Theatre 160 Quiz 2

What are the objectives that lighting design aims to achieve?

Visibility, Selective Focus, Modeling, and the creation of mood

What is selective Focus?

Making one part of the stage brighter than the rest.

What is modeling?

The revealing of the form of an object through the pattern of highlight and shadow.

What are the 4 properties that can be controlled to create specific lighting?

Distribution, Color, Intensity, Movement

What is the Distribution of light?

The direction light approaches something, the shape and size of the thing that it is covering and the quality of the light

What is colored light used for?

To enhance the actors face or to color wash the entire stage to match the mood.

What is intensity?

The brightness of light

What does brightness depend upon in theater?

The number of light sources, their type and size.

What powerfully affects the impression of brightness?

Contrast

What adapts as the brightness on stage changes?

The eyes of the observer

What can be done to avoid the audience adapting to the brightness of the light on stage?

Creep up the intensity when a scene needs it.

What causes visual fatigue?

Too much light or glare, too light little or too many rapid changes of intensity that tires the observer.

What is visual perception?

The amount of illumination needed to allow an object to be clearly seen.

What are the 3 general categories that movement can be divided into?

The time duration of the light cues, the movement of on stage lights (example: lanterns or candles), and the movement of an off stage light source (example: Followspot).

Which of the 4 properties of light can be altered either quickly or slowly?

Distribution, Color and Intensity

Do all shows have the same amount of light movement?

No

Using the main scenic ground plan how does the lighting designer divide the stage?

The lighting designer divides the stage into acting areas of approximately 6 to 10 feet depending on the size of the theater and the height of the tools above the stage.

Where should you start when it comes to selecting acting areas?

Downstage

Why is downstage center the most important acting area?

It will be used the most by the actors

How should you draw acting areas?

Using circles slightly overlapping by a foot or two.

What do you do after drawing an acting area in the center part of the stage?

Move on to the left or right

What should you do after drawing acting areas for downstage?

Continue upstage

What should you do after drawing all of the acting areas?

Assign each area a set of area lights.

Where is the best place for a front light to be?

45 degrees vertical, when looking downstage center

Does only one area get front lights?

No, all of them get one.

What do front lights do?

Create highlights and shadows on your facial features.

Can you have 2 front lights per area?

Yes, and they would be 45 degrees horizontal to each side.

What does having 2 front lights per area do?

Provide more coverage, better highlights and shadows

What do back lights do?

Give performers depth and make them stand out

Where are back lights usually located?

Directly upstage of the center of the acting area, about 20-25 degrees vertical

What are high side lights used for?

Further modeling and increased color options.

Where are high side lights located?

Left and right of the acting area, both 45 degrees vertical

What is color temperature scale used for?

It is used to describe the color being produced by a particular light source.

What type of light does low color temp sources produce?

Amber or pale yellow light

What type of light does high color temp sources produce?

A pale blue light

Do incandescent lamps have low or high color temps?

Low color temps of around 3000 Kelvin

What should be used on incandescent lamp front lights?

Color correctors or pale blue gel to make the lights color closer to white.

Do LED source fixtures need color correction as front lights?

No

What is subtractive color mixing?

Using color filter or gels on light fixtures

What is something that all gels have?

A transmission value

What does the transmission value on gels indicate?

The percentage of intensity that passes through the gel.

Do gels with a high transmission percentage block a lot of light or a little light?

It blocks very little light

Do gels with a low transmission percentage block a lot of light or a little light?

It blocks a lot of light

What gels get burned through or consumed in a shorter amount of time?

Darker and more saturated colored gels

What is clear gel called?

Diffusion

What does diffusion do?

It scatters light, which creates a soft edge

Does diffusion change the color of a light?

No

What is used to blend area lights together?

Diffusion

When does additive color mixing occur?

When 2 differently colored lights are shown on the same object and make a new color.

What are the primary colors?

Red, green and blue

What is the first thing the lighting designer does in the production process?

They read the script several times and write down notes and ideas

Who does the lighting director meet with in order to formulate a production concept?

The director, the production manager and fellow designers

What makes up production concepts?

Individual department design concepts

Who does the lighting designer meet with to discuss available equipment, budget, scheduling and anything else?

The lighting department head

What is the paper work that a lighting designer generates?

A lighting plot, and the corresponding info and instructions

What will the lighting head and others do with the paper work generated by the light designer?

They will acquire and prepare all the equipment and accessories needed.

What does the master electrician and the crew of electricians do before the show?

The install the fixtures and accessories.

What is a ring out?

When the lights and accessories are tested

How does the lighting designer make sure all the lights are focused?

By having the lights aimed at them

What is preprogramming?

Programming the groundwork into the lighting board that they will need later for rehearsals.

Is cue to cue required?

No, it is optional

What is cue to cue?

An on stage run through of only the techincal elements of a production

What is a tech rehearsal?

The first time the actors rehearse on stage with all of the technical elements.

Is tech rehearsal a fast or slow process?

Slow

What does the master electrician and light board operator do during a performance run?

Maintain the lighting design by repairing and replacing equipment including gels

What is changeover?

Taking down fixtures for a previous show and replacing them with fixtures for a new show

What is stage management's basic responsibilities?

Know the show, Make sure the show runs smoothly, Communicate with everyone, Solve problems quickly, Set the tone/attitude for the entire production, Be diplomatic, honest, and flexible

Are there usually 2 stage managers for a show?

No, there is usually only one

What is a stage manager?

The person who is in charge of the stage management team and delegating responsibilities

What does the stage manager manage?

The rehearsal process, tech, and calls the show

What is assistant stage manager?

Someone who assists the stage manager and acts as an extension of the stage manager.

What does the assistant stage manager manage?

The deck during tech and performances

Who is in charge of the audition process?

The stage manager

What are the 3 parts of the audition process?

Auditions, Callbacks, and Casting

What does the stage manager need to do during the audition part of the audition process?

Figure out what material auditionees will audition with, Make sign up forms, Pick time slots and control the check in table.

What does the stage manager do during the callback part of the audition process?

Distribute the callback lists, Provide copies of sides, and pair people up for scenes/duets

What does the stage manager do in the casting part of the audition process?

Make the cast list/ proof and post

What is prep week?

A time where the SM team is brought on board one week before the first rehearsal, so that they can do their prep work.

When is a contact sheet made by the stage manager?

During prep week.

What is on a contact sheet?

Everyone involved in the production with their email and phone number.

Are children put on a separate contact sheet then adults?

Yes

Does the stage manager read the script?

Yes, a few times

What is a production analysis?

A document created by the Stage manager to help learn the play backwards and forwards.

What format is a production analysis usually created in?

A table format

What is a scene breakdown?

A chart that tracks what actors are in what scenes. Everyone can look at this.

Is a scene breakdown helpful for actors?

Yes

What is a prop list?

A list of all the props in show in chronological order.

Who should the stage manager go over the prop list with?

The props master

Who does the block production calendar go to?

Everyone that’s a part of the show.

Who makes the block production calendar?

The stage manager

What is on a block production calendar?

What is happening each day before and during the shows

Does the block production calendar include a lot of details?

No

Why would the stage manager meet with scenic designer?

Discuss the groundplan and model, so that the stage manager knows all about the design.

Why would the stage manager meet with the costume designer?

To discuss renderings, costume tricks, wigs, and shoe quick changes.

Why would the stage manager meet with lighting designer?

To answer questions about show flow/ locations

Why would the stage manager meet with sound designer?

To get it a list of sound effects for rehearsals.

Why do stage managers sometimes meet with PR?

For actor photos if the show requires them, and interviews

What are ways that the rehearsal studio is preped?

By taping out the floor and setting up the room.

How do you tape the floor of the rehearsal studio?

Determine (0, 0), Plot points on the ground plan (x and y coordinates), and transfer points to the studio floor and connect the dots.

How do you set up the studio?

By sweeping and mopping, building rehearsal pieces, and providing different types of supplies for rehearsal (like snacks, first aid kits, etc).