Theater Spot Lights
Theater spot lights are essential for lighting up a stage and setting the mood. They are often paired with coloured filters. They highlight a character or element to draw the audience’s attention. They also separate characters from the backdrop or other actors to emphasise an action, emotion, or expression.
Pronounced “FREE-koh,” the workhorse of the theater scene is the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight. It’s also known as an ERS or Leko light.
Cyclorama Lights
Cyclorama lights are specialized theater lighting tools that are designed to illuminate large, curved backgrounds commonly used in stage and other forms of entertainment. They provide a smooth wash of light that eliminates shadows, making the backdrop appear seamless and cohesive. This helps immerse audiences in the narrative and elevates their experience.
Typically, there are two categories of these lights: spots and washes. Spots behave like profiles and offer the ability to change color, use gobos, and adjust both the size and edge of the beam. They also tend to have a sharper, more defined beam than washes, which offer a more fuzzy edge and are able to cover larger areas.
Unlike other theater spot lights, cyclorama lights are usually equipped with a wider asymmetrical wash to help evenly illuminate the curved surface of a cyclorama or other backdrop. They can be hung from the ground (Ground Cycs) or from fly pipes (Sky Cycs). Additionally, many of these lights come with advanced cooling systems to prevent overheating during extended usage. They also allow for sophisticated connectivity options and controls, enabling precise adjustments via remote or DMX control.
Spotlights
Spotlights emit focused beams of light that can be aimed at specific areas or actors on stage. These lights can be accompanied by coloured filters to highlight a particular element or character for the audience’s focus. They can also be used to separate a character from the backdrop or other characters during an important piece of dialogue.
There are several types of spotlights: Followspots – Manually operated by a lighting technician, these powerful spotlights allow the operator to “follow” an actor around the set and keep them lit while they move. Zoom Profile Spots – These are similar to followspots but offer more control over the angle of the beam through the use of 2 moving lenses. They are often used to wash medium to large areas and can be equipped with gobos.
Newer LED spotlights – known as moving head spots – offer incredible abilities that go beyond Theater spot lights what traditional spotlights can accomplish. Currently, most of these lights are controlled via consoles which allow them to manipulate an array of variables such as colour, pan and tilt, gobo, prism, animation and framing shutters.
Uplights
Uplights are a great way to illuminate a stage and add color and depth to your event space. They can be set to Dual Row Led Light Bar specific colors and positioned in various places to create a unique design. These lights can also be used to highlight performers during the show.
Another important aspect of theater lighting is the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight (ERS). This cannon-shaped light shines a tight beam to reveal actors’ faces and bodies, which is necessary for creating realistic performances. It is the go-to equipment for many lighting designers because of its versatility and ability to perform a variety of functions.
Other types of theater lighting include backlights that help separate characters from the background and follow spots, which keep focus on a moving character as they move around the stage. All of these can help to catch the audience’s attention and transform their emotions. They can be controlled with a lighting board to help the performance to flow seamlessly.
Par Cans
The PAR Can is the most recognizable fixture in stage lighting. Their round, parabolic shape makes them a common sight hanging from truss systems in theaters around the world. They’re often used for top lighting, uplighting and backlighting. They can also be utilized to create dynamic effects by utilizing accessories such as gobos, which allow you to project patterns and logos into the light beam.
LED PAR cans are a great addition to larger rigs, giving a wide range of colors and providing superior color definition over traditional halogen lights. They also run much cooler, which makes them safer for musicians and performers to be in close proximity to for long periods of time.
Par cans are a popular choice for video lighting as well. They’re powerful enough to illuminate subjects from a distance and they can be used in a variety of situations, including band shots, fashion shows, or one person interviews. However, they’re not a good fit for every shoot, as they can generate a lot of heat, which may be uncomfortable for talent or distract from the subject.
Moving Head Spots
Often the centerpiece of large concert lighting rigs, moving head spots are versatile, powerful lights that can sweep across the stage in quick punchy zig-zags or slow graceful circles. They have a single light source, either discharge or LED, housed in a motorized yoke that sits above the performers.
Like the wash lights, moving head spot fixtures can be adorned with a wide array of gobo wheels to create effects and shape the beam of light. Some come with fixed gobos while others are interchangeable and can be slotted into the light’s path. Some also add an animation wheel to the mix that reveals a dynamic image, such as water ripples or fire, when the light is turned on.
There are even hybrid moving heads that are able to perform the functions of a spot, wash and sometimes a beam light with clever mechanisms or multiple lens changes. These fixtures are very popular in the industry as they offer a great deal of flexibility and are ideal for most sized applications. They produce super-crisp optics and can be controlled via a DMX system to change colours, patterns and even move to the music.
