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direction/angle |
The direction of the light is based on two points in space: The point at which the instrument is hung and the point at which the light reaches the stage. Carefully consideration of these factors by the designer can determine visibility of the actor, depth and detail of the scenery, as well as other areas such as given circumstances and mood.
Systems are most often described based on the direction or angle that the light reaches the stage. If an actor is standing on the stage facing the audience, and a light hits her from the front, it is Front Light. Likewise, if that light is pushed off to the side of the front of house lighting position, therefore hitting the actor from a diagonal, rather than straight on, it is a Diagonal Front Light. And so on. Occasionally, though, we may describe the light based on its position. This is most common for lights that are on the floor rather than above the stage. Dance uses a lot of side light- so much that simply calling it 'side light' is not descriptive enough. So Dance sides are often described based on the position on the boom: Shinbuster or Shin for the light at the bottom (named in honor and memory of countless bruises on the lower extremities of dancer and stagehand alike), Mid and Head High for lights hung higher.
See the images below for a rough equivalent of what each of these angles may look like:
Systems are most often described based on the direction or angle that the light reaches the stage. If an actor is standing on the stage facing the audience, and a light hits her from the front, it is Front Light. Likewise, if that light is pushed off to the side of the front of house lighting position, therefore hitting the actor from a diagonal, rather than straight on, it is a Diagonal Front Light. And so on. Occasionally, though, we may describe the light based on its position. This is most common for lights that are on the floor rather than above the stage. Dance uses a lot of side light- so much that simply calling it 'side light' is not descriptive enough. So Dance sides are often described based on the position on the boom: Shinbuster or Shin for the light at the bottom (named in honor and memory of countless bruises on the lower extremities of dancer and stagehand alike), Mid and Head High for lights hung higher.
See the images below for a rough equivalent of what each of these angles may look like:
Front lightFront light is specifically in the rig to provide visibility for the actors. Lights are hung in the Front of House positions: catwalks, truss or beam positions over the heads of the audience, and pointed at the stage so that actors can be clearly visible to the audience.
So the advantages are clear- with front light, the actors on stage can be clearly seen. However, the downside is that too much front light tends to flatten out the three dimensional shapes (including the actors). In other words, front light does a lousy job sculpting objects in space. So designing with front light is always a balancing act: use enough front light to make faces visible, but balance that front light with enough other angles to make the actors look like 3-dimensional objects.
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Top/back lightLights hung above and/or behind the actors on the stage is valuable to create the environment around the actor. Additionally, depending on how the designer chooses to use these angles, it is also a good way to shape the actors, give them depth and to pop them out from the background.
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Side Light
Side light is also very useful in giving shape to the people on stage. Side light hung on overhead battens are called "High Sides", while side light hung on booms are sometimes called "Low Sides" or "Dance Sides" (even when used in non-dance productions).
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other common angles
These angles (specifically pertaining to the actors) are a very good start when thinking about lighting direction, but the direction of the light is ultimately defined by the infinite possibilities of places you as a designer can place an instrument. Here are a few more common ways to use the element of direction in your design:
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The McCandless Method
Early in the 20th century, Dr. Stanley McCandless- who was a design professor at Yale University published a couple of books about lighting. A Method of Lighting the Stage has been used as a reference for hundreds of lighting designers since that time, and is a good start when creating 'realistic' lighting designs.
The basis of Dr. McCandless's system is a system of diagonal front lights arranged 45° forward from the subject, and 45° up in the air. If one of these front lights is colored with a warm color filter, and the other is in a complementary cool color filter, the designer is able to achieve a good facsimile of 'natural' lighting. Adding in additional lights from top, back or side directions, this remains a popular method to light the stage. |
The High Sides Method
One of the major weaknesses to the McCandless system is that it relies so heavily on front light that it is sometimes difficult to provide enough other angles to really sculpt the actors. Therefore, another way to approach lighting has become more popular. The thinking is to not begin from the front, but from the sides. Because actors are not always facing front, high side lights help to light actors' faces well in many situations. By lighting the actors with high side lights, and then using just enough front light to fill in the shadowy line that tends to appear on the forehead and nose of an actor, the designer can achieve good visibility and good dimensionality in the same three point system.