Drama Notes: Set Design and Lighting Secondary Notes: Set Design (Planning) Sets: -Serve numerous purposes,

can be either basic/complicated -Major role in productions, serve as the place to Act -Set denes time and setting of scene, Time: -Historical period -Season -Time of day -Change in time of day Setting: -Climate + Geogrophical locations -Socioecoomic conditions -Cultural background -Political system in area of scene -Interior/Exterior -Rural/Urban -Real/imaginary -Sets also help inform audience about the effects of environment upon characters, and their respective personality towards the surroundings -Also serve as a method to reveal interrelationships between characters and their ranks, inuence, and positions within their families, ofces, or communities -Scenery also provides way for audience to focus on actor/s, elevating the surface can demonstrate strong presence of actor -Furniture + actors positions can be manipulated to allow central character to gain the center of the stage = dramatically frame the actor -Plays can either call for the simplest of scenery or detailed landscapes, depends on how powerful the drama elements of the production are within the performance -Scenery should be done in a way that highlights the style of the production -Theatre Conventions: Practices accepted from realistic depiction of certain scenes/ environments, determine entrances or positions for set objects -Scenery = important for stating current mood and atmosphere -Reaction from audience towards actors can be created based on the mental images the set projects -Bright colors = current scene is light and happy -Dark colors = give off impression of the current scene being serious and heavy -Use of the psychological effects towards colors can aid the emotional effect of a scene when called for

Scenic Design: -Scenic designer + director must work together to form a scenery that will express the meaning of the play -Scenery does not need to use objects + real-life themed landscapes (individual rooms) -Use of articial lights or painted canvases can help stir imagination of audience to visualize plays purpose -Scenic designer must work with other elements of play (e.g costumes, makeup, lighting) to create convincing scenery -Effective scenery + design should: -Match authors intent and directors interpretation -Serve the actor, not dominate him/her presence -Complement the costumes, never clash with them -Be consistent in production, not distracting -Aid the actions of the play, not interfere -Have a purpose in the play -Simplistic towards design, construction, and shifting Procedures towards scenic design: -Basic goal = functional background for the current scene yet not intrude towards the scene -Does not provide the working environment required for actors = failed its purpose -Both director and designer need to collaborate towards creating scenery at certain phases Designers main tasks: 1. Read the play multiple times 2. Discuss play and production style with director, providing the foundation of plan, including the oor plan 3. Sketch (rendering) the scenery planned, to express the meaning and spirit of the play that it will project 4. Consider equipment, funds, and materials available 5. Enlarge sketch into full-scale perspective drawing from audience 6. Draw out detailed oor plan showcasing position and sizes of entrances and props 7. Create 3D model of plan 8. Draft elevations and creation drawings of set -Factors need to be considered when constructing the design of the scenery, regarding the stage, equipment, and no. of sets to be used Checklist: -Size and shape of auditorium, how much space + seating arrangement? -Space: How much available onstage and backstage? What equipment available? What is the system used onstage like? Manual, electrical, or counter weighted? -Special units: How much constructed platforms, ramps, or stairs are there? -Lighting: What type available? How much adjustments can be made? -Scenic designer must also consider two other basic considerations: -The Play: What is the theme, type, or style? Are there any major scenes or actions? How large will it need to be to fully accomadate all actors onstage?

-The Audience: Consider their level of sight from their seating positions, upper balcony viewers must be able to see the stage fully, actors and scenery Artistic Considerations: -Emphasis: Important principle when trying to focus audience attention on particular object, area, or furniture onstage -Can be achieved through placing particular object in a certain position -Paint it in a color that causes it to stand out -Set light upon it -Proportion: Use of humans as unit of measurement -Balance: Equal distribution of emphasis among stage -Can be achieved through line, mass, and shape -Major artistic principle onstage = principle of line -Emotions can be expressed based on the types of lines used onstage: -Long Vertical Lines = dignity, elevation, hope etc -Diagonal = Driving force, uncertainty, concentration -Horizontal = emotional stability/calmness -Curved = ease, comfort, wealth -Curves + Angles = intense excitement, if combined with bright colors -Crooked/jagged = chaos, shattering, injustice, pain Use of color: -Important element in staging, various colors and combinations = different emotional effects -Color achieved through placing colored lights on various set pieces -Costumes and sets can be color coded to highlight various emotional responses from the set by means of color coding, identifying emotions of a single scene based upon its color dominance -Tints/Shades Can affect brightness of colors onstage -Color can also differ in intensity/saturation: Brightness/dullness of a certain color, via changing its illumination amount or placing it alongside a complementary color -A controlling color/main color should be always used onstage to provide the overall atmosphere of set/play -Most effective = delivery via single impressions of colors -Positioning of props/set pieces can be enhanced/reduced based on the use of bright colors to highlight its presence, use of cool/darker colors to reduce it to the environment of stage -Bright = draws audiences attention towards it, darker colors dont catch their eyes -Ensure perfect balance between either type of color, too bright can irritate while overuse of darker tones make it depressing to see

Primary Notes (Lighting + Sound) Lighting: -Lighting equipment should be exible to manipulate or use, determined by how easy it can be moved based upon the demands of the set design plan, and no. of dimmers, including size of stage, height of theatre ceiling, availability of mounting locations, and budget Common equipment used in lighting: -Reective spotlight: -Used in pairs, highly efcient light -Often mounted on the ceiling of theatre, powered by electric batteries -Follow spot: -Long range, capable of following an actor onstage -Floodlight: -High voltage light -Used for special effects such as moonlight/sunlight -Four people required to operate, additional to light cyclommas -Fresnel: -Spotlight with stepped lens, to project clean strong light with soft edges -14 500W instruments needed to power -Mounted upstage 2/3 the way Strip-lights and Portable Strip lights -Arranged/placed in metal troughs, with 3-4 circuits, above the stage -3-4 used for general stage use and scenic color blending -Used for side lighting, backing, or entrance lighting Light Panel: -Main console where brightness is controlled -Operator can choose level of dim of certain lights via the console -Most common layout = plugs connected to each outlet/instrument in the auditorium , inserted into a pitchboard -Modern option = computerized state relay system (SRS) with memory and monitor, with little/some manual control -Has one dimmer per circuit, cannot be overloaded as all electronic load lines need to pass through the console Cable: -Heavily insulated wire for joining instrument to electrical outlets to a switchboard Connector: -Device for joining cables to each other/joining cables to instruments -Essential for safe conduction of electricity, danger of overloads/short circuits/res still present -Electrical safety onstage cannot be overlooked

Basic Lighting Principles: -Lighting is important to scenic design, affects form of mood and atmosphere onstage Ex: -Musical = brightly illuminated walls, mystery = stage lled with shadows, moonlight and fog formed by dim lighting to present witchs cauldron -Manipulating color, gobos, and proper distribution of brightness of light from selected instruments can form specic environments -Effective stage lighting = intensity/brightness, color, distribution, or area covered Intensity: -Light designer should never allow actors to be lost in shadows, nor overpower the shadows with bright light -Too bright = produces at glow of light (common mistake) -Caused by assuming lighting a set = turning all instruments on full -Makes actors look dead onstage + invisible to audience -Solution = limited use of spotlights/oods, with borders and foots for blending only -Strong lights = kept from the walls, keep the upper areas unlit Typical Lighting Plan:

Colors: -Producing color through light is difcult to do, due to relationship between light, pigment, and dyes -General colors can be made through combining various lights

Examples: -Red = red light on red/red on purple/amber light on violet -Violet = red light on blue/blue light on red to produce violet-black -Gray = red on green -Orange = red light on yellow -Blue = blue on blue, blue light on green to produce blue-green shade -Green = Blue light on yellow/Yellow light on green/green on green -Brown = blue light on orange/amber on red/Yellow light on violet -Greenish-orange = Amber light on blue/amber light on green -Black = Green light on red -Blue-green = Yellow light on blue -Colors such as frost or chocolate are used for special effects onstage -White light preferred as a light source compared to ungelled instruments -Curtains costumes and props are affected by light -Smooth and shiny fabrics reveal light and shadows -Heavy coarse materials absorb light, appear expensive onstage to the audience -Main consideration = brilliance of color on main material/s and color of stage lighting that while shine upon the material -Patterns/prints on material may interfere with coloring, along with additional colors on costume -Makeup, lace, silk, velvet, or wigs can also interfere with lighting Lighting Changes: -Should happen gradually via dimming down or up -Not all instruments should come on/off all at once -In a scene, lights change with a crossfade, some lights come up while others come down -Audience should not notice majority of changes, light engineer must begin changes in advance to complete them smoothly -Considerations = -Bright-lighted scenes can change appearance of costumes and makeup -Ex. Strong amber light = make colorful fabrics appear brown, -Too much red = darken faces of actors -Night scenes difcult to produce, costumes and makeup can appear black due to certain colors used in lighting -Majority of dark colors used in night scenes can make costumes/props look dark and dull -Scenes set at night should include some amount of light (natural light), pure dark stage presents dead energy -Realistic way to present natural light onstage = illuminating windows, cracks of light underneath doors, or skylights -Alternative method: Beam of colored light/s directed towards the stage -Audience never to be left in dark for more than a second Special Lighting Effects: -Use of makeup coloring and contrast, coupled with lighting can affect the presentation -Colors that wash out under normal stage light = applied over standard makeup -Both have same colors = dissapear on stage

-Change of dominant colors of lights or an actor move suddenly into the beam = allows them to present a more sinister appearance -Use of black light greatly expanded, use of luminous paint and fabrics allow exibility

Planning Lighting:

-Specify positioning/use of lighting instruments, note their settings -Use information from director and set designer to create lighting plan -Use a light plot: Shows location of each light instrument and the area/setting their illuminate (how the light board is to be setup for the play) -All major actor placement require spotlights -Some locations such as doors only require one spotlight -Cue Sheet: The details of what changes are to take place, through the controls, light board, and instruments. These include the settings, the specic instruments, and the time each change is made. -Listed chronogically based on the script, include warning/execution and timing cues for the changes -Timing is essential to role, electronic setups can be setup automatically to go off when specied, and can be overridden by light engineer if out of cue -Best way to experiment with effects of light = go through full rehearsal with costumes, makeup, and scenery -Lighting cues need to be worked out at rehearsals, more convinient if setup is done before rehearsals begin -Ensure all equipment is working, cables are not in the way, and exposed ones are tied down to prevent injury -Instruments/connectors moved by actors/stage crew should be checked before next scene, check during scene changes -Be aware of any shiny/reective surfaces onstage from equipment/props, light upon them may blind audience

-Common troubleshooting: 1. Actor turns on the lights/goes onstage, before the lights change. Cause: Light board is above the stage, to the side, and the engineer cannot see the actor/ s Solution: Wire onstage lights directly into main power source, or wire onstage switch to a cue light engineer can see to allow minimal delay 2. All/most stage lights can only be set to on and off Cause: Available equipment does not include dimmer function, or dimmer functions linked directly to footlights/border only Solution: Find/use a small portable console with dimming function and link to lights 3. Poor/no lighting equipment is available Cause: Most likely, limited budget doesnt allow investment in full-lighting setup Solution: Use small, inexpensive ood/spotlights, or source from other groups willing to provide necessary materials (e.g outside drama groups, or parent community) Sound Review: -Place sound controls in the auditorium, preferably the rear of the seating. Human ears can judge sound quality the best, so have someone without a headset check the sound himself -Each performance may be unique. Actors may adjust the position of their microphones or alter their delivery of voice. Therefore, be ready to make changes in the setup to produce the best sound. -Sound and acoustic engineers should equalize the sound system to ensure equal amount of sound delivery throughout the auditorium, and ensure it can not be further manipulated when the performance starts -Volume for mikes, monitors, and other equipment should be adjusted before the performance. All audible-members of the production should arrive early for a sound check, to ensure that everything will be ready and the audience will not be distracted by lastminute tests. -Mikes should be turned up a bit (minimal volume) before the speaker speaks, then increase the volume to its full level for the voice. This is to ensure that sound explosions, occurring when the mikes volume is turned up full as the speaker begins which can distract the audience, or the silent lips viewable by the audience due to sound being activated late. -Remind speakers not to place mike too close to the mouth, causing pop sounds made audible -Secure and check all loose wires for equipment are held down with tape (Safety)