lighting unit 65

LightingLauren Benson

UNIT 65:TECHNICAL STAGE OPERATIONS

• Gel frame and gels

• Adjustable arm

• Light bulb encased

• 15 amp plug

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• The parcan is used for music gigs, and mainly for aesthetics and to add depth to general cover. A parcan can’t be controlled, so it wouldn’t be used to focus on something.

PARCAN BEAM ANGLE: 50°

• If I wanted to create a chase effect at a music gig I would use a parcan. This is because parcans are used for aesthetic purposes and would give depth to general cover. I would use it over a profile because a profile would give a defined light, instead of diffused. Profiles also could be used elsewhere at the gig instead, creating effects for example with a gobo or an iris. I would also use a parcan over a birdie because a birdie’s bulb is halogen (100 watt) which is not as powerful as a parcan’s 500 watt bulb.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: PARCAN

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• Dip switches to change it’s colour

• 13 or 15 amp plugs

• Controlled by a DMX cable

• Doesn’t get hot

• An LED par adds depth to general cover. Used for aesthetic purposes. An LED par is energy saving, and it’s colour can be controlled by the desk, instead of changing gels/ adding more lights with different gels.

LED PARBEAM ANGLE: 55°

• If I wanted to provide multiple colour, enabling the scene mood to change, I would use an LED par. This is because it is connected to the desk with a DMX cable, allowing it’s colour to be changed from the desk as opposed to changing gels or adding more lights. I would use a LED par over a parcan because I would have to change a parcan’s gel frame or add more lights. I would also use an LED par over a flood light for the same reason that I would have to change it’s gels or add more lights. An LED par is also energy saving and can produce primary colours.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: LED PAR

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• Barn doors


• Adjustable arm

• 15 amp plug

• Adjustable knob to adjust beam angle

• The PC is used for a more defined light. It gives general cover and could also be used in the space of a spotlight due to it’s convex lense which intensifies light. It has a pebble lense, whereas other fresnels have ridged lenses.

PC – PEBBLE CONVEX (FRESNEL)BEAM ANGLE: 8°-31°

• If a situation occurred when I need to isolate an actor on stage, but couldn’t access a profile if, for example, they were broken, I would use a PC. This is because a PC has the same pebble convex lense as a spotlight, allowing a defined, focused circle of light around an actor. I would use a PC over another fresnel such as a CCT because a CCT has a ridged glass lense, causing it’s light to be diffused. It also can’t be focused. I would also use a PC over a Selecon, because it is also a diffused light like the CCT, and also cannot be focused.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: PC FRESNEL

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• Smallest fresnel


• Barn doors

• 15 amp plug

• Adjustable knob

• Adjustable arm

• Ridged glass lense

• The ridged lense of a CCT gives a diffused spread of light, so it could be used to give general cover. It’s barn doors also allow shapes to be made with the light.

CCT (FRESNEL)BEAM ANGLE: 6°-50°

• If I needed side lights on a boom for a dance performance I would use a CCT. This is because it gives a diffused spread of light due to its ridged lense. Shapes can also be created using it’s barn doors which could be used in the performance for aesthetic purposes. I would use a CCT over a profile because a profile is too defined, and a light such as a CCT can do the job instead, saving the profiles for using gobos, iris’ etc. I would also use a CCT over a pinspot. This is because a pinspot is not powerful enough.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: CCT FRESNEL

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• Attached barn doors

• 2 adjustable knobs

• Ridged circular lense


• Newest fresnel

• A selecon has a ridged lense making it’s light diffused, which is used for general cover. The barn doors also allow the light to be manipulated.

SELECON (FRESNEL)BEAM ANGLE:7°-60°

• If I wanted to create general cover for a show, I would use a selecon. This is because it can give a diffused spread of light. I could also use a CCT in this situation, but I wouldn’t use a selecon and a CCT together because the light would become patchy, which is why only one type of light should be used in general cover. I would use a selecon over a parcan because a parcan would only be used to add depth to general cover.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: SELECON FRESNEL

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• Gel frames and gels

• Barn doors

• 15 amp plug

• 1000 watt (double a single fresnel)

• Ridged glass lense

• The 1k’s lense diffuses it’s light for general cover. It’s barn doors can also manipulate it’s light to change it’s beam angle. Used for back light (on less than 50%) to prevent a shadow creating a 3D effect. For every 2 fresnels for front light = 1 1K back light.

1K (FRESNEL)BEAM ANGLE: 30°

• If I wanted to create backlight for a musical I would use a 1K. This is because a 1K is used to create backlight so there isn’t a shadow and the actor is defined. I would use a 1K over a birdie because a birdie isn’t big enough, or powerful enough due to it’s halogen bulb. I would also use a 1K over a profile because a profile is too defined and unnecessary for this job, when it could be used for gobos, iris’ etc.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: 1K FRESNEL


• 15 amp plug

• G clamp

• Can’t be directed or controlled

• 500/600 watt

• Could be used in a combination for general cover.

• The flood light can only be on or off, but can have a gradient. The flood light is mainly used for cyclorama and lighting the audience. It is used in the rig or on the floor.

FLOOD LIGHTBEAM ANGLE: 60°

• If I wanted to light a cyclorama I would use a flood light. This is because I could add gels to a flood light, the hang them from above and angle them for aesthetic purposes. I would use a flood light over a profile because a profile is too defined and it could be used elsewhere due to it’s ability to hold a gobo/iris etc. I would also use it over a birdie because a birdie is too small and it isn’t powerful enough.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: FLOOD LIGHT

• Halogen bulb (100 watt)

• G clamp

• Safety chain


• Barn doors

• 13 or 15 amp plug

• The Birdie is often used for aesthetic purposes such as in museum exhibitions or on a truss. It is also energy efficient and can be used to light the audience. It’s light can also be manipulated by it’s barn doors.

BIRDIEBEAM ANGLE: 35°

• If I wanted to light the audience I would use a birdie because they are small and their bulb is only 100 watt, which will allow the audience to be lit, whilst not pulling attention away from the stage. A birdie would only be used for seating or walk ways in a theatre. I would use a birdie over a selecon because a selecon would give too much general cover. I would also use a birdie over a parcan because parcans are too big, and there would be too much focus on the audience.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: BIRDIE

• Safety chain

• G clamp

• 13 or 15 amp plug

• The pinspot is normally used to light a glitter ball or in museum exhibitions. It’s bulb can be changed to achieve colour. You can’t direct a pinspot’s light and it has limited usage due to it’s lack of gel frame and barn doors.

PINSPOTBEAM ANGLE: 8°-12°

• If a show wanted to use a glitter ball, I would use a pinspot.. This is because it is small, and is a direct light. It is also good for aesthetic purposes. To light a glitter ball I would have to use 2 or 4 pinspots for it to be effective. I would use pinspots over a flood light because a flood light would light too much causing the glitter ball to have no effect. I would also use a pinspot over an LED par, because an LED par would also flood the area, and it would colour it when a glitter ball ideally needs a white light.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: PINSPOT

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• 15 amp plug


• Gobos

• Built in shutters to manipulate light

• Iris

• The Source Four is used to light specifics on stage and to isolate an somebody/something on stage. It’s built in shutters give it the ability to change it’s circular light into a block shape.

SOURCE FOURBEAM ANGLE: 15.2°

• If I wanted to isolate an actor on stage I would use a source four. This is because it’s shutters can manipulate it’s light enabling onstage isolation. I would use it over a flood light because a flood can’t be manipulated to create an isolated section. I would also use a source four over a selecon because a selecon can’t give a defined edge to it’s light due to it’s ridged lense.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: SOURCE FOUR

• G clamp

• Safety chain

• 15 amp plug

• Shutters to manipulate light


• Gobos

• Iris

• 2 adjustments (one to focus and one to blur and make bigger)

• The Minuette Profile is used to light specifics and isolate somebody/something on stage. It’s shutters manipulate light into any shape.

MINUETTE PROFILEBEAM ANGLE: 6°-48°

• If I wanted to create the illusion of a window on stage I would use a minuette profile due to it’s ability to use a gobo, which I would need to create this. I would use a minuette profile over a parcan because a parcan can’t be controlled or directed, and it’s beam angle is too big. I would also use a minuette profile over a CCT. This is because a CCT gives a diffused light as opposed to a defined light due to it’s ridged lense. It also can’t hold a gobo which this situation needs.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: MINUETTE PROFILE

lighting unit 65

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