Lighting Design Communication
What is the best way to convey lighting ideas to design team?

Storyboards
Black & white sketches of lighting scene by scene

Advantages:
• Quick to create (and redraw if necessary).
• Inexpensive.
• Easy to transport.

Disadvantage:
• Difficult to render in color.

• Drawings can render the impossible.


 

Graphics
Photos or paintings demonstrating lighting effects

Advantages:
• Easy to find.
• Photography can vividly capture realistic images.
• Paintings can demonstrate historic style.
• Easy to transport.

Disadvantages:
• Abstract in that images are not of actual theatre space.


Movie House
by Edward Hopper

 


Great God Brown

Arden Weaver, Scenic Designer
UMD Theatre



Old Mill Pond
Maxfield Parrish

 


Picnic
Ann Gumpper, Scenic Designer
UMD Theatre


Light Lab
Miniature lighting set-up to light scenic model and/or costume swatches

Advantages:
• Accurate color rendering.
• Capable of demonstrating lighting transitions.

Disadvantages:
• Expensive.
• Requires a sizable amount of space.
• Difficult to transport.

 

 

Light Lab Diagram


Fiber Optic Set-Up



Endgame
Tom Thatcher, Scenic Designer
UMD Theatre



Endgame Model
Mindy Jost, Lighting Designer
UMD Theatre



Endgame
Production Photo
UMD Theatre

Virtual Light Lab
Computer software capable of rendering light in 3D.

Advantages:
• Reasonably accurate color rendering.
• Capable of demonstrating lighting transitions.

• Software options - VectorWorks, PhotoShop, Sketch Up, WYSIWYG and more

Disadvantages:
• Learning curve.
• Computer compatibility.
• Expensive (software and hardware.)

 

A Streetcar named Desire Virtual Model
A Streetcar Named Desire
Lighting Design by Curtis Phillips and Colin Reibel

WYSIWYG Software
(What You See Is What You Get)

Import scenic design virtual model.
Light virtual model in virtual theatre space.
Program cues to be transferred to lighting control console.

Seussical
Lighting Design by Colin Reibel

 


Collaborating with Actors and Directors
Steps a lighting design must take before finalizing a design approach.


Watch how the director blocks each scene.
Watch how actors use the space.


Determine Lighting Areas






Determine a Lighting Key and a Color Key