Position:Home>Theater & Acting> What are some of the different types of lighting for theatre?

Your previous answerer is very thorough although she does omit a few varieties of lights
Lights are divided into soft-focused or sharp-focused instruments!. Soft-focused intruments provide a general wash for the stage; whereas, sharp-focused intruments have an edge that can be manipulated by shutters or top hats

In answer to your question about colors and effects, most people use blue for a dreamy, lost-in-thought moment!. also large scoops can be focused on a backdrop to show various degrees of nightfall!.
Green is most often used for "spring" or rejuvenation effects!. Watch the movie Excalibur and the lighting designer uses green almost exclusively to show how Arthur and his knights rejuvenate the nation and the land!. If there is a glint of light on a sword, it shows up as green!. Red is used for anger or battle sequences!. BUT this kind of color-emotion linking is very Western!. Oriental cultures have different associations with color!. We might associate red or purple with royalty, but a Chinese Emperor might be clothed in yellow!.

Another effect you can use is the gobo, a cut out placed infront of a sharp-focused lighting instrument that will project light only through the cutout area!. Your choices are many here -- churches, windows, leaves, lightning, and hundreds more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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There are five main types of light used in theatre:
1!. Fresnels!. These have lenses which have concentric rings on them!. The beam from a fresnel is soft-edged and can be made bigger or smaller by moving the lamp (the bulb) closer or further from the lens!. Fresnels are usually used for general washes, as you can blend beams easily!. Often fitted with "barn doors" so you can create a straight edge to the light!.
2!. PCs (pebble-convex or plano-convex) - so named because of the lenses!. Their lenses are flat on one side, convex on the other and may be "speckled"!. Their beam is similar to a fresnel but has a slightly harder edge; can be used for general washes or for a softer "special"!. The beam, like a fresnel, can be made bigger or smaller by moving the bulb in relation to the lens!. also often fitted with barn doors!.
3!. Profile spots!. Can be called zoomspots, Lekos or ellipsoidals!. They have one (fixed beam) or two (zoom profile - adjustable beam) lenses which are flat on one side, convex on the other and are clear!. A fixed-beam profile will be a certain number of degrees (10, 19, 26 etc etc - this determines how wide the light beam is) and you can soften or harden the edges of the beam by moving the lens in relation to the bulb!. A zoom profile will have a range of degrees (12-28, 23-50, 45-75) and by moving the two lenses in relation to each other and the bulb, you can get a beam of varying sizes and soft or hard edge!. These lights are used for specials, and also for projecting gobos with - you cannot put a gobo in a fresnel or PC!. Profiles are fitted with shutters (never barn doors) which allow you to create a very sharp straight edge or edges!.
4!. Parcans!. They come in a variety of sizes, but the three most common are Par16 (sometimes called a "birdie"), Par56 and Par64!. They are essentially a car headlight in a can; you can't change the beam angle or size (the lamps come in different sizes to allow some flexibility), just the beam alignment - the beam is slightly oval so you can rotate the bulb in the can to change which way it runs!. Often used for colour punch in rock and roll and theatre!.
5!. Flood and cyc lights!. A floodlight does what it says on the tin - floods with light!. Not controllable or focusable - all you can do is point it where you want it!. A cyc light is a type of flood, but is specific in that it is asymmetric - the lamp does not sit in the middle of the reflector, which means that more light is thrown out one side than the other!. Used to light up cycloramas, hence the name!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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