forgiving of using different methods, different ideas, and experimentation. Frankly, most of the time you don't need to light the DJ at all, or just hang one par as a backlight. You are constrained by the genre to go for big looks, but the point many designers miss is that you should be building up to those, not just ramming them for the entire show. EDM gives you the fantastic method of "the drop" to build your looks around, and give you a reason to add highs and lows to the lighting portion of the show.

Also, work with your video designer/operator. They're going to be a huge resource for making your shows better.

 

[Dragonfire]

One of the things I'm currently trying to flesh out more is my "builds" and "drops" presets/modifiers. I'm not as much of a flash & trash person because while that has a big wow factor I know that those moments have to feel earned or else you'll just fatigue people, and by doing so do a disservice to the musician as well.

So my next gig is going to be the first time I've done lights in tandem with a video operator. The client wanted an array of beams on horizontal trussing above the booth for certain, and there's going to be multiple retro-style video screens. The video operator is a friend of mine, so I can just talk to him beforehand. Would you have any advice about how to work well with that?

 

[gafftaper]

I would suggest finding a song you really like in a concert video and then reverse engineering the lighting. Design a rig that will produce the same look in a visualizer. Then program it.

 

[almorton]

Something you'll find if you use more advanced console software is that grouping fixtures allows you to do things like fanning and other coordinated effects that are just a massive pain to do with a basic controller.

 

[almorton]

I light shows at a volunteer theatre (What used to be called am-dram). Our stage is fairly small - about 8m by 6m - so doesn't need a lot of fixtures.

My 1st show was Treats, not one that I lit particularly well TBH, and most of the scenes were fairly evenly lit indoors looks, using about 25-30 fixtures in fairly warm but neutral colours. One scene though was Anne sitting in a high back leather chair flicking through the tv channels, and I lit it with one almost straight on light in o/w at about 30%, one from the left in warm (L162) at about 15% and a single back light in cold (L201) at about 70 % and it worked so well as a contrast to the fairly flat and even other scenes.

 

[Lynnchesque]

What light board/control software do you use? There is a reason most big edm shows are run on GrandMA, and it's not just for the added universes.