WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Drama: Designing Drama

This lighting design is by Nic Farman (with a set by Lily Arnold) for Hornchurch Queens Theatre. It is suitably mysterious and sinister, arousing the audience’s curiosity and setting an atmospheric scene for The Invisible Man . TASK 1.1 In a darkened room, experiment with the effects of torchlight. Choose an object in the room and investigate: how visible you can make it using a different number of beams what size and shape of shadow you can produce the different effects produced by front, back and side lighting how you can change the atmosphere by using fewer or more torches how the intensity changes when you move closer or further away. The power of lighting A significant difference between lighting a room in your house and lighting the stage is that you should have a blank ‘canvas’. Another is that you have considerably more choice of varied and exciting effects. The thinking that determines where you put your desk light and which lightshade you choose is intensified in the role of stage lighting designer as you can use different heights, colours, shapes, shadows and fades . You could move suddenly or gradually from one lighting state to another and build or reduce intensity of light as the scene demands. VISIBILITY Audience members need to be able to see the actors and the set. FOCUS Lighting draws attention to specific areas of the stage. MOOD The uses of colour and intensity (brightness) have a powerful atmospheric affect. These choices can also link to a play’s themes and meanings. LOCATION/SETTING Similarly, colour choices, intensity and effects (such as a wash or a spotlight) can create a sense of time and place for the audience. INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTING DESIGN The purpose of stage lighting At the moment when the house lights go down in the theatre, the lighting designer introduces the audience to the world of the performance. It is as though the audience holds its collective breath ready to enter that world. The first lights that illuminate the stage can create a magical moment. If the lighting design is not right, however, the cast might struggle to grab and keep the audience’s attention, and other design elements might not combine well. Stage lighting can be described as having four main functions: ASSESSMENT CHECK This section will help you to understand how you can: • use visual elements to create mood, atmosphere and style • communicate intention and create impact for an audience. FOCUS • The purpose and power of stage lighting. • The technical and creative skills in lighting design. Chapter 1 Practical Guide to Lighting Design 16