Lighting Flashcards by Tabitha HEALD

What is the function of brightness in lighting?

Describes whether the light is bright or dim, often expressed as a percentage.

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Define ‘Rhythm’ in the context of lighting.

The timing and length of lighting changes.

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What does ‘Visibility’ refer to in lighting design?

Controlling what the audience can see and what they cannot see.

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Explain ‘Qualities of Space’ in lighting.

Details about time of day/year, weather, size of space, and type of building that lighting can convey.

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What is a Spot light?

Adaptable lanterns designed to light faces and highlight small areas.

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Differentiate between PC Spot and Fresnel Spot.

PC Spot = harder light
Fresnel Spot = softer light.

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What is the purpose of a Gel in lighting?

Material used to give colour to tungsten bulbs.

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What colour does Steel Blue gel represent?

Cold white light/moon.

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What does Amber gel signify in lighting?

Warm muted orange, resembling sunset.

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What is the meaning of ‘Saturated’ in terms of colour?

Where the colour is strong and rich.

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Define ‘Isolated’ light.

A pool of light surrounded by darkness.

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What characterizes LED lighting?

Colder colour temperature and faster changes with internal colour mix.

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What are Shadows in lighting?

Areas where the light doesn’t reach, providing definition to 3D objects.

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What does ‘Blackout’ mean in stage lighting?

Complete darkness on stage, often used to separate scenes.

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What does ‘Angle’ refer to in lighting design?

The direction from which the light comes and where shadows fall.

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Explain ‘Distribution’ in lighting.

The areas of the stage that the light covers and what remains unlit.

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What is meant by ‘Change’ in lighting states?

Moving between different lighting states, typically by fading.

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Fill in the blank: The main effect in a lighting state is called the _______.

Key light

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What is ‘Fill light’?

Dimmer light coming from the opposite angle to the Key light, brightening deep shadows.

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What does ‘Beam Shape’ refer to?

Shapes created with light using gobos, barn doors, or shutters.

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Define ‘Movement’ in lighting.

Motorised lights that can move light.

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What is a ‘Follow Spot’?

Manually controlled lights that point at a moving actor.

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What does ‘Chase’ mean in lighting?

A pattern of lights turning on and off to suggest movement.

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Differentiate between Hard light and Soft light.

Hard light = little spread, defined shadows
Soft light = spread, fuzzy light edges.

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What is a Profile light?

A highly adaptable spotlight allowing high control of diffusion.

Define 'Silhouette' in lighting.

A shape in shadow, either an unlit figure with light behind or a projected shadow.

What does 'Fade' mean in lighting?

A gradual change in brightness.

Fill in the blank: Light on the whole stage is referred to as a _______.

General Wash

What does 'Pitch' refer to in sound?

How high or low the sound is.

Define 'Volume' in sound.

The loudness or quietness of the sound.

What is 'Texture' in the context of sound?

How different sounds layer together.

What does 'Dissonant' mean?

Where the sound clashes and sounds purposefully unpleasant.

What is 'Antiphonal' sound?

Sounds coming from different places/speakers within the space simultaneously.

Define '(De)Crescendo'.

A gradual increase or decrease in volume.

What is a 'Soundscape'?

A collection of different sounds to create a specific atmosphere or location.

What does 'Cacophony' refer to?

A dense collection of harsh, dissonant sounds.

What is a 'Vocoder'?

Changes and alters the actor’s voice to sound different, often robotic.

What does 'EQ (Equalisation)' do?

Heightens or lessens different pitches within the sound.

Define 'Panning' in sound design.

When sound moves between different speakers/locations within the space.

What is 'Reverb'?

When sound can still be heard, gradually getting quieter after the initial sound.

What is the difference between 'Echo' and 'Reverb'?

'Echo' is when sound repeats a set number of times, getting quieter.

Define 'Rhythm' in music.

The pulse of the sound/music.

What does 'Tempo' indicate?

The speed of the music, linking to the energy for the audience.

What is meant by 'Style' in music?

The feel of the music, time period, and instruments used.

Define '(Non)Diegetic' sound.

Whether characters on stage can hear the sound in their world.

What is 'Instrumentation'?

The musical instruments heard in the music.

What does 'Live/Pre-recorded' refer to?

Whether musicians/sound engineers are visible to the audience.

Define 'Timbre'.

The tone and quality of the sound/music.

What is a 'Drone' in sound?

A continuous, underlying, and unchanging sound.

What does 'Autotune' do?

Automatically tunes the singer/actor’s voice to the music.

Define 'Legato'.

When music sounds flowing and smooth, with no silence between sounds.

What is 'Syncopation'?

A rhythmic technique where the melody lands off the beat.

What characterizes a 'Waltz'?

A style of music with 3 beats per bar.

What does 'Staccato' mean in music?

When music sounds spiky and disjointed, with silence between sounds.

Define 'Choral' music.

Music consisting predominantly of voice.

What does 'Free Time' refer to in music?

Music that lacks a clear sense of rhythm or pulse.

What is the primary purpose of lighting in a performance?

Communicate setting, space, time, mood and atmosphere

How can lighting draw the audience's attention?

By creating natural or theatrical effects

What effect does the distance of a light source have on shadows?

A close light source projects large shadows, while a distant light source projects smaller shadows

What are the types of directional lighting?

Frontlight Downlight Backlight Sidelight Footlight

What are the two main characteristics of lighting intensity?

Bright or dim

What type of lanterns allow for quick transitions in lighting?

LED lanterns

What should be considered when choosing colors for lighting?

How the colours interact with your set and costumes

What are the two categories of color temperature in lighting?

Warm Cold

What can be used to create beams of light?

A smoke machine or a haze machine

What is the difference between high diffusion and low diffusion?

High diffusion = softer beam Low diffusion = harder beam

What is a blackout in lighting?

Used to mark a passage of time or as a disorienting effect

What is the difference between a general wash and a discreet wash?

General wash = whole stage Discreet wash = area of stage

Fill in the blank: A cold white general wash with stark violet in the mix is referred to as _______.

In the mix

What are the shapes or types of lighting effects?

Wide Narrow Spots Corridors Barn doors Gobos

What does the term 'saturated' refer to in lighting color?

The intensity of the color, as opposed to 'dull'