Stagecraft: Scenery & Lights Midterm

What are the different flaws in wood?

Checking (splits inside the wood)

Cupping (Wood w/ curve to it)

Wane (cosmetic, can’t support weight)

Warp/twist (uneven/not straight)

Bow (long curve, occassionally useful)

Bend (knot creates curve)

What are the 3-sides for dimensional lumber?

End(endgrain), Face, and Edge

What are the traits and types of soft wood?

• can scratch easily

• not treated (typically)

• Fastest growing

• Pine, Fir and Spruce (S.P.F)

What are the traits and types of semi-hard wood?

• Scratch w/ pressure

• poplar, and ash

What are the traits and types of hard wood?

• Can’t scratch

• slowest growing

• walnut, maple, and oak

What is stock scenery?

Moduar scenery that we keep, typically an even measurement

What is the difference between Radial and tangental grain?

Radial is parallel grain and is more likely to split while tangential is more rounded/arch-like

What is one board foot?

144 cubic inches

What are the ACTUAL dimensons of a 2” x 4”

1.5” × 3.5” (length always 8’)

What is pilot bitting and what is it used for?

Drilling a hole before the screw to keep the wood from splitting

What is the difference between structural and non-structural sheet goods?

Structural can be used to top a platform SAFELY while non-structural is more flimsy

What are some examples of structural sheet goods?

• OSB/Chipboard

• Plywood

• Particle board

• MDF

What are some examples of non-structural sheet goods?

• MDF (medium density fiber-board)

• Luan

• Masonite (“maso”

• Sound Board

• Homosote

• Celtex

What is a scrim used for and how does it work?

Scrim is a type of fabric used for vanishing effects. Lighting it from the front makes the material appear opaque while lighting from the back makes it appear transparent.

What are some fabrics used in theatre?

• Muslin

  • used for flats

  • Allowance to paint directly on it

• Velour

  • used for curtains

• Duvetyn

  • like velour but cheap

What are some types of plastics?

• PVC

  • doesn’t like paint

  • comes in sheets and colors

• ABS

  • Designed to take pressure

  • rigid

• Acrylic/Plexiglass

  • Scratches easily

  • can weld

  • purchase by volume

What are the 4 things all scenery should be?

1. Safe

2. Sturdy

3. Cheap

4. Lightweight

(FOAM)

What are some different types of metal?

• Mild steel

  • welds easily

  • strong

  • needs speacial tools

• Aluminum

  • maleable (no bend)

  • lighter/weaker than steel

What is Brazing?

Using a 3rd metal to weld two metals together

What is joinery?

How we build and put together 2 pieces of wood

What is this?

Butt Joint

What is this?

Miter Joint

What is this?

Mortise and Tenon Joint

What is this?

Dowel Joint

What is this?

Rabbet joint

What is this?

Dado Joint

What is this?

Lap Joint

What is shearing force?

force applied perpendicular to something

What is tension?

Force applied that is pulling

What is compression

Force applied that is pushing

What are the different parts of a bolt?

Head, threads, and shank

What is the difference between carriage bolts and hex bolts?

Carriage bolts have a round head and should only be used for wood, hex bolts hold better and can be used on many different materials.

When should you use a bolt instead of a screw?

To avoid any movement

What is a flat head machine screw?

A screw that is used like a bolt

What are the 2 parts of a brad nail?

Head and shank

What are some types of adhesives?

• PVA (polyvinyl acrylic)

  • Elmer’s glue/wood glue

• Paste: flour/water (paper mache)

• Liquid Nails (Brand name)

• Epoxy

  • 2 part adhesive

  • expensive

  • strong but rigid

  • Small projects

• Spray Adhesive

  • DO NOT INHALE

  • glue in aerosol can

• Great stuff (brand name)

  • foam to fill gaps in housing construction

  • good hold unless tension

• Hot Glue

  • breaks down in time

• Contact Cement

  • glue that sticks to itself

What is the difference between Elmer’s glue and wood glue?

Elmer’s glue has a weaker hold than woodglue but can work well with water and is cheap.

What are the 4 primary functions of a lighting designer?

• Provide visibility

• direct focus (show audience where to look)

• Time of day

• set the mood

What are the 6 controllable properties of light?

• Angle

• Color

• Intensity

• Quality

• Movement

• Distribution

What are the 3 proscenium positions?

• Chandelier (up in the air)

• Footlights (low/front)

• Ladder (on side/hung)

What does ERS stand for and why is it different from other lights?

• Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight

• 2 focal points & only one with shutters

what are the 4 different types of reflectors?

• Spherical

  • ½ circle

  • Light bounces everywhere

  • in scoop/fresnel

• Parabolic

  • Photons in titght package

  • coherent beam

  • in PARs

• Ellipsoidal

  • ERS/some schoops

  • 2 focal points

• Combination

  • in cyc lights

  • curve shape

  • light more down than straight up

what are the two types of moving lights?

• moving head

• moving mirror (light bounces off mirror)

  • can only pivot so much

How many DMX addresses are in one universe?

512 addresses

Happens to voltage after long runs and how does it impact the lights?

The voltage is lessened by the end and the lights will be dimmer

What is the difference between a control circuit and a power circuit?

A control circuit uses electricity to tell something to DO something

A power circuit uses electricity to POWER something

What is the difference between soft and hard patching?

Soft patching assigns an address to a channel in the computer while hard patching is physically plugging a circuit into a dimmer

What are Volts?

the difference of electrical potential b/n 2 points of an electrical current

What are watts?

How much energy/power is used

What is resistance?

A ratio of the degree to which an object opposes an electric current passing through it?

What is a conductor?

Something that easily transmits electricity (i.e. metal)

What is an insulator?

something that does not transmit electricity easily (i.e rubber, distilled water)

What are amps?

The amount of electrical charge per second

What are the two forms of electricity in the U.S?

DC (direct current)

AC (alternating current)

What is phased power? And what is the difference between 3-phase and single phase power?

Phased power is power with more hots that has more energy and force

2 hots - single phase

3 hots - 3-phase

what are the colors for hot, neutral, and ground wires?

Hot: Red, blue, and black

Neutral: White

Ground: Green

What is a fuse?

• Cheap/replaceable

• melt and break the circuit

• Must be replaced

What is a circuit breaker?

• Can be split up

• Hot and Neutral wires for each

• Trips (turns off) when overloaded and comes back on when that load is taken off

• Phase power with connected breaker switches

• Thermal: Trip if too hot

• Magnetic: Trip at changes in electrical potential

What does West Virginia stand for and what is it used for?

Watts = Volts x Amps

Equation for Capacity (so you don’t overload the circuit)

What is break strength?

the weight at which things break (rated for X pounds)

what is the safety factor?

How to de-rate something (lower rate)

Typically 1-8 ratio

What is the working load limit?

The number you get by putting safety factor on break strength

What is a static load?

• system at rest (unmoving)

• can get away with a smaller safety factor

what is a live load?

a system in motion

What is a shock load?

Sudden force applied to a system

What are some types of ropes?

• Twist

  • tape ends to keep from untwisting

  • can use lighter to melt ends of synthetic ropes

• Braided

  • Expensive

  • STRONG

  • Not typically used in the theatre

  • used in mountain climbing

• Braided Sheath

  • long fibers - sheath over those fibers that holds/protects them

  • Dynamic (stretch)

  • synthetic

How does dirt affect rope?

can stiffen the rope

What is mechanical advantage?

(hint: teeter totter)

Distance traded for power

What is torque?

Power applied in a circular fashion

How does a single purchase counter weight system work/move?

For every 1 foot movement of the arbor, the baton moves 1 foot

What is a thimble?

Holds the aircraft cable and prevents kinks

What is a nico/ferrule/compression fitting/what does it do?

The aluminum/copper part that holds the loop/end of the aircraft cable

What are shackles and quick links use for?

To connect scenery through aircraft cable/thimbles

What is a fleet angle?

The change in angle of an aircraft cable

What is a good knot?

Easy to tie/untie and does not reduce the breaking strength by more than 50%