 Distribution of light is broken down into  The direction from which the light approaches an area, actor, or object  The shape and size that the area is covered by light  The quality of light- its diffusion or clarity

 Intensity is the actual amount, or level of brightness, of light that strikes the stage or actor.  Intensity ranges from total darkness, to painfully brilliant,blinding white light

 Can be broken down into three categories  The timed duration of light cues  Quick black out  Slow Fade to Black  Cross Fade transition  A Bump in Intensity  The movement of onstage lights such as a flashlight or lantern a character is holding on stage  Or moving lights (like at a rock concert)

 Tinted light can create psychological responses for the audience  It is a powerful tool for a lighting designer

 To increase the audience’s understanding and appreciation of a play, stage light must perform several basic functions

 The word “Theatre” comes from Greek “Theatron” meaning “Seeing Place”  An old adage in the theatre is “If you can’t see them you can’t hear them”  Stage light must make the actors, set, and costumes visible to the spectators  Color, direction, and intensity all effect visibility

 It is human nature to look at a brighter area or movement in a neutral scene  Lighting designers use this trick to select where the spectator looks on stage.  Like a movie camera can zoom in to control what the audience is looking at, a spot light will control where the audience is looking at a large musical number

 Direction of light is the primary element in modeling  Modeling is the revealing of the form of an object through the use of highlight and shadow

 Creating a sun set or the creepy shadows of bare branches in the woods can create a certain mood for the audience.  A lighting designer does not want to force a mood upon a scene but rather subtly enhance the mood of the scene

 You will now see a few frames from movies.  I want you to think about what properties of light are being controlled and how is it altering the function of light?