One of the most important aspects to lighting design is the focus of the lights. This is where the designer, with the help of a team of electricians, point the lights where they are needed to go. Prior to the designer’s arrival, the electricians have taken the lightplot(drawn by the designer) and hung the lights where specified, assigned proper control channels etc.
At focus the designer takes a total mess of lighting equipment and sorts it into useable order. A big splotchy sequence of control channels gets organized into an elegant system of sidelight, and so on. I have seen poorly focused systems of light be tweaked just slightly and the effect can be an almost 50% increase in brightness, not to mention allowing for more proper control. All of this is to facilitate putting light where it needs to go and taking it away from where it shouldn’t be.
The lighting designer can not begin to compose the looks for the show until the focus is complete, just as the painter can not begin work until the canvass is stretched and the palette is organized. Focus requires deep concentration. As each light is focused it must be kept in relation to all the other lights in the plot to make sure they all work together the way they are intended. Further, the designer often makes changes based upon the evolution of things in the rehearsal hall or new ideas that have come up since the plot was drafted.
In order that this concentration be maintained, a rhythm must be established. Often the designer will be focusing a light with one electrician while others are getting into place to focus the next set of lights. This keeps the designer moving from place to place without a break. This is good. As a rule of thumb a designer should average about two minutes per light. I tend to work at about a minute and a half a light when the rhythm really gets established and things get going.
Focus is an interesting part of the lighting design process. It requires that the designer and the person running focus(either an assistant or the master electrician) have a good sense of detail work and specificity AND an overview of the whole situation. For the designer this means keeping the specific light being worked on in relation to all the other lights and how they will work over the course of the entire show. For the person calling focus it means keeping the designer and electricians moving around the space such that everything gets done in an efficient manner.
We are nearly done with the focus for Lovers and Executioners. A few special lights and scenery accents that need to be completed but the bulk of the work is done. The set appears to be taking light very well and it will be nice to start writing light cues. I am very excited to see how the costumes react under the light. I think they will look quite lovely. It is always a pleasure for me to see these elements come together. The things we talk about together in meetings but work on separately all come together into one greater whole.
I think this show will be a lot of fun.
Tags: focus, lovers and executioners, mtc, practical theory
