How to Make Light Happen
Original by Jake Gunter '16
Updated by Max Beeman '20
A note: This guide is geared mainly toward the intermediate designer working with MTG for the first time, rather than towards complete novices. As such, it does not cover the artistic or conceptual details of lighting design. If you are new to the wonderful world of throwing photons at people’s bodies, and are looking for resources, I suggest reading Stage Lighting for Students, Stage Lighting 101, and Scene Design and Stage Lighting. (If you don’t want to spend $100 and buy the book, the Shakespeare Ensemble has a copy or two that you can probably borrow.)
Suggestions for the novice:
- Assistant Lighting Design or Master Electrician a show! It's very, very difficult to learn how theatrical lighting works without hands-on experience.
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General Description & Responsibilities
Things you definitely need to do:
Things you'll probably have to do:
- Set up lights on the orchestra director. Each member of the orchestra should hopefully have their own light on their music stand, but they'll need to be able to see the director/may need some ambient light. This might involve renting a tree from E33 and hanging a par or two on it.
- Orchestra monitors. This responsibility has fallen on sound recently, but tbh should probably be yours. Work with the sound engineer to figure out who's going to set this up. (description of set-up available in sound documentation page).
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Schedule
Well Before Put-In
- Artistic stuff, talk to director, plan out 'looks'
- (la sala) genie training
- Make a plot (attach the clean vwx files)
- Cry about the plot
- Cabling plot (can be done by hand)
- EHS & CAC safety meeting (check-out genie)
- Go to runs, create cues
Immediately Before Put-In
- put-in plan
Put-In
Between Put-In and Tech Night
Tech Night
Between Tech Night and Opening Night
Performances
Strike
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General Tips & Resources
Files to attach:
- clean vectorworks of KLT and La Sala
- example plots
- photo of example cabling
- link to E33 inventory
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Working in La Sala
- genie trainings!
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