WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Drama: Designing Drama

Focusing involves fine-tuning a lantern’s beam size, shape and spread. Each lantern needs to be adjusted so that it lights the required area precisely. You might want a tight, round spotlight to pick out an individual actor. Alternatively, you might focus a group of lanterns for a subtle wash of light. For this effect, look to make the edges of the beams very soft. You need a minimum of two people, but three are better. Ideally, one will rig and focus; one brings up the working light on the desk and the third moves around the performance area as the subject for the lighting so that the focusing effect can be seen. DESIGN TIP Try to get rigging and focusing correct first time to avoid having to get the people and equipment together again and doing tasks more than once. To focus a lantern, the following actions might be required: • Moving shutters or barn doors • Inserting or removing coloured filters and gobos (Gobos get very hot!) • Moving lenses backwards or forwards. House lights need to be off and one lantern needs to be focused at a time. Some lights can be brought up together to test their combined effect. an adjustable wrench (to tighten and loosen nuts) heat-resistant gloves a small torch or headlamp a tool belt or pouch A technician needs the following equipment, so provide them if you can: Focusing DESIGN TIP You will nearly always want to light the performer, not the floor! LOOK HERE Use the information on pages 22–25 and 32–33 to guide your positioning and focusing. 35 Chapter 1 Practical Guide to Lighting Design