A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2nd Edition

356

●

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO STAGE LIGHTING

overhead sidelight, then lower the curtain to the deck.

Once the curtain’s in place, the side shutter cut can

then be used as a signpost for the remainder of the

instruments in the same system.

Sometimes the main curtain has to be used as the

acoustic damper instead. Depending on air currents

and current trims, though, the descending main cur-

tain may strike the side shutter of the signpost instru-

ment. If this happens, it may very well change the

signpost line line cut. To avoid this, the common tactic

is to hold one’s hands up to the shutter cut while stand-

ing upstage of the curtain, and hold that pose while the

curtain descends. If the curtain knocks the shutter, no

matter. Once the curtain’s in place, place spike tape at

“hand height” on the curtain to signify the light line

shutter cut, and proceed with the focus of the sidelight

system. Not anticipating the need for this downstage

light line signpost can be most embarrassing, since it

may then be necessary to raise the fire curtain in order

to establish the first downstage shutter cut.

Shelley’s

Note s

Shelley’s Notes:

General Focus

On the day of focus, I’m more aware of my wardrobe.

By wearing a light-colored shirt I provide the focus-

ing electricians with a higher contrast target to be

able to determine the relative location of the hot spot.

While focusing, I often wear a baseball cap. Other

than the fact that it protects my bald head, the visor

can be used like a barndoor. Looking into a boom side-

light to see the beam edge, for example, often requires

holding your hand in front your face to shade your

eyes from the source of the instrument. Using the visor

as a “hand,” I’ll merely tip my head down slightly, so

that the visor of the cap blocks the source of the light.

Without being blinded, I can see where the scallop of

light or the shutter cut is hitting the floor.

When I check a system wash for blending, I don’t

use my hand. I’ll walk between the focus points, and

look at the blend of light on white paper attached to

a clipboard, or the back of the light plot. I’ve found

that “dips” in intensity are much easier to see on

white, rather than on flesh.

If focus cues aren’t used, it still makes good sense

to reactivate the channel of the last focused instrument

in that same system to compare beam edge placement

or barrel softness. For example, after the first electric

has been focused, activating channels 21 and 22 simul-

taneously brings up the lavender pipe ends on both the

first and the second electric. This allows you to match

the softness and beam edge location for channel 22 to

channel 21 on the stage. If the matching beam edges

aren’t shuttered, this can reduce the task of positioning

the hot spot to merely making certain that the second

electric’s instrument is positioned in the middle of the

opening. If the beam edges aren’t supposed to match,

on the other hand, seeing channel 21 will still allow

the comparable barrel softness to be checked, along

with the upstage/downstage blending between the two

instruments.

There are times when using props can expedite

a focus and reduce the lighting designer’s physical

labor. Any inanimate object can be placed as a sign-

post to define a focus point or a cut line. As an exam-

ple, when the first frontlight is focused, I’ll note where

the shadow of my head lands on the stage. While the

focus of the first instrument is being completed, I’ll

place a stool, a bucket, or a roll of tape where each

head shadow will land. This eliminates the need to

move to each focus point, and I can concentrate on

the blending or shaping of the instruments.

Sometimes, there are just not enough props avail-

able to temporarily mark the stage. When there is no

scenic stack in place, a shoe placed on each upstage

quarter line gives the FOH electricians a visual sign-

post to refer to for the top cut, and reduces the amount

of time I spend standing with my hands above my

head screaming “cut the top shutter to my hands.”

If the theatre doesn’t have enough clutter to be used

as focus props, I occasionally end up disrobing bit-by-

bit and leaving parts of my clothing around the stage.

Although this may reduce the amount of effort on my

part, these actions don’t go unnoticed by clever car-

penters who have screw guns and too much time on

their hands. This becomes apparent when you finish

the focus, walk to your shoes to put them back on,

and discover that they’ve been screwed to the stage.

Shelley’s

Note s

Shelley’s Notes:

Focusing More Than One Position

Occasionally, the combination of having enough skilled

electricians, lifts, and support are such that it becomes

possible to focus two lighting instruments, from two

different locations, at the same time. On the other

hand, the schedule may be running short and it may no

longer be viewed as a luxury but a necessity instead.

While the activity’s the same, it can be met with two

different mindsets. If you sense that the electricians are

on your wavelength and you’ve got support, having

the opportunity to focus twice the lights in the same

amount of time means the entire crew might be able

to break sooner for the night. If you feel like you’re

pulling everyone along, on the other hand, it can be

an energy-sucking experience. Either way, if this plan

is being seriously considered for an extended portion

of the focus process, an analysis is warranted to define

the amount of support that may be required.