Comments on: Stage Lighting Systems – Lighting Rig Anatomy

By: Callum

Callum — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:10:14 +0000

Hi im 15 and currently am the AV manager at the school.i also work at locak performance with lighting and sound my main problem is i have a jester board and have alot of diffrent lfloods etc and four moving heads the way theve set up the moving heads is stupid and i have to control the moving heads with the wheels is there a way of recording the movment of them heads savingthem into a channel and letting the channel play like a chase?
Can anyone help ?

By: Michael C

Michael C — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:40:31 +0000

Very very good and very funny.

By: Rob Sayer

Rob Sayer — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:50:19 +0000

Hi Terry, glad you like the site. I think that there are a wide range of attitudes in all genres of show business. I have personally come across plenty of big name actors and classical musicians who seem to think that their worst enemy is the paying public. And also seem to think that technicians are not there to help them create their best performance.

Deep down, in the profession, people respect others, their roles and talents. Usually, gags about the “turns” getting the way of the set/lighting or spoiling the sound, are pretty light hearted. Just like the ongoing rivalry between the lampies and the sound department.

I am not sure about practical short lighting courses available at the moment. I was beginning to put some together myself before I wound up lecturing full time. It is something I have had interest in from drama groups etc. and would consider putting together a few days at a venue of their choosing.

By: Terry Swoffer

Terry Swoffer — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:39:08 +0000

Hi Rob, Thanks for interesting stuff, great site… Having directed and acted over a number of years, and helped out rigging lighting at times I have often found there is a real ‘them and us’ attitude from technical staff, which is a shame. Actors admire the talents of the techical staff (although that may not be obvious sometimes) but in some circles (including professional!) I have found the attitude of some lighting staff is that everything is alright if it wasn’t for the Director, actors and audience! Which is a shame! Don’t let this site fall into that trap please.

To try to end on a more positive note, I would love to get more involved ‘up front’ so can you give any info where part time/spare time basic practical lighting courses are available? I booked for one locally but it was cancelled ‘due to cutbacks’.
Thanks again
Tez

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:33:56 +0000

I love this article, it is so true. I am the head lighter at a highschool with an overly expensive lighting system (150 dimmers /250 channels).

By: Joan

Joan — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:27:43 +0000

Awesome! Thank you so much Matt!

Joan

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:31:41 +0000

Hi Joan,

Did you mean PAR64 by any chance? If so then it depends on what you want to do with your lights to be honest but a good rule of thumb for hanging lights is so that they point at 45 degrees to what you are trying to light. So if your lights are, for example, 3m above the stage then you would do well to set them back from the middle of the stage by 3m. If you light from straight above your actors or performers will have no light on their fronts. If you hang them too far back then you will blind your performers and you will have a lot of spread of your lights. Don’t forget that you could do with some safety bonds if your pole ends up over the audience (well you should have them anyway to be honest).

Finally, in my experience, the building will often have a say in where your lights can go – you need something structural to hang them from. Good luck.

Matt

By: Joan

Joan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:15:05 +0000

I have built a 9 foot platform stage. I am lighting the stage with par 46 can lights. I will clamp them onto a pole and hang it from the ceiling above the stage. Where exactly do I hang this pole? Is it flush with the apron of the stage? Should I hang the pole for the lights a foot away from the edge of the stage? I’m really clueless. I’d love some help.

Thank you so much!

joan

By: Gaz

Gaz — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:11:38 +0000

Brilliant article! Rob has a great way of writing and the articles on this site are straightforward, informative and interesting. I’ve been “playing” with lights since the late sixties and OMG how things have changed! An old f**t like me has trouble keeping up with the technology but On Stage Lighting helps, thank you. (Anyone remember kicking sticking channels on a Strand Grand Master or using a bit of wooden batten to fade all to blackout on a Junior 8? lol. Ahh, those were the days……… hmmm, perhaps not!!)

Regards to all, Gaz.

By: nick

nick — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:31:22 +0000

I like that last bit. When ever we are assembly and a camera is there we all pull on balaclavas. Over the coms there is the notice turn that camera off. Techies don’t get seen herd or any other contact with the outside world that stage master said.