In addition to the "default" blog from the syllabus: Types of stage lights and how they are used (web search, periodicals and library searches), I also want you to blog on the handout I gave you in class- "Lighting Design Process: Contract Documents Through Postoccupaqncy Evaluation."
Extra copies of the handout are in my mailbox in Academic Affairs at Ai.
As usual, you can blog on any links that I send you, and of course on new stuff you find that is at all related to lighting.
Off you go.
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19 comments:
Hello,
Everyone needs to make sure I have hard copies of Project I, and your mid-term take home exercise as well as going back and participating in any blogs you may have missed.
I turn in my mid-term grades next Monday AM and all of the latter counts, as does class attendance.
Don't forget, project II is due next Monday as well. Just bring the 11 x 17 hard copies, we will save CD's of all three projects for Week 11.
Thanks, Tim
Tim O'Donnell, member IATSE, member IALD
Instructor
The Art Institute of Tampa
4401 N. Himes Avenue, Suite 150
Tampa, FL 33614
todonnell@aii.edu
venicetim@yahoo.com
941-321-8447
LIGHTING CLASS FIELD TRIP!
Monday, March 3rd we are going to meet at 2PM at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida
http://www.vanwezel.org/
My so called contacts in Tampa were not working out, so I set it up at one of the places I regular work as a stagehand.
You can all get together and work out a carpool plan to make it simple.
They were very excited when I said I was bringing a dozen 20-something ladies to the hall
(just kidding)
Let me know if you can't make the field trip for some reason.
Thanks, Tim
http://web.archive.org/web/20031209172206/www.kippo.or.jp/culture/build/archi_e.htm
The final phases of the lighting design process are the development of contract documents, contract administration, and evaluation. These stages are the most stressful, but most important stages to designers. The lighting designer is responsible for executing legal contracts with the different business involved such as the client, suppliers, contractors, and trades people. Since these final stages don’t involve any creativity, the lighting designer is not as enthusiastic about fulfilling these responsibilities.
Sufficient time must be allocated to developing accurate documents, consistent communication, careful supervision, and effective problem-solving. Specific architectural, engineering, and interior design firms develop a preferred format for drawings, specifications, and contracts. Standardized requirements are reviewed by an attorney and then serve as a template for developing contract documents.
Contractual documents include working drawings and written specifications that are a graphic representation of a lighting system. These documents are written description of the parameters of the lighting system that combine with the working drawings are the basis for ordering products, installing wiring, and determining the location of luminaries, outlets and controls. The working documents must be accurately scaled, contain detailed illustrations and demonstrate that the plans comply with the local codes.
Contract administration initiates the construction phase of a project. The lighting designer prepares contracts with many individuals and different businesses as well as clients, manufacturers, suppliers, fabricators, independent contractors and others. Any contract used by a lighting designer should be reviewed and approved by an attorney. Many use a letter of agreement between themselves and the other party to specify fees, unit pricing, delivery charges, shipping instructions, and other terms or conditions.
The evaluation stage is to asses the effectiveness of the lighting design, make modifications and acquire information that may be used to improve future projects. For the most effective evaluation, the designer should visit the site within the first three months after the move-in, then six months later, and then at least on year later. The main focus of the evaluation should be to determine how well the lighting design achieves the goals of the project.
On,http://www.theatrecrafts.com/lx_lanterns.html, the web site talks about the different types of lanterns used in stage lighting. There are five main types:
Flood: This is the simplest type of lantern; it consists of a reflector box and a lamp with no lenses. Therefore there is no way to control the direction of the light other than its natural path.
Fresnel: This type of light has soft edges and is able to be controlled more than the flood light. The lenses in this type of light are stepped in concentric circles on the front and pebbled in the back. To control the light, the lamp inside is moved closer or further away from the lense.
Pebbel Convex: This lantern is common in Europe, and not typically found in the U.S. The pebbles convex lense creates a harder beam then the fresnel, but the light is not hard edged. There is a knob to change to focus.
Profile: These lanterns produce the most clearly defined spot of light and are the most focussable. They are the most versitle lights. These lanterns are made up of lenses, lamp, reflector, shutters, and gate. With two lenses, one can create a hard edge and the other creates a softer edge.
Parcan: The lantern is simple and became popular due to its cheapness and efficentcy. It is made from a can and PAR lamp. These are best suited for strong colors and special effects.
This site gives a break down of what typical lights are located in the front, middle, and back of a stage.
http://library.thinkquest.org/21722/LIGHTING.html
This site gives a great break down on stage lighting, some topics include functions of stage lighting, qualities of light, fixtures, lighting angles, color mixing and more.
http://stagelightingprimer.com/
I would have to say that I agree with what Dana said about the final stages of lighting design: that it's the most difficult and uninteresting part. Documents have to be made that specify each individual aspect of the lighting process. Drawings and spec sheets of each light used, and overlays to show the placement and electrical outlets to be used. The designing aspect of lighting is taken out of the final step. But besides being maticulous these documents are vital to the process. Without them nothing would take place. Everyone reviews these documents, and they are placed into the overall documents of the project. Each individual firm submits their drawings and they all must be reviewed for approval.
http://www.questia.com/library/music-and-performing-arts/scene-design-and-stage-lighting.jsp
Week - 7
http://web.archive.org/web/20031209172206/www.kippo.or.jp/culture/build/archi_e.htm
The above site is a site Tim posted on Japanese Architecture - Unusual Mechanisms -
The article is entitled Echoes - The Secret of the Dragon and the Mysterious Urns
The site told of Temples in Japan that possessed ancient architectural “tricks” or techniques that highlighted the use of echoes, reverberation techniques, and/or sound amplifying ideals.
The first story in the article, told of temples the used the dragon on the ceiling the make a “roar”. Basically Temples such as Shokokuji Temple, Tenryuji Temple, and Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto had drawing and painting of dragons on the ceiling, but this is not exactly what caused the roar or the reverberating echoes. The architecture of the buildings used parallel planes (the ceiling and the floor) to create this acoustical feat. Often times the planes would be slightly slanted at the edges causing the sound waves to bounce between the planes many times, overlapping each other, creating a reflection of sounds. Because of the painted dragons on the ceilings, the techniques was referred to as “the roaring of the dragon”.
The next story told the Noh theaters, or the traditional performing arts stage in Japanese culture. The secret to these theaters is the treatments underneath the stage. In Noh tradition urns were placed under the stage to assist with acoustical effects. The urns are arranged with their openings pointed towards the center of the stage, when the sound waves travel to the urns the waves vibrate and the urn reemits the sounds with an echo force.
The last story dealt with a floor architectural technique entitled, Nightingale Floors. This is where the clamps that fix the floorboards rub against holes in the floorboards and cause a singing sound to be produced. The older the floorboards, the more they sing, because the more the holes become worn and the more the wood typically expands. Yet the amazingly beautiful sound that is emitted tends to take attention away from the worn floor.
Also check the article out for some interesting illustrations associated with these tales…….
The last phases of the lighting design process are the development of contract documents, contract administration, and evaluation. At this point in the project things will begin to come alive so making changes to the plan is not ideal for either side of the contract.
The contract documents must have accurate and to scale working drawings(plan view of lighting, electrical, and reflected ceiling plan) and specs(written parameters of the lighting system). The plans should also have legends to make communication easier.
Contracts are prepared by the lighting designer with clients, manufacturers, suppliers, fabricators, and craftspeople. It is very important that these contracts cover all the bases so they should have an attorny review and approve them before anyone signs. The more involved the designer is in the project the less likely there will be any mistakes made. Their presence can make all the difference.
Postoccupancy evaluation is completed after the client is moved in and a few months have gone by, this way the designer can find out if there is any problems with the lighting. If there are you can made the neccessary modifications. This also allows you to ask questions to figure out how to improve future projects. Not only does this show that you care about the design it also shows that you appreciate your client and you go further than your paycheck and contracts require. If you follow up even later a few more times it could also bring more work your way with these clients.
I found some great websites on acoustics and stage design. Check them out:
http://www.theatrequip.com.au/index.html
http://www.concerthalls.unomaha.edu/
I really liked kaila's website:
http://www.concerthalls.unomaha.edu
I recommend that everyone checks it out. It really gives you a quick understanding of how acoustical panels and curtains work with handy diagrams and pictures. It goes further into detail by giving the customer links to more acoustical and concert hall links such as these:
http://asa.aip.org/
http://www.ncac.com/ and many more! Great site Kaila!
As far as the reading goes I found this intersting software that can help with laying out proposals and contracts for yourself as well as your client!
http://www.proposalkit.com/
This site also gives you just a short explaination of what other firms do for their contract needs:
http://www.aianc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=6
Also, we go over contracts in Materials and Codes class with Jill so if you guys have not had her yet that is something to look forward to. She has lots of great handouts as well that are really helpful.
postoccupancy evaluation is related to the field observations that we talked about in the previous handout. This is the part where our surveys come in handy. A general survey can help the lighting designer fix what is necessary as well as help him/her on a future lighting job.
"Modern stage lighting affects what audiences see. Carefully planned lighting can establish mood and color, control the audience's focus of attention, and enhance the meaning of the play."
Some general types of stage lighting:
1.) Floods: A lamp and reflector in a box which can be panned from side to side and tilted up & down to control the direction of light. Mainly used in lighting of large areas of scenery, rather than in acting areas.
2.)Spots: Have the same ability to pan and tilt as the flood, but there is also the possibility of precise control of the angle of the emerging conical light beam and consequently of the area covered.
A good book i found on stage lighting is The Stage Lighting Handbook by Francis Reid
I found the reading about the final phase of documents and evaluation important, but the explanations of the reflected ceiling plan interested me. The hand out explained that the reflected ceiling plan is any thing you would see on the ceiling if you had a mirror on the floor facing up,any lighting on the floor or walls will not be seen on this plan. The reflective ceiling plan can be combined with a electrical plan, mainly on residential or small commercial buildings. Location of luminaries, switches, control loops, outlets, junction boxes and ceiling tiles are included on this plan. A legend is also included on working drawings of a reflected ceiling plan. There are universal symbols and abbreviations that are used.
The sites that Kaila recomended had somev useful inormation on it about acoustical information
The final phases of the design development are those that involve the contract documents, contract administration and evaluation. Although this part of the process may be very monotonous and tedious, it is the most important. This is the stage where the designer recognizes that the creativity process is over and being pushed into reality. Your contract documents are your binding agreements which will entail dimensions, architectural elements, notes, etc. The contract administration will set your construction into effect. The POE is required to assess the effectiveness of your design after it has been installed; in this stage you can make necessary adjustments and such.
Lighting design is the creative process for developing safe, productive, and enjoyable lighting solutions within the built environment. In the past, emphasis was placed on simply delivering an appropriate quantity of light. The quality of light was considered mainly in terms of controlling direct or reflected glare. lighting design now extends far beyond these basic factors. many factors influence the quantity and quality of light. Thus there is no one perfect solution to a single lighting problem. Instead there are multiple solutions, each more or less successful depending on the judging criteria. And the design must also be appropriate in terms of cost, energy, maintenance, style, availability, and a dozen other considerations. Though not a predictable, linear process. It begins with a concept selected from a myriad of alter- natives. Then, as the process proceeds, it is filled with cross-checking. Like many architectural projects, most lighting designs can be circumscribed by the following seven-step process: Programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Contract Documents, Bidding and Negotiation, Construction, and Post-occupancy Evaluation.
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