A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2nd Edition

The Focus Session

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381

Depending on the relative trims of the electrics

and the borders, it may be necessary to cut the shut-

ters even more. If light is hitting the back of a bor-

der, it should be shuttered to eliminate that spill.

Although some light may be lost, it will prevent light

from bouncing off the back of the downstage bor-

der, onto the next border upstage of the electric. Not

shuttering the light would reduce the effect of a clean

black environment. More than that, however, it’s also

a matter of safety.

Shelley’s Golden Rule: Cut

Light off Close Combustibles

Sometimes instruments are hung in locations so tight

that the units are close to soft goods or other objects

that can burn. Flame-retardant products can be

applied to fabric to reduce the chance that the heat

from an instrument could start a fire. In addition,

several different fabrics that are constructed of heat-

insulating material can be draped between the instru-

ment and anything combustible.

As the lighting designer, you shouldn’t have to

worry if the hanging location of the instruments is

close to soft goods or scenery. From a perspective

of time management, however, it’s wise to watch

for these potential problems. Unnoticed, fixing fire

safety issues can later consume time that was sched-

uled to complete electrical tasks. Setting the trims

can be delayed when the electrics have to be low-

ered down to the stage so heat-resistant material

can be tied to the batten. Worse yet is losing focus

time while the focusing electrician ties heat-insulat-

ing material to the batten in the air. If there’s no

material to insulate the instrument, it may be neces-

sary to rehang the unit, the electric, or just turn the

instrument off.

In addition to the heat of the instrument itself,

the heat of the beam coming out of the unit can be

intense enough to start a fire. As such, beams splash-

ing on soft goods close to the instrument can not

only be a visual distraction, they can, more impor-

tant, be a potential fire-starter. Overhead sidelight,

downlight, backlight, and boom sidelight are all sys-

tems that may require an additional shutter cut to

be certain there’s no chance that their beams could

make the masking smolder. During the focus, be

aware of this hazard and address it. Never allow

carelessness on your part contribute to a disaster.

If you’re not convinced, look up any of the num-

bers of tragedies involving fire in the history of theatre.

It’s sobering, and often the fire’s cause was eventually

traced to a thoughtless person. As a member of the

theatrical community, matters of fire safety should be

burned deep in your mind. As one of the people in

Figure 12.30 The Focused Overhead Sidelight Pools After Shuttering

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1 PIPE #2

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4 PIPE #2

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PORTAL R

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4 LEG R USR QUARTER

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