Transcript Stage Lighting Fixtures

Stage Lighting Fixtures
Brandon Anderson
www.bdanderson.com
Jan 16, 2006
Instrument Classes Pt.1
• Wash / Flood fixtures
– Usually open-face (no lense)
– Provide a broad, soft beam of light
– Normally used for color washes or fill light
– Instruments:
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Scoop (Ellipsoidal Reflector Floodlight)
Borderlights
Cyc Lights
Broadlights
Other open-faced lights
Instrument Classes Pt 2
• Spot fixtures
– Produce a controlled, narrow beam
– Most often use a lense
– Used for area or special lighting
– Instruments:
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Fresnel Spot Light
Ellipsoidal Reflector Spot (ERS) Light
Parabolic Aluminized Reflector (PAR) Lights*
Followspots
Others (beam projectors, etc)
Scoop
• Technically Ellipsoidal Reflector
Flood
• Beam width depends on size (8”16” common)
• Open face with elliptical, white
reflector.
• Produces soft, broad light
• Ideal for color washes and soft fill
light
Border Lights
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Multiple-lamp strip
Used as color wash or cyc lighting
3 or 4 circuit, 6’-8’ long common
May use PAR, MR16, or R type lamps
100-1000w lamps common
May use class filters called Rondels
Cyc Lights
• Modern replacement of borderlights for
cyc lighting
• Special reflector can light a parallel plain
evenly if placed at top or bottom
• Provide even wash light of cycloramas and
drops
• Usually hung from batten and placed on
ground (ground row)
• Come in multiple “cells” and configurations
Broad Lights
• Produces square, even beam of light
• Some may allow beam width to be
adjusted.
• Used for color wash, fill, or backlight
• More common in film and video than
theatre
Floodlights Cont.
• Exceptions to the rule:
– PAR38/FL (standard flood light)
– PAR56 or 64 WFL or XWFL
• Wide beam PAR used for color wash
• Also used for Batten Ends (High Sides)
– R40 (standard flood light)
• Similar to PAR38 but frosted and white reflector
• Produce softer light than PAR38
Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight
• Produces hard-edge, focusable beam
• Shutters allow for framing of beam
• May be used to project steel patterns
(gobo), color patterns on glass (glass
gobos) or color images on dichroic glass
(lithos)
• Evenness of field depends on lamp
position within reflector (bench focus)
• Long through makes them suitable for
FOH applications.
• Labeled by either beam spread (26 deg) or
lens width by focal length (6x12)
Next Generation ERS
• ETC Source 4, Strand SL, Altman
Shakespeare, Silicone Pacifica
• Use dichroic glass reflector to maximize
visible light while removing IR and UV
radiation that burns through gels and
gobos
• Use new, high performance lamps
• 575w is equivalent to 1K older instruments
Fresnel Spotlight
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Oldest instrument still in use
Uses Fresnel lens to focus light
Uses a spherical reflector
Terribly inefficient (less that 50%)
Distance between lamp / reflector and lens
determines beam width (adjustable)
• Produces soft light
• Medium through suitable for overhead use
Parabolic Aluminized Reflector
• Sealed beam lamp contains filament, envelope,
reflector, and lens all in one package
• Most efficient instrument available
• Wattage dependent on size (max PAR64 1000w)
• Beam dependent on lens
• Durable, weather resistant
• Most common outdoor fixture
• Elliptical beam optimizes light use.
PAR Lamps
VNSP (Very Narrow Spot)
NSP (Narrow Spot)
MFL (Medium Flood)
WFL (Wide Flood)
Next Generation PAR
• Contain separate reflector, lamp, and lens
• Beam can be changed w/o replacing lamp
• More versatile, but also more fragile and
not weather resistant.
• May be used w/o lens for XVNSP beam
similar to beam projectors
• Intended for stage use only
Followspot
• Long through instrument mounted on mobile
stand
• Operated during performance to follow
performers
• Usually contains multiple filters on a
“boomerang” or a DMX controlled color wheel.
• Most have zoom and focus capabilities.
• May contain additional iris, top/bottom shutter,
and douser (mechanical dimmer)
• Most use HID lamps.
Improvised Followspots
• City Theatrical produces accessories for
Source 4s:
– Handles mount on instrument body
– Iris goes in gate
– Boomerang box fits gel slot
– Special stand-mounted yoke
• Intended for short through use only.
Spotlights Cont.
• Exceptions to the rule:
– Beam projectors use parabolic lens and front
reflector to produce soft, narrow beam of light
(think Batman). These are obsolete and not
common. Size determines beam width (12” or
more common).
– There’s a fine line between spot and flood
fixtures if there is no lens. Beam projectors
may be listed as either, even though the beam
is narrow.