WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Drama: Designing Drama

OPERATING THE LIGHTING I don’t need to operate the lights, do I? You are not required to operate the lighting desk, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t. If you design the lighting for Unit/Component 1, learning how to operate the lighting and evaluating your success would be very useful for your portfolio. Similarly, operating skills will be impressive if you design lighting for Unit/Component 2. Most importantly, perhaps, it is a thrilling, satisfying experience. Operating lighting equipment The following items need to be in place: • a working lighting desk that you have been able to practise using • rigged and focused lanterns • a task light (angle-poise) • script (if applicable), marked up with the cues (two scripts are ideal – one for your assistant) • your completed cue sheet. If there is a sound operator, you will need to co-ordinate certain effects with them. You might need to fade sound and lights precisely at the same time, for example. Unless you are wearing cans (linked headphones), it is wise to operate sound and lights next to each other. Practising lighting operation ASSESSMENT CHECK You can use your lighting knowledge and skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance (AO2). FOCUS Advice for the lighting operator. LOOK HERE See ‘Plotting the lighting design’, pages 32–33, for details on cues. • Take time to check that you are comfortable using your lighting desk. Your preparation could include labelling master channels with group numbers – on a manual board. (You can write on masking tape and it is easily removed.) • It is useful to have at least one person ‘walking’ the acting area with a marked-up script. They can work cue to cue with you. The script will keep you in time with the action and enable you to see where cues need to happen, such as on a particular word in the performance. • Make sure you practise transitions, as well as changes within cues, such as dimming and intensifying lighting states. • If there are long fades and you are using a manual board, make sure that you can operate them smoothly. This is a benefit of a manual desk, as you can ‘feel’ the action. Some additional health and safety points Beware of blackouts! In rehearsals, always call out that you are about to do them, so people are not unexpectedly plunged into darkness. Be very aware that flashing lights can trigger epilepsy. Chapter 1 Practical Guide to Lighting Design 37