Drama 16 Stage Lighting

Fall Sunset on Venus

For the fall sunset on Venus, I chose vibrant colors in cyc lighting to mimic the emotions that we feel in fall on earth. I added dark blue top light and lighter side light, reflecting the physical direction of the sun, and the strange shadows you would find on a planet closer to the sun.

2 Front Lights: 23 degree elevation angle, 56 degree side angle, 40% intensity, gel color AP2140, one SL, one SR

2 Side Lights: 0 degree elevation angle, full intensity, gel color AP2140, one SL, one SR

2 Top Lights: 61 degree elevation angle, 25% intensity, gel color RE198, one SL, one SR

1 Top Light: 90 Degree elevation angle, 25% intensity, gel color RE198, one SL, one SR

Cyc Lights-

Bottom: gel color G290, full intensity

Top: gel color AP3800, full intensity

A spring sunrise in New England on Earth

In New England, spring barely exists, as it seems the whole world transitions directly from cold and grey into sunshine. This image depicts a colder spring morning, with the beginnings of some warm colors, and lots of top light to reflect the position of the sun.

2 Front Lights: -19 degree elevation angle, 56 degree side angle, 25% intensity, gel color G985, one SL, one SR

2 Front Lights: 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree side angle, 75% intensity, gel color L009, one SL, one SR

1 Front Light: 54 degree elevation angle, direct front light, 50% intensity, gel color G364

2 Top Lights: 61 degree elevation angle, 25% intensity, gel color AP2140, template, one SL, one SR

Cyc Lights-

Bottom: gel color AP3300, 75% intensity

Top: gel color AP2140, 100% intensity

Noon on a hot summer day on Mars

As Mars is a red, dry planet with no water, the lighting reflects the harsh tones of the environment. The lighting from above washes out the model as though there was no protection between the model and the sun on the ragged, dehydrated rocks of mars.

2 Front Lights: 48 degree elevation angle, 37 degree side angle, full intensity, gel color AP2190, one SL, one SR

2 Front Lights: 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree side angle, 75% intensity, gel color L009, one SL, one SR

1 Front Light: 54 degree elevation, direct front light, 50% intensity, gel color G364

2 Top Lights: 75 degree elevation angle, full intensity, gel color AP7850, one SL, one SR

1 Top Light: 90 degree elevation angle, full intensity, gel color AP6190

Cyc lights:

Bottom: P35900 gel color, full intensity

Top: G335 gel color, full intensity

Winter on Saturn is cold and icy, and not very bright. The grey tones reflect how little light passes the rings of Saturn in the winter, and the figure, mostly back lit, is only on a cold, perpetually dusk-y planet.

One Front Light: 37 degree elevation angle, 56 degree side angle, full intensity, gel color G870

Two Top Lights: 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree back angle, full intensity, gel color AP3500, one SL, one SR

One Top Light: 42 degree elevation angle, 48 degree back angle, full intensity, gel color G987, SL

One Top Light: 48 degree elevation angle, 37 degree back angle, full intensity, gel color G987, SR

Cyc Lights:

Bottom: gel color L202, full intensity

Top: gel color G328, full intensity

1) A Fall sunset on Venus

For a fall sunset I used darker shades of amber and orange, on the low stage right to show the sun’s location in the west. Venus is dry and hot, close to the sun, which is why I chose those colors for the cyc.

Stage Right Side Light

50% White, 56° side angle, 0° elevation angle

40% AP6200, -23° elevation angle, 0° side angle

20% AP2100, -19° elevation angle, 56° side angle

Foot Light

15% White, 37° side angle, -31° elevation angle

Back Light

10% White, 54° elevation angle, 0° side angle

2) Spring sunrise in New England on Earth

For spring, I tried to create the early morning brightness with low side light on stage left, again for the position of the sun.

Stage Left Side Light

33% White, 0° elevation angle 0° side angle

40% AP7850, -23° elevation angle, 0° side angle

20% AP4850, 27 elevation angle, 0° side angle

32% White, 0° elevation angle, 56° back side angle

Front Light

54% White, 0° elevation angle, 56° side angle

45% AP2220, -19° elevation angle, 56° side angle

3) Noon on a hot Summer day on Mars

Mars is famous for its red tint. I used mostly top light for the sun’s location, as well as having an orange-red cyc for the brightness and heat.

Front Light

39% White, 54° elevation angle, 0° side angle

57% AP2040, 48° elevation angle, 37° SL side angle

60% G335, 48° elevation angle, 37° SR side angle

Back Light

25% White, 54° elevation angle, 0° side angle

4) Winter afternoon on Saturn

I wanted a much cooler feeling for Saturn, being the farthest of the 4 away from the sun, as well as being in winter. I tried to create natural looking shadows based on the time, with the sun in a high stage right position.

Front Stage Right Light

70% White, 37° elevation angle, 56° side angle

34% G880, 32° elevation angle, 56° side angle,

38% G343, 48° elevation angle, 37° side angle

Back Light

20% White, 37° elevation angle, 56° back side angle

Fall Sunset on Venus: For this scene, I decided the audience would be the west, so the sun would be setting by them. This led me to put two footlights approximately 45-degrees off-center, one with the gel R96 and one with the gel R21, both at 50%. Since the sun would still leave behind a little light, there is a backlight on the center line, 45-degrees above the subject with an R124 gel also at 50%. Behind the subject, since upstage is the east, the cyc light has both Red and Blue light on top at about 30% and no bottom strip light. This is because the sun is leaving the sky, and the horizon would be the darkest part. On Venus, since it’s closer to the sun, I figured the light from the sun would be fairly bright and in high contrast with the lack of light when the sun leaves the sky.

Spring Sunrise in New England on Earth: This scenario has almost the opposite feel of the last one. The top of the cyc is only light with Blue at 25%, but the bottom is lit with R163 at 31%, R67 at Full, and Green at 12% to create a bright blue sunrise. The subjects are lit from behind in a typical McCandless method (45-degress up vertically and offset 45-degrees from center). One of the backlights has R366, the other with R302, both at full. Four sidelights were also at full, two on each side, with either R366 or R302. Lastly, there is a single footlight with R302 at full. These lights are meant to emulate how a sun rising on a clear spring day would light the subject’s backs and sides first, but would be clear enough to still light their fronts.

Noon on a Hot Summer Day on Mars: Mars is red. So when I thought noon, I thought it would be clear red in the sky (similarly to how the Earth’s sky is blue because of the reflection of the water in the sky). Then I realized on a hot summer day, the heat waves are visible, making things look wavy, so I wanted a gradient effect again. The cyc is lit on top by R19 at 50%, R313 at 75%, R15 at 50%, R13 at 25% and on the bottom by R19 at 50%, R15 at 20%, R23 at 25%. The subject is lit by top light directly above and then two more offset by 45-degrees horizontally. The two lights offset by 45-degrees are at full with the R19 and R09 gels. The center light has the R08 gel at 50%. Since it’s noon, the sun would be directly overhead, and the redness of Mars would reflect a little onto the subject.

Winter Afternoon on Saturn: Well everyone knows the Spheres of Saturn love being in the spotlight. For this scenario, since winter often has that overcast state in the sky, I lit the sky in a gray manner but gave it a cosmic purple tint on bottom. The cyc lights are on top: R304, R163, and R356 at full. On bottom: R39 at 25%. Then, since it is afternoon and the sun would be closer to setting rather than rising, the sphere is lit by a McCandless method system. Two lights with R47 are placed 45-degrees up and horizontally out both at full. Another light is about 60-degrees vertically above the sphere and on center. It has an R04 and is at 75%. Lastly, its back is lit by an R333 45-degrees up on center at 75%. I imagined the space debris would give the sun a purple-ish tint on Saturn. Why? Because space is cool.

Fall Sunset

FALL SUNSET:

Backdrop lit with:

• NC at 25% from above
• L713 at full from above
• AP3180 at 75% from above
• NC at 25% from below
• RED at 75% from below
• GRN at 50% from below

Model lit with:

• AP3180 at full, 17 ft. above deck, 3 ft. SR of model, 8 ft. DS of model, 14 ft. throw, 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree side angle.
• AP 6800 at 25%, 0 ft. above deck, centered on model, 8 ft. DS of model, 10 ft. throw, -37 degree elevation angle.
• AP 6800 at 31%, 12 ft. above deck, 12 ft. SL of model, direct sidelight to model, 13 ft. throw, 27%  elevation angle.
• AP 6800 at 61%, 6 ft. above deck, 12 ft. SL of model, direct sidelight to model, 12 ft. 0 degree elevation angle.
• AP 6800 at 50%, 1 ft. above deck, 12 ft. SL of model, direct sidelight to model, 13 ft. throw, -23 degree elevation angle.

I chose to emphasize the sidelight created by the sun setting in the west. The darker and lighter shades of purple used as toplight on the backdrop are meant to give the feeling of the night sky still illuminated by the setting sun, which, at least in New England, is often purple in hue.

Summer Noon

SUMMER NOON:

Backdrop lit with:

• NC at full from above.
• AP 2140 at full from below.

Model lit with:

• AP1500 at 60%, 17 ft. above deck, 3 ft. SR of model, 8 ft. DS of model, 14 ft. throw, 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree side angle.
• AP1500 at full, 17 ft. above deck, centered on model, direct downlight on model, 11 ft. throw.
• AP1500 at 60%, 17 ft. above deck, 3 ft. SL of model, 8 ft. DS of model, 14 ft. throw, 52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree side angle.
• AP2140 at 20%, 0 ft. above deck, 6 ft. SR of model, 8 ft. DS of model, 12 ft. throw, -31 degree elevation angle, 37 degree side angle.
• AP2140 at 20%, 0 ft. above deck, 6 ft. SL of model, 8 ft. DS of model, 12 ft. throw, -31 degree elevation angle, 37 degree side angle.

High noon in the Caribbean has a white-hot sort of feel to its sunlight, so I used almost pure white downlight (it being noon, when the sun is directly overhead) on the model, with some fill on either side to prevent unwanted shadowing. I thought adding light reflected off the sand would be interesting, so I found a gel that matched the sand color and used it for some footlight.

Spring Sunrise

SPRING SUNRISE:

Backdrop lit with:

• NC at 25% from above.
• AP3540 at full from above.
• NC at 25% from below.

Model lit with:

• R12 at 25%, 17 ft. above deck, centered on model, 8 ft. upstage of model, 14 ft. throw, 54 degree elevation angle, direct back light.
• L143 at full, 17 ft. above deck, 3 feet SL of model, direct sidelight to model, 11 ft. throw, 75 degree elevation angle.
• R4490 at 50%, 17 ft. above deck, centered on model, direct downlight on model, 11 ft. throw.
• L106 at full, 17 ft. above deck, 3 ft. SL of model, direct sidelight to model, 11 ft. throw, 75 degree elevation angle.

I was working with the idea of the model being at the altar, lit mostly by light coming directly in from behind her and from both sides through stained glass, hence the shadows and the saturated colors. It isn’t a naturalistic setup, but I feel it conveys the spirituality of the moment. For a fill of the cathedral itself, I used a pale blue that made me think of the sky on spring mornings.

Winter Afternoon

WINTER AFTERNOON:

Backdrop lit with:

• NC at 80% from above.
• NC at 60% from below.

Model lit with:

• G680 at 40%, 17 ft. above deck, 9 ft. SR of model, 8ft. DS of model, 16 ft. throw, 42 degree elevation angle, 48 degree side angle.
• AP3300 at 75%, 17 ft. above deck, centered on model, 8 ft. DS of model, 14 ft. throw, 54 degree elevation angle.
• AP6200 at 40%, 17 ft. above deck, 9 ft. SL of model, 8ft. DS of model, 16 ft. throw, 42 degree elevation angle, 48 degree side angle.

This was my experiment with the McCandless system: I used complementary colors at opposing (roughly) 45 degree angles in front of the model. I used breakup gobos to give the effect of light coming through the trees, and I added a wintry bluish-white direct frontlight to give the impression of the crisp feeling in the air just before snow.