Theatrical and Stage Lighting Fixtures

Lighting designers and technicians are not only required to know how to achieve any desired lighting effect, but they must keep pace with ever-changing technology and trends while staying within budget. We feel your pain!

Whether you are replacing a tired fixture or designing a brand new space, there is a wide variety of resources to help you put together just the right product.

Fixtures can be loosely categorized two ways: fixed or moving. Fixed fixtures stay in place and require a human operator to manually direct the focus of the beam. Moving fixtures are controlled by electronics and pre-programmed for a variety of effects, including moving, color changing, and image rotation or change.

There are several broadly defined types of stage fixtures. These are used alone or in conjunction with each other as well as with dimming and/or control components to create any kind of effect imaginable.

Border-Striplights
These are compartmentalized strips of lamps in various lengths used to produce a wash of light the width of the stage, typically in three or four circuits. Striplights are generally used for lighting scenery or cycloramas and backdrops.

Cyc/Flood/Scoop Lights
These are variations of the striplight, with a specially shaped reflector producing a very wide, very soft field of light ideal for lighting a cyc or backdrop from top to bottom. Typically, these lights are available in one to four cell units and can be used on either floor or pipe.

Ellipsoidals
These are generally fixed focus spotlights that produce a round, hard edged beam of light with even light intensity across the beam. Ranging in size from 2-inch to 8-inch lens sizes with various focal lengths, these fixtures are also used for pattern projection.

Fresnels
These are spotlights that produce a variable round, soft edged beam of light. The beam width is changed by moving the lamp closer or further from the lens. Fresnels are normally used for down, back, and side lighting.

Followspots
These are variable beam instruments mounted on a swivel base to enable an operator to follow performers with a defined spot of light. The beam of light is similar to an ellipsoidal, but with controls to allow beam shaping and color changing.

PARs: (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector)
These are spotlights that emit a rectangular soft wedged pool of light generally used to produce intense washes of light. Traditional PARs are self contained with lamp, lens and parabolic reflector combined into one unit and requiring a lamp change to effect field size. More recent products have separate lamps and reflectors with interchangeable lenses.

Moving Lights
There is a huge variety of moving fixtures available for moving, spinning, pulsing, color or pattern changing effects. These fixtures are made with moving heads and/or yokes, which move the entire fixture body, or with moving mirror/scanner, which redirects the light by panning and/or tilting the mirror.

As technology evolves, the lines between fixture types can blur. The ETC PARNel combines facets of a PAR with those of a Fresnel. Ellipsoidals zoom. While "fixed" fixtures don't move or spin on their own, they can be fitted with a variety of accessories to emulate moving light effects.

And then, there's the new kid on the block. Dimmable LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) lighting is increasingly incorporated into lighting design. This isn't classified as a "type" of fixture but rather as fixtures that use LED technology in a variety of form, fit, and function.

There are LED fixtures that have the same field sizes as PARs and M16s. There are tiles, submersibles, spots, washes, color changers, and video projectors. LEDs burn longer, require less maintenance, are cooler, have a "purer" light, and are extremely economical to run. There are also LED lamps designed to retrofit into standard fixtures and sockets.

With all these choices and so many product lines from which to chose, how do you decide what is best for your facility? No doubt about it; there are some great companies out there providing sound advice. Be sure to use a company with experience in lighting system design and installation.

This article is courtesy of Mainstage Theatrical Supply, www.mainstage.com.