Spike definition theatre Pc#
Spike definition theatre series#

Offstage a bit (move the beam towards the nearest wing).Onstage a touch (move the beam of the lantern towards the centre of the stage).On Me (centre the beam on the head of the lighting designer).Spot that (make the beam as small as possible).

Spike definition theatre series#

The lighting designer (who should be on stage, walking around and looking at the effect of the light from the audience and on stage), gives a seemingly bizarre series of instructions to the focusser: It’s extremely helpful if the designer says ‘This is the next part of the general cover, following on from the last one’ or ‘this is a backlight on the downstage chair’ or ‘this is the front light on the throne for the finale’, the focusser can get ahead. The focusser should try to understand what the lighting designer is aiming for, with each lantern, so that this can be approximated, and then just tidied up by the designer, rather than having to describe every movement in great detail. This will make your eyesight ineffective for a while. Use your shadow as a reference to see where the light is, not by staring into the beam.

The lighting designer should not face the lanterns when focussing.

Never move equipment in darkness – keep the previous lantern on until they’re in position for the next one.įocussing using a Tallescope – Greenwich Theatre, UK

Use working lights on stage to move the access equipment around.

Do not turn the lantern on until the focusser is in position and ready (to avoid the lantern over-heating, and reducing the chance of the lamp blowing if knocked while hot).

If the lantern has been on for a while, any sudden movements may cause the filament to break, wasting time (and money).

Spike definition theatre Pc#

A focus knob on a Fresnel or PC may be directly moving the lamp inside the lantern. Don’t start with a huge beam and cut it down with barndoors and shutters. Start with beam as small as it goes, and widen it to do the job you need (and no more).If you have to use too much force to undo / move a focus knob, you risk jolting the lantern which may cause the lamp to blow once it gets hot. Make sure you can move the focus knobs before the lantern is turned on – loosen them in preparation for focussing each lantern.Ensure the safety bond and cable for the lantern are not snagged or will not prevent the lantern from moving to the required position.Check every lantern has a suitable safety bond.Wear gloves (to protect against heat) and carry a suitable spanner (attached to a safety lanyard so it cannot drop) to ensure the lanterns are tightly secured in place.Do not try to focus from underneath the lantern. Ensure your ladder or access equipment is positioned so you can focus from behind the lantern.During the Lighting Rig, the crew should have left everything ready to focus, with barndoors open, shutters out, and lanterns pointing roughly in the right direction.But it’s also likely they’ll want it refocussed. It’s possible the director will move the chair into the light (rather than requiring you to refocus). If the position isn’t yet agreed (or needs the directors’ input) just do a quick rough focus.

You only want to focus the special on the chair once. Before starting:Įnsure you have a time slot on stage where you can turn the working lights off and when no other work is taking place.įocussing has to take place in darkness, with no other distractions.Īsk the stage management team to mark all locations where you need specials. Vertical movements (tilting) are achieved by undoing the tilt lock knob, usually on the side of the lantern. This is usually achieved by slightly loosening the bolt. Horizontal movements (panning) are achieved by rotating the lantern relative to the clamp used to hold it on the bar. So, it’s very important to be gentle when using focus controls on Fresnels & PCs – if the lamp is hot, it can easily be damaged with a jolt / knock.īeam Position: All generic lanterns can be adjusted to move the beam around the stage, as required. With profiles, the focus knobs move the lenses, and the lamp remains fixed. With Fresnels and PCs, the focus knob is used to move the lamp and reflector relative to the lens (which remains fixed). If you have automated lanterns, you don’t need to focus them by hand! First Things Firstīeam Size: Generic lighting equipment (profiles, fresnels, PCs) will have at least one control on the lantern to make the beam bigger or smaller (and with profiles, harder and softer edged). The following assumes a rig of generic (non-automated) lanterns. This is the key process which transforms a rig of lanterns into a series of creative tools perfectly arranged and set for the event.