How to Set Lighting

Lighting is one of the cardinal design elements of any theatre production. Lighting is almost more important to a stage show than a set or costumes. You can produce a stage play with virtually no set or costumes, but you can't perform a play in the dark. Good stage lighting goes beyond mere illumination of the stage, however. It is a primary component of mood and can be used to underscore and shape action on stage.

Things You'll Need

• Script
• Scaled floor plan of set design
• Scaled plan view of circuit positions
• Vellum drafting paper
• Circle template in the same scale as your plans
• Lighting instrument template in the same scale as your plans
• Ruler
• Gel swatch book

Instructions

1. Determine the given circumstances of each scene in the play. Note any need to convey location, time, seasons, etc. Every scene should be evaluated in this manner and plotted on a spreadsheet divided by acts and scenes.

2. Discuss your notes with the director. There may be special lighting effects on the director's wish list. Add these notes to the spreadsheet.

3. Talk to the set and costume designers about their creative contributions. Lighting can dramatically mar or enhance a set or costume design scheme with colors, patterns, shadows and intensity of light.

4. Take an accurate count of your lighting instruments. Create a menu of these instruments.

5. Overlay a vellum (transparent) copy of the dimmer position plan on top of a floor plan of the stage and set. Make a copy of this combined plan.

6. Place a clean sheet of vellum drafting paper over the combined plan. Using a circle template, divide the stage into a number of 10 foot or 12 foot diameter lighting areas, labeling these areas A to Z.

7. Determine where you can position lights for the best effect and in the most efficient manner. Draw the position of the lighting instruments you'll need, relative to the available dimmer positions, using your instrument template. Ensure each lighting area is lit from the front and/or left and right sides, and from the top. As you use an instrument, check it off your menu. Include any special effects that were on the director's list.

8. Label each instrument with a number and other codes according to type of instrument, lamp wattage, gel color, ciruit, dimmer and accessories.

9. Review your design plan to be sure you've achieved all your goals. Have the director and technical director each approve the final plan.

Tips & Warnings

• Make several blue-line copies of the finished light plot for technicians to use as they hang and focus.

References

• "The Lighting Art" by Richard Palmer, 1993
• "Scene Design and Stage Lighting" by Parker, Wolf and Block, 2002
• Stage Lighting Plan Process

Resources

• Lighting Design Templates
• Gel Color Swatch Book
• Lighting Design Interactive CD