The 4 elements of lighting design include:

● intensity

● distribution

● colour

● movement.

Lighting design interacts with the actors, set design and costume design as a mechanism through which we can develop mood, atmosphere, focus, rhythm and energy to drive meaning and engage the audience.

Watch the video Lighting fundamentals with lighting designer, Lincoln Gidney.

Using colours can transport the audience into new worlds through light. It is an immensely powerful tool in eliciting emotions and highlighting themes within a production.

Write a list of emotions and ideas associated with the following colours:

• red

• blue

• yellow

• purple

• green

• pink

• orange.

Activity: With a partner, pick one of the colours above and describe a short scene that would feature this coloured lighting.

Minimalism or a moment of darkness can be profound in establishing meaning.

A single spotlight can be incredibly engaging for the audience.

The use of a silhouette or shadow on a character can convey a character trait or internal conflict.

Shape and shadow influence lighting design by working in tandem with the performances to highlight significance and drive meaning.

What do you want to see?

Bringing the lights up on the stage draws the audience into the world of the play and brings their attention and focus to specific stage spaces as required.

Manipulating focus and changing the direction of light helps define the meaning of what is lit.

Atmospheric effects - some of the atmospheric effects used are:

Dry Ice - Is frozen Carbon Dioxide. It creates a heavy low lying ‘fog’ that will flow downstairs. Dry Ice is not used as often now as it is dangerous, there is a risk of suffocation if people breath too much of it. Heavy fog has replaced it in many places.

Haze - Is a fine mist that is suspended in the air for a period of time. It cannot be seen except when there is a beam of light projecting through it. Television studios use a lot of haze.

Fog - A fog machine projects dense cloud of ‘smoke’. It is used to show the beams of light and to create more colour on stage.

Heavy Fog: A heavy fog machine uses a chiller to cool the fog down so that it stays low to the floor, rather than rising through the air like regular fog. It also uses a different fog fluid to regular fog machines.

Lasers - (Light Amplification by stimulated Emission of Radiation) produce a very high energy beam that remains parallel throughout its length.

UV Light - Ultraviolet Light: Also called UV or Black Light is a short wave light which makes certain material fluoresce (Glow in the dark effect).

Strobe -

Watch the video 'Lighting fundamentals applied' with lighting designer, Lincoln Gidney, to further apply your knowledge and understanding lighting moments.

Take notes with reference to the annotated examples below.

Key questions when understanding lighting design:

• What can I see?

• What effects are being used?

• What do they make me think?

Apply your knowledge to the images Lincoln has included by answering the questions on the video.

You can choose to either pause the video as you watch it or refer to the images below following the video to answer the questions.

Pick a moment from a scene or a text you know or have been working on.

Analyse the meanings within the specific moment.

Create a design that incorporates all the ideas you have just learnt about.

• How can focus, colour and shape impart meaning?

• What can you add to the scene through lighting?

Also consider:

• How you can add meaning to this moment through a lighting design?

• Is there a moment in the scene of particular importance?

• Are there parts of the stage the audience should be looking at?

• Is there a prevailing emotion or atmosphere that needs to be imparted?

Choose 3 contrasting moods or emotions.

Create a lighting profile to express each mood.

• What elements influence the mood of the moment?

• How might you develop mood quickly in a production?

Also consider:

• How shadow, silhouette or colour can be used to create a specific atmosphere?

• How can you create and evoke emotion through lighting design?