Types of Theater Spot Lights
Theater stage lighting is a complex and delicate process that requires careful planning to get the best results. A successful theater production relies on many different kinds of lights and fixtures.
Spotlights (or followspots) are powerful stage lighting instruments that showcase a single, mobile individual. They can be operated from a control booth or purpose-built “follow spot booths”. Spotlights can also be positioned upstage for top light or back light.
Fresnel Spotlights
Fresnel spotlights are a staple of the theater, film, television and photography industries. They are known for their versatility and powerful light output. They are available in both white and colored variants. White Fresnel lights are commonly used for theatrical purposes as they provide a neutral, daylight-balanced light.
Invented by Augustin-Jean Fresnel, a fresnel lens is made of concentric rings of flat glass. Each ring bends the light slightly differently, making it easier to focus. These lenses can be found in many different Moving head light supplier lighting fixtures, including those large lanterns that are often seen on movie sets and even the lights you see in lighthouses.
A typical Fresnel spot will have a couple of dials on the back, one for the intensity and the other for DMX control. Using the DMX connection, you can easily link several of these lights together and run them from a single panel, which is very useful for larger productions where having more control is a necessity.
Fresnel spotlights can also be used with a wide variety of accessories such as filters and barn doors. These will allow you to shape the beam of the light to create specific effects and keep it from spilling onto areas you don’t want it to. Some of these will even allow you to change the iris of the light, which can help you fine-tune its focus.
Follow Spots
The follow spot is a key lighting instrument in a theater, providing the spotlight operator with the ability to highlight a performer on stage, often moving around. This can be challenging to accomplish without a specialized tool, like a Telrad (a cue alignment device that came from the finder scope of a telescope) or by constantly opening and closing the dowser on the fixture (which can interrupt the performance and cause distracting “ghosting” to the audience).
Modern LED followspots come in both linear and circular configurations, with various beam widths based on throw distance. They may be fitted with a manual or motorized zoom, and can accept gobo holders and other accessories. Some have a boomerang that allows the use of color gels in the beam (such as frost) to add texture or match the look of the rest of the rig.
The specialized LED follow spot also has a control panel and an internal LED module, power supply, thermal management system, and variable zoom optical system. It may be equipped with a horizontal chopper for masking control in TV studios and wide stages, as well as a follow-spot sight, which is often mounted on the front of the fixture to assist with positioning. A local dimmer is typically built in to control the spot from the main dimmer, which helps to maintain consistent pickup and fade times.
Par Spotlights
Par can lights are a staple in any stage or studio lighting rig. They are inexpensive, simple to use and versatile. These types of lights are usually placed on a light tree or in a truss up high, and they focus a single beam that can be directed to the center of the stage. They are also great for uplighting walls or backdrops. They are commonly used in rock and roll events and can be combined with devices that produce smoke or haze to create spectacular effects.
The classic par can light is a hollow cylinder that holds a standard halogen or LED bulb. They are the most common type of sealed beam lamp, and the number that follows “PAR” indicates the size in 1/8 inch increments.
These are simple to operate, and they offer a high color rendering index of more than 80, which means that when broadcast or viewed on a screen, the colors appear true-to-life. Many theaters and venues use these as a standard stage light, and they are also popular with clubs, art performance groups, auditoriums, studios, convention centers and churches. HyLite LED par cans are energy efficient and affordable, allowing facilities to lower their power bills without compromising the lighting quality of their stages. They are an excellent choice for replacing traditional incandescent and halogen lamps.
Moving Head Spotlights
A moving head light is a type of professional spotlight that adds movement to your stage lighting design. It’s a common sight at concerts and rock Theater spot lights shows, where the lights are used to highlight performers and create a specific mood or atmosphere for the event.
These automated light systems can be programmed to change position, color, effects and more at a precise speed. They can be moved from one cue to the next with a click of a button, and they can even be synchronized with music and other visual effects for spectacular light shows.
They are available in three different types: spot lights, wash lights and beam lights. Spot lights create a narrow beam of light, which is useful for effect lighting and gobo projections. They can also be used as an accent light for a show’s presenter or star, following them around the stage as they move.
Beam lights are similar to spot lights, but they have a wider beam angle and can project more patterns and colors. Wash lights provide a softer, more diffused wash of light across the entire stage. Some of these lights also have features like gobos and prisms, while others only provide basic color mixing. The ability to control these lights with a computer has made them a staple of modern stage lighting design, and they’re often used in combination with other automated light systems such as followspots, cyc lights, and PAR can lights.