Theater lighting

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Stage lighting in the ceiling of the auditorium ( Theater Bielefeld )
Stage lighting at the proscenium ( Theater Bielefeld )
Stage lighting on the upper stage ( Nationaltheater Mannheim )

Theater lighting is the art of lighting plays in all branches of the theater. It operates (apart from the open-air theater ) exclusively with artificial light , the daylight-free space is one of the basic requirements for theater.

history

Originally a craft activity that was carried out with oil lamps , later gas lighting ; after the introduction of the electric lights, the number of theater fires decreased considerably.

In the course of time, an increasingly complex control technology for the headlights was developed, and the signal boxes (today “ light mixing consoles ”) in theaters were finally computerized.

Lighting parameters

Direction of light

  • Front light (approx. 45 ° to the object axis)
  • Skylight (approx. 60 ° to the object axis)
  • Head light (approx. 0 ° to the object axis)
  • Back light (approx. 60 ° to the object axis)
  • Side light (from a height of approx. 3 meters, approx. 45 ° to the object axis)
  • Alley light (0-3 m height)
  • Footlight ( spotlight ): The ramp of the theater stage is the foremost raised edge of the stage floor, which has a row of lamps concealed in the direction of the audience . The spotlight is mainly used to illuminate the stage and the actors in the foreground .
  • Horizon light / background light (possible from below and above)

Bulbs

Type of scattering or focusing of the light

Color of light

With colored filters that are placed in front of the light source, the light can be colored differently or z. B. soften or neutralize the color of a lamp. Filters are available in every imaginable color today. If numerous different colors are desired during a theatrical performance, one either uses different attachments that can change several color foils ( " color changer ") or mixes the desired light from lamps with different foils (color mixing). The blue-white-yellow series is often used in classic lighting for natural lighting. In principle, all colors can be mixed with additive and subtractive color mixing. For some years now there have also been spotlights that are computer-controlled and automatically generate the desired color, so-called "color changers" or - if their movement is also motorized - " moving lights ".

In today's headlights, LEDs are increasingly being used, the color mixing of which is usually generated using red, green and blue LEDs. In addition, white, amber-colored ("amber"), UV-colored or lime green LEDs are often added in order to better achieve the desired color values. A common lens is then usually placed in front of the individual LEDs, which homogenizes the light image and adjusts the beam angle accordingly.

Another possibility is to work with a white light source, especially in the case of very powerful LED headlights in moving lights and pursuit lights, the color of which is then generated by color wheels, as was common before the appearance of colored LEDs.

brightness

The brightness is regulated by dimmers or - in the case of non-dimmable lamps - by specially controlled attachments with lamellas or panels .

projection

The light can be shaped in various ways by means of attachments. These include:

  • Light stencils, called gobos , which either create shaped points of light (stars, lines, etc.) or structures (leaves, points) and, depending on the application, achieve particularly artificial or natural-looking effects. Gobos are usually thin metal disks from which the shape to be projected has been lasered out. Glass gobos are also common, with which colored images are then possible.
  • various moving materials, e.g. B. yellow-red-colored cloth flaps, which are set in motion by fans in front of a ramp, create a rather old, classic flame effect.
  • Slides (mainly large-format slides in the 18 cm × 18 cm format), e.g. B. projected onto a back prospect can replace entire stage paintings. Various effects such as water, fire and cloud projections can also be created relatively easily in this way. Film scrolling devices can move the background projection so that a dynamic scene effect is created in the auditorium.
  • Film projections, either traditionally on foil, but now increasingly using video projectors ("beamer").

Moving light

Spotlights can be moved to highlight actors moving on stage from a darker environment or to create effects. One example is the classic pursuer , a headlamp operated by a lighting technician that is controlled by hand. Computer-controlled, positionable spotlights ( scanners , moving heads ), which can be completely programmed for an entire evening at the theater and controlled via DMX signal, are also increasingly used in the theater, as they can illuminate many positions with a single device and also project colors and patterns . If the stage design changes, devices no longer have to be set up again by hand.

Professional practice

At the theater and the opera, the lighting master is responsible for the technical operation of the lighting technology (there are often other hierarchical levels); the "lighting" with the illuminators is part of the technical staff of the house. Often the lighting design is designed and managed by a (sometimes external) light designer belonging to the artistic team . The designer is assigned or equated with the set designer . The theater lighting technician can now choose from a variety of spotlights and illuminate the stage from almost any starting position.

Idioms and aphorisms

  • to be in the spotlight = to be the center of public interest
  • "Anyone who is in the spotlight has trouble recognizing the audience." (Walter Ludin [* 1945], Swiss journalist and book author)

literature

  • Max Keller, Johannes Weiß: The fascination of light. Light on stage. 3rd, revised and updated edition. Prestel, Munich et al. 2004, ISBN 3-7913-3235-X (indispensable specialist literature for lighting designers with the history, theory and practice of theater, opera, concert and event technology ).
  • Marie-Luise Lehmann: lighting design. Manual of stage lighting in Germany and the USA. Reimer, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-496-01252-8 (textbook on the theory and practice of theater lighting in Germany and the USA).
  • Jiří Ort: Let there be glowing light. 125 years of electric theater lighting in Brno. Doplněk Publishing House, Brno 2007, ISBN 978-80-7239-215-5 .

Web links