Theater

A well-known principle in the theater is that if a mirror must appear on the stage, handling it with care is important. This isn't to fend off the threat of seven years of bad luck but to avoid...

Of all the elements in a theatrical production, lighting may be the most important. While it's possible to do a play without a set or intricate costumes, you will not be able to see your actors...

While professional stage lighting equipment is more affordable than most people would imagine, there are situations where building your own lighting equipment "from scratch" is necessary. Homemade...

Almost all types of theater facilities have some kind of permanent hardware in place for the positioning of lighting. How lighting instruments are installed on this equipment is a vital artistic...

Whether you are designing the lights for an off-Broadway musical, or simply creating a set of cues for your local community theater, the alteration and manipulation of stage lights is crucial for...

The world of stage lighting can be a promising and fascinating field. But you cannot walk into the door and find work right away. Employers will expect you to know what you are talking about and...

Whether a theater is a "black box" or "found space" facility, an older auditorium about to undergo a major renovation, or a brand new professional theater in the initial design stages, few...

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...

Theatrical lighting illuminates the stage so the audience can see the performers, but it does a lot more. Lighting serves an invaluable role in accentuating the mood of the play, enhancing the...

Schools and organizations with auditorium performance spaces eventually will need to replace outdated lighting equipment with modern, sophisticated fixtures. Retrofitting auditorium lighting...

Theater production designers have been manipulating the way lighting instruments illuminate the stage about as long as controlled lighting has been a part of theater history. What began as a...

Adding a lighting package to your band's show will improve your professional image and your showmanship. While professional light kits are available for less than $300 at many theatrical equipment...

While a great number of texts may exist on stage lighting, from those of Stanley McCandless and Steve Shelley, to "The Stage Lighting Handbook," oftentimes experience alone remains the best...

Whether it’s your dream to design the lights for a Broadway musical, or just create a basic light plot for your local community theatre, there are a basic set of tools that can get you started.

Storage space for theatrical equipment and materials is always a challenge, especially in crowded conditions backstage or in the shop. But failing to properly store expensive stock items is a...

Stage lighting is a vital component of any performance. Music concerts, theatrical productions and presentations all rely on effective lighting to enhance the experience. Various fixtures,...

Stage lighting is used to make what appears on stage visible to an audience. Through focus, stage lighting can direct an audience's attention to a certain part of the stage, while using a certain...

The dramatic mood and special effects lighting designs required for almost any theater production don't come about by accident; skilled light design artists make a career out of knowing the best...

Choosing the right colors can make a tremendous impact on the mood and ambiance of a stage area. Through a proper selection of the various "warm" and "cool" gel colors, a lighting designer can...

DMX lighting, also known as intelligent lighting, is becoming increasingly popular in the theater and live music fields. With DMX lighting, a technician can control several dynamic aspects of an...

DMX lighting is a digital form of lighting used in theater and live music performances. DMX has evolved into "intelligent lighting" because of the many tasks that new digital lighting can perform,...

One of the most popular programmable lighting effects utilized in large-scale productions is that of the 'shimmer effect'. Providing both an ambiance and aura of magic to a given scene, the effect...

Special effects lighting is fun and easy to do, and can be used at events large and small to give the show a little extra excitement. Special effects lights come in many shapes, sizes and special...

Though it may appear simple, stage lighting design is a complicated process that requires a crew of people to generate. From conception to the show's opening, lighting design requires a precise...

Effective theater lighting does not just involve the lighting effects, colors and shapes you may see during a stage production. Theater lighting also involves lighting the audience and making fine...

Theater lighting is a dangerous profession. Working with suspended, heavy lights in a dark atmosphere with high-voltage electricity poses a number of hazards to your health and safety. Through the...

Lighting adds more to a theater production than just brightness. In addition to helping the audience see the action clearly, theater lighting sets a scene, casts visual emotion and moves the...

Lighting is one of the most powerful special effects at work in modern theater. It is not only necessary for the audience to see the actors, but shapes how they feel about the entire play. Through...

Stage lighting is an integral part of any performance. Whether it's a music concert, play, comedy show, or presentation, lighting enhances the experience. In situations where stage lighting is not...

Theater lighting is not merely a functional technical aspect, but an artistic statement used to enhance the visual and dramatic elements of a stage show. It is designed by experienced artists who...

Lighting for the stage is an unsung art that many people who watch theatre tend to forget about. It is an important effect, creating mood and atmosphere for a piece. Between scenes, lighting will...

Lighting is a vital part of almost any live performance. In most shows, lighting has four basic functions: to make the important parts of the scene visible; to establish a sense of time and...

Since ancient times, patrons have been enjoying the delights of theatre and plays enacted and carried out on stage. The history of lighting for the theater is interesting and innovative. As...

It's a dark, eerie night on the streets of London as the killer stalks his prey. Just as he is about to strike, police searchlights turn night into day and reveal him to his victim. Stage lighting...

In the theatrical world, technical directors are responsible for creating and designing the sound effects, sets and lighting effects for a production. Lighting, especially special effects...

Stage lighting can be very expensive. Fortunately, there are inexpensive options at your local hardware or department store that can be easily retrofitted for stage use.

Dramatic lighting is incredibly versatile. The lighting can focus on an individual while keeping the rest of the stage dark, steadily illuminate a scene or provide a soft glow to a silhouette. ...

Any lighting technician will tell you there is a lot more to properly lighting a concert than just setting up a couple of lights and turning them on and off with the music. Lighting sets the...

Theatre lighting is a complicated task, as different placements, types of lights, intensities and colors all produce different effects. Specific effects can be produced in a number of ways, but...

Stage lighting is something that takes many years to learn to do properly. It's the center of many theater courses. There are many ways to light up a stage for a theater production or a musical...

Good lighting is of primary importance in theater, and one of the elements that most often can make or break stage lighting is the use of color. Even the most seemingly plainly lit scenes use...

Lighting design can be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling jobs in the theater. The designer gets to shape and craft a mood with light. Many times, people remember the lights more than any...

Lighting effects on stage can be created using gel rotators, which have up to 20 different colors of gels available for a single light. See how the mood can be changed with a simple color change...

Stage lights are controlled by an operator who presets the various lighting options for the show, and each light can be made brighter, softer or colored. Understand the function of stage lights...

Lighting design for the theater is based upon changes in music or mood, and there can be as many as 400 lighting cues for any given show. Learn the finer points of designing stage lighting with...

English teachers and community-theater volunteers often end up with the job of lighting an amateur production. A truck pulls up and unloads a pile of black or gray metal instruments, piles of...

The effect of lighting on a theater production cannot be overestimated. With focus, intensity and placement, the same scene could come across as horrifying or hilarious depending on how it's lit....

When it comes to lighting for the theater, it isn't all about visibility. While the visibility of the performers on the stage is an important aspect of theater lighting, lighting in the theater is...

The history of stage lighting and lighting cues in theater dates back to Greek and Roman times. Light has always been an important component for theatrical storytelling, and various lighting...

There are many different ways in which stage lighting can accent an actor's face when used from different angles and directions. These lighting techniques can influence an audience member's...