The Art of Lighting Design Part II
By Stephen EllisonIn Part I we discussed the first step in starting a design, which encompassed analyzing the script to determine the needs of the production based on the story. In discussions with the director and scene designer you can find out how the production will be produced.
I am currently working on designing a musical production called "I Have Seen the Light". This production will not have any speaking parts other than a Narrator. There is not a single script to work from. I have been provided with a scene script, a narration script and, a score. The scene script can be used to develop the lighting script that will be the basis for the design. Later I will combine the Narration script and the score into one working script to cue the show. Now let's review the design.
On the scene script page shown in this article, you can see where I have set down my interpretation of the mood, location, and key lighting. Also I have listed when I need control of an area or single fixture.
Now that I have scripted the design and have been provided with a scene design, it is time to find out what the limitations are. Until you know and understand your limitations you cannot begin to translate your concepts into reality. In this article, we will discuss the first two limitations listed below.
Limitations:
· Physical Space and Structure
· Set Constraints
· Available Power
· Available Dimming and Control
· Available Fixtures
· Setup Time
· Manpower for Setup
· Manpower for Running Crew
Physical Space and Structure
The physical space for most Christian productions is in a church. In older churches, the structure was not designed with theatrical presentations in mind. The standard hanging positions in the theater are not to be found in a church. You will need to be creative in finding ways to hang fixtures. In some cases you can have a company rig hanging positions that are either temporary or permanent.
A word of caution about suspending anything over the audience's head. Have the work done by a reputable company that specializes in rigging for theater. They will know the proper methods and safety factors to use, they will ask to have a structural engineer check any points that will be supporting heavy loads. The last point to remember is that they should be fully insured and trained to perform this kind of work.
The church that I am working in has no existing places to hang fixtures. However it does have a solid beam structure that can support the rigging of lighting truss. As you will see in the plot I will be hanging 3 positions, 1 FOH and 2 over stage.
In most cases you will have to use a ground support method to create positions. This can be done with pipe and base or lifts that can support lighting truss. Ground support presents two drawbacks that need to be considered. The first is the physical element; a lift has a vertical element that will be visible. You can hide this with drape or scenic pieces, but never eliminate. The second drawback is height limitation. You will generally not be able to achieve the best lighting angle as specified in the textbooks. My answer is, a flat angle is better than no angle.
The hardest position to create, but the one never to forget is from the back of the stage. This position is used to provide backlight. Backlighting prevents your actors from looking two-dimensional. This is also where you place fixtures to light the shadows. A shadow on-stage is not always completely black. When setting levels I always start with the backlight and work my way to the front lights, saving the faces for last.
Set Constraints
If you are lucky, the set designer will provide you with a set of plans that are to scale. With these plans you can draw in your lighting positions in both plan and side views. At this point you can plan the angles that are available and the ones that are blocked by set pieces. On the other hand it might be that the available lighting positions do not allow you to light a portion of the set. Both of these problems will need to be discussed with the director and set designer, at the same time if possible. Among the three of you a solution can be reached.
If you do not have a set of plans, then a meeting in the space with all design members will suffice. At this meeting be sure to discuss all aspects of the show, from script, blocking, set, and lighting. One easy way to run this meeting is by talking through the script scene by scene.
Your task is to describe where the lighting will come from (positions), and what you can and cannot do. I recommend having this meeting even when you do have a set of plans. A walk through now of all aspects of the show in the space can sometimes be very enlightening. Concepts that worked on paper do not always work in reality. Just remember this meeting could take several hours, make sure everyone knows this in advance.
In the next article we will discuss electricity and power. I will try not to get too technical, but there are some very important concepts that you will need to understand. Electricity is not something to take for granted! I will also include drawings of the set for the musical to give you a clearer idea of what I have to work with.
Stay tuned!
