LIGHTING 101

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LIGHTING 101)
Willow Creek Arts Conference 11 June 2009
John Weygandt
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GAME PLAN

• Identify the basics
• Assess your reality
• Diagram price a simple lighting system
• Design lighting positions into your reality
• Lighting tips techniques

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The 4 Objectives of Stage Lighting

• Selective visibility
• Revelation of form
• Composition (including focus)
• Mood
• (Aim at 4 and youll probably miss 1-3.)

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Assess Your Reality

• Rate yourself
• HI MEDIUM LOW
• ?????????????????????????????
• My services have good visibility.
• ?????????????????????????????
• 2. My visibility standard includes selectivity.

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Assess Your Reality
Rate yourself HI MEDIUM LOW ??????????????
??????????????? 3. My lighting directs focus
appropriately. ????????????????????????????? 4.
My lighting directs focus intentionally.
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Assess Your Reality
Rate yourself HI MEDIUM LOW ??????????????
??????????????? 5. My lighting supports the stage
action.
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Assess Your Reality
Rate yourself HI MEDIUM LOW ??????????????
??????????????? 6. My lighting enhances
worship. ????????????????????????????? 7. Others
agree.
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Assess Your Reality

• Rate yourself
• HI MEDIUM LOW
• ?????????????????????????????
• My lighting is distraction-free.
• ?????????????????????????????
• 9. My lighting is like a painted canvas.

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Assess Your Reality

• Rate yourself
• HI MEDIUM LOW
• ?????????????????????????????
• My team understands the vision-
• They get it and theyll work hard for it.
• ?????????????????????????????
• No one on my team feels alone.

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Assess Your Reality
Rate yourself HI MEDIUM LOW ??????????????
??????????????? 12. My LDs are open to
constructive criticism. ?????????????????????????
???? 13. I am open to constructive criticism.
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Assess Your Reality
Whose job is it to improve each of these
ratings? Whose job is it to carry the lighting
torch?
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A Simplified Lighting System
Dimming
Distribution
Power Feed
Fixtures
Console
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Where does it all go?
Dimming RACK large closet, cooled to
72º Dimming PACK near Power Feed, usually
backstage
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This is a Willow dimming rack

• Conduits in/out
• Stationary, permanent
• 2 Dimmers in a pair module

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• This is a dimming pack
• Portable, temporary
• Multi-cables out to circuits

Power feed in through cam-loks
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• Distribution- to LTG Positions
• Circuit box

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• Connector on fixture
• Stage pin connector preferred

Hot Ground Neutral
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Where do my lights go?
Side View
35- 40front
60- 70 back
NOTE These are angles to the POSITIONS.
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Where do my lights go?
Plan View (top) 35-40 is to the Position, not
fixture.
B
This angle is 35-40 up.
NOT this angle
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Where do my lights go?
Plan View (top) Only ONE light
B
Draw YOUR front of stage
B
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Where do my lights go?
Plan View (top)
Background surface
B
A
C
B
A
C
A
C
B
B
A
C
Draw YOUR front of stage
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Where do my lights go?
IDEAL
Background surface
B
A
C
B
A
C
A
C
B
B
A
C
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Where do my lights go?
With less than ideal conditions?
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Where do my lights go School cafeteria?
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Where do my lights go?
Cafeteria
Option 1 Truss on hoists
Stage
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Where do my lights go?
Cafeteria
Option 1 Genie Lift w/ hand crank
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Where do my lights go?
Cafeteria
Option 2 Lighting Trees
Stage
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Where do my lights go?
Cafeteria
Option 2 Lighting Trees
Stage
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Where do my lights go in a school auditorium?
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Where do my lights go in a school auditorium?
New question Not where do they go, but how do
we work with the school?
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Where do my lights go in a hotel ballroom?
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Where do my lights go in a hotel ballroom?
New question Not where do they go, but how do
they mount?
Google Airwall hanger
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Airwall hanger kit
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Where do my lights go in a church?

• Apply the ideal to fit the architecture (note
  fixture color)

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What kind of lights?

• FRONT lights
• Ellipsoidal shutters better optic control
• BACK lights
• Fresnel softer, w/ size control
• PAR not as smooth, but less

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Which ellipsoidal front light?
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Which ellipsoidal front light?
Actual Beam Distance, fixture to
face 14-18 50 ellipsoidal 21-28 36
ellipsoidal 31-37 26 ellipsoidal 35-41 19
ellipsoidal 45-60 14 ellipsoidal 65-88 10
ellipsoidal
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Which back light?
This is a fresnel.
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Which back light?
This is an old-style PAR.
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(PAR lamp)
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Which back light?
This is an ETC Source Four PAR.
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Accessories
This is a PAR with color scroller.
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Accessories
PAR with tophat- reduces lens flare
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Which back light?
Actual Beam Throw, fixture to face 10-15 6
fresnel or PAR wide lens 20 8 fresnel or PAR
medium lens 35 PAR narrow lens This assumes
bright stage light 7-10 acting zone area.
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Basic System Prices (6 Lighting Zones- approx.
25w X 15d)
12 ellipsoidals 3600 6 fresnels 2400 4
PARs (backing color wash) 600 6 floor-PARs
(backing) 900 Dimming 4500 Control
3000 Install 6000 TOTAL /- 21,000
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Lighting Design Tips

• Hold your art loosely
• Try the unexpected or unorthodox
• Learn neighboring arts
• Read trade magazines texts
• Look the best books have tons o pics
• See concerts plays
• Attend lighting trade shows LDI
• Study DVD concerts

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Lighting Design DVDs to study
I asked 4 major concert LDs All of them
commented how different the video lighting was
from concert lighting. 4 videos showed up on more
than one list Pink Floyd- PULSE Peter Gabriel-
GROWING UP Shania Twain- LIVE IN CHICAGO Britney
Spears- LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS
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Lighting Design Tips

• Hold your art loosely
• Try the unexpected or unorthodox
• Learn neighboring arts
• 4-6. Read/ Look/ See
• 7. Attend lighting trade shows LDI
• 8. Study DVD concerts
• 9. For effective night blue, add a practical

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Lighting Design Tips

• Hold your art loosely
• Try the unexpected or unorthodox
• Learn neighboring arts
• 4-6. Read/ Look/ See
• 7. Attend lighting trade shows LDI
• 8. Study DVD concerts
• 9. For effective night blue, add a practical
• 10. Aim lights at mannequin heads

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One Final Reminder
Whose job is it ?
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