@The Arts Unit Creative Classes – Lighting fundamentals

@The Arts Unit Creative Classes

Lighting fundamentals

Develop knowledge and skills in the basic technical elements of lighting

Student VET entertainment resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 11 and 12 VET entertainment

What will I learn?

You will:

explore elements of electricity and safety when working with lighting
identify the basic principles of a lighting system and equipment
experience stage lighting procedures, processes and documentation
discover colour mixing and basic lighting design
apply knowledge and understanding of production lighting elements
complete a lighting design and operate the lighting for a production.

Before you begin

Welcome to Lighting fundamentals.

Lessons 1 and 2 explore lighting equipment, procedures, processes and documentation.

Lesson 3 has further extension activities directed at VET entertainment students.

They have both theoretical and practical components for you to complete.

Equipment you will need to complete the practical class components:

lighting fixtures – incandescent and LED, if available
lighting accessories
DMX cables
lighting bars, truss or rigging equipment
lighting console – hardware or software.

Working with electricity

Electricity terminology

Electricity flow is called a current.
The size of the current is determined by the wattage of the lamp.
Electrical appliances are measured in watts (the higher wattage = more current).
Pressure in electrical circuits is called voltage or volts.
240 volts = common AUS/UK voltage in electrical appliances.
The measurement of the current-carrying capacity is ampere or amp.
Electricity resistance is the opposition to the current flow in a circuit.

Ohm's law

The relationship between voltage, current and resistance is known as Ohm's law.

The principle is that Voltage = Ampere x Resistance (V=IR).

Calculating power

When working with lighting, understanding electricity and how to calculate power usage is essential.

Power is dangerous. Knowing how much power each lighting fixture uses, as well as how much power is available to you in a circuit, is vital to working safely with lights.

The amount of power that is available is an important constraint on lighting design due to the number of lights and their brightness. It is vital lighting designers and technicians understand how much power can be used safely.

Electric circuit diagram: lantern - power source through electrons

Ohm's law triangle

Single-phase and three-phase power

Electrical currents are distributed in various ways. When working in lighting, there are 2 common phases used:

Single-phase power carries the voltage through 1 conductor – as seen in the diagram as 'Phase 1'. This is the standard phase of a general power outlet (GPO) or power point.
Three-phase power carries voltage through 3 conductors rather than a single phase. This means that the larger power supply is constant and a more efficient means of supplying electricity. This is used for providing power to a lighting dimmer rack.

3-phase AC power waveform

Tri-phase power outlet

Lighting terminology

Special spot lighting

'Macbeth' – NSW Public School Drama Company Production 2019

Lamp or lantern – the stage lighting fixture that is made up of two simple components, a globe and a lens to determine the type of light it is.
Light accessories – additional equipment added to a lamp to create a specific lighting effect.
Lighting design – the creation of the atmosphere through lighting for a production, considering visibility, safety and the budget.
General wash – used for general purposes, it is desirable to provide what are called ‘washes’ of light. Washes are general, unfocused light designed to evenly light a certain area of the stage.
Specials or specific lighting – many times it is desirable to accentuate certain portions of the stage with light. This can have a very dramatic effect, but also can be used subtly.
Cyclorama lighting – a cyclorama is a large curtain or wall, often concave, positioned at the back of the stage behind the rear black curtains. They are useful as a screen for a colour wash or projection of gobos – they make an effective canvas for the lighting designer.
Scrim lighting – a scrim is a very specific seamless material – sharkstooth scrim. They can be used almost anywhere on the stage, rather than being relegated to the rear like a cyclorama. Scrims can be used to create silhouettes as they can be lit as translucent or opaque.
Pattern projection – projecting a light pattern on the cyclorama, stage floor or set through various lighting techniques, including the use of gobos. A gobo is a thin, circular plate with holes cut in it to create patterns of projected light.

Red general wash

'Yerma' – NSW Public School Drama Company Production 2018

Silhouette lighting

'Animal Farm' – NSW Public School Drama Company Production 2016

Pattern projection

'Yerma' – NSW Public School Drama Company Production 2018

Lighting equipment

Go to Lighting equipment

2. Lighting procedures and documentation

Go to Lighting procedures and documentation

3. Lighting design

The 4 elements of lighting design include:

intensity
distribution
colour
movement.

To learn about the fundamentals of lighting design and how lighting design is used to convey meaning, you can also complete the Creative Class – Lights Up!

Lincoln Gidney, from The Arts Unit, will take you through a series of activities to understand the basic principles of lighting design.

Go to Creative Class – Lights up!