Once the designs are created, the production work begins. In the following pages, you will find the process by which the design is implemented, both by the lighting designer and the electrician's shop. The production process typically takes place in several stages:
- Lighting Hang,
- Focus,
- Pre-cueing or Levels and
- Technical and Dress Rehearsals.
"Programming light board" by KeepOnTruckin - Own work. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Programming_light_board.jpg#/media/File:Programming_light_board.jpg
The Head Electrician
I want to take a moment to talk about the position of Head Electrician (sometimes referred to as 'Master' Electrician). Once the Lighting Designer hands off the finished design to the shop, it is the responsibility of the Head Electrician to execute that design.
Some of the Head Electrician's pre-tech responsibilities include:
Some of the Head Electrician's pre-tech responsibilities include:
- Calculate what the execution of the design will cost, and budget for purchases and rentals
- Arrange for purchase and rental of fixtures, expendables, etc.
- Plan out how to route cable and networking for fixtures to receive power and data
- Coordinate with other department heads in order to schedule work calls for Hang, Focus, and Cueing, once the installation period begins.
- Coordinate and supervise Hang calls, in which fixtures are all installed, circuited, tested, etc.
- Patch the fixtures into the lighting console according to the Designer Plot and Paperwork
Hang
The Hang Call is when the electrics staff installs all lighting fixtures, color, gobos etc. into the theatre according to the designer's specifications. The shop will also circuit all of the lights (plug them in), address any DMX fixtures, and patch the addresses to the proper channels into the lighting console and test the rig to assure that the patch is correct, all fixtures have working lamps, etc. If the designer has prepared the plot and paperwork properly and completely, there is usually no need to be present for this part of the process (though in some cases, you will find that the company or venue expects you to be there- usually because their experience is that the designer usually does not prepare the plot and paperwork properly and completely).
Because this website is primarily interested in the designer's responsibility, I will not go into the specifics of the hang process. However, it is crucial that the designer understand what happens at this call in order to properly and efficiently prepare the design materials. The best way to learn this is to be a part of an electrician crew. It is not necessary for a Lighting Designer to be an experienced electrician, but it sure makes it easier if you are.
For a very good rundown on the process of the hang, please review the information on the Stage Lighting for Students website from Jeffrey Salzberg and Judy Kupferman.
"Hanging stage lights" by KeepOnTruckin - Own work. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_stage_lights.jpg#/media/File:Hanging_stage_lights.jpg
Because this website is primarily interested in the designer's responsibility, I will not go into the specifics of the hang process. However, it is crucial that the designer understand what happens at this call in order to properly and efficiently prepare the design materials. The best way to learn this is to be a part of an electrician crew. It is not necessary for a Lighting Designer to be an experienced electrician, but it sure makes it easier if you are.
For a very good rundown on the process of the hang, please review the information on the Stage Lighting for Students website from Jeffrey Salzberg and Judy Kupferman.
"Hanging stage lights" by KeepOnTruckin - Own work. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_stage_lights.jpg#/media/File:Hanging_stage_lights.jpg
Focus
The Focus call is when the designer specifies where each of the lights is pointed, how sharp or fuzzy the edge of the beam is, and the placement of shutters. In many cases, this is the first time that the designer and the electrics staff interacts. Depending on the venue, and the Master Electrician's preferences the process may be different, and it is important for the designer to be flexible in the process. Again, good preparation on the part of the designer will help lead to an efficient Focus call. However, the flip side is that without careful attention to each fixture (in order to quickly move through the rig) the result is often that fixtures need to be cleaned up in notes later in the tech process.
My focus process:
When focusing, it is important to use consistent body language and hand signals. In loud environments, or very large theatres, it is useful to be able to focus the lights using body language predominantly, without speaking.
In an ideal situation, the focus call will shape up something like this:
Of course, due to schedule, budget and other considerations, "ideal" situations are sometimes hard to come by. It is common, for example, to need to focus in less than total darkness, as carpenters or scenic artists are finishing work during focus. In these situations, the flexibility of the designer is key. But keep in mind that every compromise made may increase the need to clean up the focus in notes sessions.
A few focus tips:
No show is worth the life of a stagehand.
My focus process:
- The electrician or an assistant will let you know what channel is being brought up, and the light will be brought to full.
- Identify on your magic sheet and/or paperwork the purpose of the light and the location on stage of the light's focus.
- Assure that all shutters are pulled out (ERS). I also usually prefer to start with a sharp edge. Sometimes this requires pulling the color if frost is installed in the light. For Fresnels, I will often have the light spotted all the way down (smallest) to begin focus.
- If using a Zoom ERS, get the size of the beam roughly correct before pointing the instrument. Tell the electrician to take the beam "smallest", "biggest" or "mid-way". Further adjustments will happen later. PARs should be rotated to be in the proper orientation. "Turn the Lens" or "Spin the Bottle" are common commands.
- Stand in the center of the lighting area with your back to the electrician. The electrician will focus the center or the hotspot of the beam on the back of your head. If you are using conventional halogen fixtures, watch for the hotspot, make minor adjustments to the focus, and when the shadow of your head is right in the center, say (loudly) "Good" or "OK- Lock It". The electrician will tighten the bolts to lock the light in place and then say "Locked". LED fixtures usually have a flat field of light, so there is no apparent hotspot. In this case, the intensity of the light is fairly even across the whole field of light. Place yourself in the center of the beam of light, and walk around the space to make sure it is lighting up the area that it needs to.
- Next, any size adjustments should be made. For Fresnels and Zoom ERS, adjust the beam to its preferred size.
- If using frost, put the color back in (if it isn't already). If not using frost, at this point run the edge (ERS) to the preferred sharpness. A common way to ask for this is to "run the barrel". Moving the lens tube (barrel) in will have a different effect than moving it out. Figure out which way gets the edge the way you like it in each system, and be consistent throughout the system.
- Next is to adjust the shutters or barn doors. Use the shadow of two hands to show the electrician the line of each shutter. When all shutters are properly adjusted, the light is done and you can move on to the next one. A funny joke is when you're using a PAR without barn doors to demonstratively declare "NO CUTS".
When focusing, it is important to use consistent body language and hand signals. In loud environments, or very large theatres, it is useful to be able to focus the lights using body language predominantly, without speaking.
In an ideal situation, the focus call will shape up something like this:
- The focus session should be performed at a time that no other production activities are happening in the space.
- All of the work lighting should be out, in order to help the designer see exactly what the beams of each of the lights is doing. Encourage the electricians to work with headlamps in order to leave catwalk lights out as much as possible.
- As a designer, you should try to get used to focusing systems of lights 'out of order'. It is much more efficient to focus lights from one end of a hanging position to the other, rather than skipping from unit 1 to unit 5 to unit 10 to unit 15 because they are all part of the same system, and then returning to unit 2.
Of course, due to schedule, budget and other considerations, "ideal" situations are sometimes hard to come by. It is common, for example, to need to focus in less than total darkness, as carpenters or scenic artists are finishing work during focus. In these situations, the flexibility of the designer is key. But keep in mind that every compromise made may increase the need to clean up the focus in notes sessions.
A few focus tips:
- Most crews have more than one electrician focusing lights. You might have two electricians in FOH catwalks, one on a genie doing overstage lights, and one on a ladder focusing booms. Try to rotate through each of these electricians (or assure that the ME or Assistant calling the focus does this). This does a couple things: First the electrician is able to get set up at the next light while you're working with another light. Second, it keeps them from falling asleep. Every designer has forgotten about one of the electricians at some point- that's not the best way to have an efficient focus.
- Look at systems together. While you are focusing individual fixtures, you should also bring up previously focused lights in that system in order to make sure that they blending properly together.
No show is worth the life of a stagehand.