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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Lighting Design for Performance

While film lighting focuses on the camera, stage lighting focuses on the human eye. This course teaches the art of sculpting space with light for live theatre, dance, and concerts. Students will master the “Lighting Plot,” learn to program DMX consoles, and use color, angle, and intensity to guide the audience’s attention and evoke emotional atmosphere in real-time.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Understand the functions of Stage Lighting: Visibility, Mood, and Composition
  2. Master lighting instruments: Ellipsoidals (Lekos), Fresnels, and Moving Heads
  3. Create a professional "Lighting Plot" and "Paperwork" (Channel Hookups)
  4. Program cues using a Lighting Console (DMX protocol)
  5. Design lighting states that evolve with the narrative arc
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Controllable Qualities of Light
  2. 02Instruments I: Conventional Fixtures
  3. 03Instruments II: Intelligent/Moving Lights
  4. 04Color Theory: Gels vs. LEDs (RGBW)
  5. 05Angles & Shadows: Modeling the Face
  6. 06Gobos & Texture: Breaking up the beam
  7. 07The Design Process: Concept to Focus
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09The Lighting Plot: Drafting Symbols
  10. 10The Paperwork: Patching & Schedules
  11. 11Programming the Console: Basic Cues
  12. 12Busking: Live Lighting for Music
  13. 13Lighting for Dance vs. Drama
  14. 14Special Effects: Haze, Fog, & Strobes
  15. 15Projection Mapping integration
  16. 16Final Project: Lighting Design for a Scene

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: Lighting Design for a Scene

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting by Steven Louis Shelley
  2. The Stage Lighting Handbook by Francis Reid
  3. Designing with Light by J. Michael Gillette
  4. Light on the Subject by David Hays
  5. Automated Lighting by Richard Cadena
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