Maxim Shlykov: “Light is the main magician and assistant in the theater. Lessons for lighting designers from Neil Fraser Aesthetic reasons for the need for electric lighting in the theater

I don't like the name of what I do. “Lighting designer” sounds too pretentious. Such a pretentious name distorts the perception of the profession not only among the “artist” himself, but also among his employers. It’s so beautiful and pleasant when they call you an artist just because you turned on magenta during the buffet table.

The status of an artist deceptively increases the awareness of one's professional importance.

I understand that the name was formed historically, but the modern show industry has distanced the definition of an artist from understanding the essence of his work.

Design describes this activity much more accurately. I don’t know how best to adapt the English name of the lighting designer profession. Lighting designer sounds clumsy. Lighting designer? Let him just be a designer for now.

The debate about the difference between art and design is not over yet, but I can clearly see the difference when you put it into light.

Artist

In my opinion, the artist acts independently. He creates an independent work to share his feelings. The author can throw out emotions and show a reflection of the inner world through a work of art. He makes art to share his experiences with the world or to be inspired by them.

The artist is not limited by any laws and is free to choose any means to achieve creative goals. At the same time, he is not obliged to explain his creativity and the techniques used to anyone. A work may not be understood by anyone at all or may have many interpretations.

Kazimir Malevich. Black suprematist square. 1915. (Yuri Kadobnov/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)

Lighting designers in this case are those who create unique works of light without actors, scenery, or music. Works that exist independently and are interpreted by the public at their discretion.

He lets out a puff-puff haze, flashes multi-colored diodes and shakes his heads to the music - a lighting artist, uh-huh.

Designer

Design is the solution to specific problems. Unlike art, design cannot exist on its own. This is a support activity. The design must be understandable, and the designer must be able to explain and justify the techniques used. The designer must answer the questions why and why. “I’m an artist, that’s how I see it” won’t fly.

I am a designer because I solve problems with the help of light and show technologies. My task is to enhance the emotions of music, visualize arrangements and lyrics. Well, at least make sure the band is visible on stage.

A light show created for a concert cannot live without a stage, band and music.

Can there be a good concert or performance without good light? Of course yes, but not vice versa. Good light will never save a dull artist. This is even worse than an unsolved problem. Such a show pulls the blanket over itself and distracts from the main thing - the music.

The theater designer primarily solves the problem of lighting the actors and scenery. He translates the creative tasks of the director and production designer into the language of the lighting score.

The task of a lighting designer at a corporate event is to fulfill the wishes of the event director. Let people eat comfortably and dance happily.

On TV, the designer listens to the tasks of the director of photography and director. One of his tasks is to make people look better than in life :). “Drawing” so that there is, filling, background. It's important there. An example that L. Pozdnyansky told me: the director of photography moved the spot covering Gradsky on the “Voice” show closer to him. So, the angle became sharper, and the shadow of the chin began to hide the imperfections of the mentor’s neck.

I really like this quote from Colin Wright about the difference between art and design:

“Art is like masturbation. It is selfish and introverted and done for you and you alone. Design is like sex. There is someone else involved, their needs are just as important as your own, and if everything goes right, both parties are happy in the end.”

Such a different lighting artist

The lack of separate specialties and the arrogance of specialists working with light have devalued all lighting artists.

Well, we also have this:

Lighting designer	Lighting designer
Console operator	Lighting designer
Technician	Lighting designer
Event agency manager	Lighting designer
Leading	Lighting designer
Director at a corporate event	Lighting designer
Rental owner	Lighting designer
Technical Director	Lighting designer
Trainee	Lighting designer
Guy with Sunlight	Lighting designer
DJ	Lighting designer
The guy who was shown at the rental base how to patch and record cues	Lighting designer
I	Lighting designer Designer

The name of the profession of lighting artist is devalued and does not reflect the essence of my work. I am a designer.

About colleagues as dead people: good or nothing. Criticism cannot offend you because it makes you better.

The artist does not see, trust or does not understand. The viewer doesn't understand. What then gives me the energy to do this? First of all, myself. Secondly, you, dear colleagues.

Job Description for Chief Lighting Designer[name of company]

This job description was developed and approved in accordance with the provisions of the Unified Qualification Directory of Positions for Managers, Specialists and Employees, section “Qualification characteristics of positions for workers in culture, art and cinematography”, approved. by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation of March 30, 2011 N 251n, and other regulations governing labor relations.

1. General Provisions

1.1. The chief lighting designer belongs to the artistic staff and directly reports to [name of the manager's position].

1.2. The chief lighting designer is appointed to the position and dismissed from it by order of [name of position].

1.3. A person who has a higher professional education (theater and set design, artistic, technical) and work experience as a lighting designer for at least 5 years is accepted for the position of chief lighting designer.

1.4. The chief lighting designer must know:

Laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation relating to the activities of performing arts organizations;

Technical parameters and stage capabilities;

Parameters and technical characteristics of lighting equipment;

Basic techniques of artistic lighting in relation to scenographic solutions;

The latest achievements of science and technology in the field of stage lighting;

Electrical engineering;

Electronics;

Computer technology;

Flower science;

Mechanics;

Rules for operation, storage and transportation of lighting devices;

Experience in performing arts organizations and specialized organizations in the field of stage lighting;

History of material culture and theatrical and decorative art;

The specifics of creative work in performing arts organizations;

Fundamentals of economics and management in the field of performing arts, labor legislation;

Internal labor regulations;

Labor protection and fire safety rules.

2. Job responsibilities

Chief Lighting Designer:

2.1. Creates lighting design for new and major productions in accordance with the director’s plans.

2.2. Together with the production designer, he develops the principles and style of artistic lighting solutions for performances, and ensures the required level of artistic lighting design.

2.3. Develops lighting effects, necessary technical means and rules for their operation.

2.4. Participates in the acceptance of the stage design layout of the performance, gives specific proposals for mounting and use of the necessary technical means.

2.5. Conducts lighting rehearsals for performances with fixation of the installed artistic lighting on the scores.

2.6. Controls the accurate implementation of artistic lighting of performances of the current repertoire.

2.7. Supervises the work of lighting designers and provides them with the necessary assistance.

2.8. Promotes the professional growth of lighting designers.

2.9. Organizes the study and implementation of the latest achievements in the field of theatrical production equipment and technology.

2.10. Develops long-term plans for modernizing stage lighting.

2.11. [other job responsibilities]

3. Rights

The chief lighting designer has the right:

3.1. For all social guarantees provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

3.2. Receive information about the activities of the organization necessary to perform functional duties from all departments directly or through the immediate superior.

3.3. Submit proposals to management to improve your work and the work of the organization.

3.4. Get acquainted with draft orders of management relating to its activities.

3.5. Sign and endorse documents within your competence.

3.6. Take part in meetings where issues related to his work are discussed.

3.7. Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties.

3.8. Improve your professional qualifications.

3.9. [other rights provided for labor legislation Russian Federation].

4. Responsibility

The chief lighting designer is responsible for:

4.1. For non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of the duties provided for in this instruction - within the limits determined by the labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

4.2. For offenses committed in the course of carrying out their activities - within the limits determined by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

4.3. For causing material damage to the employer - within the limits determined by the current labor and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

The job description has been developed in accordance with [name, number and date of document].

Head of HR department

[initials, surname]

[signature]

[day month Year]

Agreed:

[job title]

[initials, surname]

[signature]

[day month Year]

I have read the instructions:

[initials, surname]

[signature]

[day month Year]

Here is the first lesson for beginning lighting artists. The author of this training series is Neil Fraser, curator of the Technical Faculty of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In this article, the author identifies five main aspects of stage lighting and suggests ways for lighting designers to improve it.

Neil Fraser: “In writing this article, I have attempted to list what we aim to achieve with stage lighting. Of course, not everything that has been said will be true in each specific case; the resulting list is my attempt to answer this question as fully as possible.”

So, stage lighting:

• gives us the opportunity to see what is happening on stage,
• characterizes the place and time of the play,
• tells us about the mood of the scene,
• highlights those places that are especially important to see,
• gives the scene the necessary attractiveness,
• emphasizes the genre and style of the play,
• captivates us with special effects.

The job of a lighting designer is to know how to achieve all this in the most effective way (of course, in collaboration with other people: director, production designer, etc.) This knowledge includes several aspects that we We will discuss in this course, namely:

1. corner,
2. shape,
3. color,
4. movement
5. and composition.

To begin with, let's note that the first three points (angle, shape and color) characterize the light itself, while the last two (movement and composition) describe how we use this light to create light paintings.

Musical Theater named after. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko,
director Alexander Titel,
lighting designer Damir Ismagilov

All five components are vital: with their help we tell a story, create a mood, or simply convey certain information to the audience. How we do this depends on what we have learned about the nature of light, how it works - we receive, accumulate and systematize this experience throughout our lives, from birth.

directed by Francesca Zambello
lighting designer Mark McCullough

Based on this knowledge, lighting designers decide at what angle each scene will be lit, what the color and shape of the beams should be, how it will all line up, and how it will change in accordance with the design of the play. The audience doesn't stand aside either. They become experts at interpreting light patterns, although they often don't realize it. From this point of view, we can talk about effective lighting, that is, about lighting that allows viewers to grasp the meaning and feel the mood of the light scene.

Scene from Tatiana Baganova's play "Sepia",
Yekaterinburg troupe "Provincial Dances"

For most lighting decisions there is no “right” or “wrong”, and this is very important because it allows the lighting designer to implement his own understanding, his own style. However, Neil Fraser strongly advises aspiring lighting designers to refine and develop their ideas towards effective lighting. There are several ways to do this.

1. Practice. Take every opportunity to test your ideas, try something new, explore and create,

2. Observation. Everywhere - indoors and outdoors, in film and in the real world - pay attention to the light and determine how it was created and how you can recreate it on stage.

3. Education. Learn from painters how to use light and structure the composition of their paintings.

Good examples would be the works of Rembrandt, Caravaggio or David Hockney.

The most important thing is to start thinking about how light “works” and how we can use it. This is the first practical task for those who want to become a true professional in the field of stage lighting.

In the next installment of the series - "Getting an angle on lighting" - Neil Fraser talks about how to choose the right angle for lighting. We wish you creative success!

Part 2: Find the right angle

Here is the second lesson in a series for beginning lighting artists. In the first article, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts Department of Engineering curator Neil Fraser looked at the five main aspects of stage lighting.

In the second lesson, Neil Fraser answers the question of where light should fall on a stage, talks about different lighting angles, and offers a number of useful exercises for creating light paintings.

When choosing the angle at which the light falls, it is important to find a compromise between how clearly the audience sees the illuminated object and the dramatic perception of that object. It's great when both ideas come true, but often one of them crowds out the other. For example, this happens when someone tries to make an object more visible to viewers and removes the shadows that give it the desired character.

Usually, by looking at the angle at which light falls, we can guess where its source is located. It is more difficult to determine which source of light is emitting: the sun, a table lamp or a street lamp. Thus, when interpreting the light on stage, the audience may not draw an analogy between the angle of incidence of the light and the real light source with which it is familiar.

Basic lighting angles

Below are the five main angles that characterize the location of the light source in relation to the illuminated object:

1. Horizontal (flat) light - light falling directly on the object along the viewer's line of sight
2. Back light – light coming from behind and above
3. Side light - light from the side at the level of the object
4. Overhead light – the source is located directly above the subject
5. Ramp light - the source is located in front of the object from below

By combining some of these areas, you can also get:

• Top front light - light from above and in front of the subject
• Diagonal light - light from above away from the subject

The choice of lighting angle depends on what we want to communicate to the viewer. So let's imagine the emotional meaning of these angles.

Flat stage lighting is often dull as it produces almost no shadows. Only in a certain context (when a strong impact is required) can it be mysterious and interesting.

Rear the light can be described as ominous or mysterious. It is rarely used separately, in its pure form.

Side light has a strong effect, like something abstract (rarely found in natural conditions).

Upper light can be perceived as oppressive; it seems to press down on the illuminated object.

Ramp the light on stage seems the most strange, uncanny and unusual of all. It is not surprising that it is used less often than others.

Upper front the light well models the light sources known to us - it is at this angle that sunlight, light from street lamps or from a room chandelier falls. In addition, it most harmoniously combines good visibility and a certain drama.

Diagonal the light is not as familiar as the top front light, but more natural than the side light, because falls from above.
The effect that light has on the viewer depends not so much on the light itself, but on the shadows it creates. It is chiaroscuro that can show the outlines and shape of an object and arouse interest in it.

Combining lighting angles

Using multiple light sources on a stage makes the lighting scene more interesting. Below are a few notes on this:

1. The effect of light sources positioned at fundamental angles to the subject can be very different from what is achieved by combining them. When combining different lighting angles, we must remember how each light source contributes to the overall picture. For example, one angle is used to give clarity to a painting, while another is used to create dramatic light.
2. Every lighting designer knows that having a strong, dominant light source in a lighting design makes the lighting look more attractive. It can be assumed that a strong key light is perceived by us as pleasant on a subconscious level (as it happens on a clear sunny day). This can be used: making one light source stronger than another is not difficult, and it looks good.
3. Keep in mind that using too many lighting angles makes the overall picture blurry or overexposed. It looks good, but it's not interesting to watch. Here (as in many other situations) the saying “less is more” applies.
4. Light on a stage is capable of “moving” an object, for example, bringing it closer or further away. This is very noticeable when you use backlighting, which when combined with other lighting angles has a real power: creating a halo around the object, it seems to push it towards the viewer, emphasizing its shape, demonstrating its three-dimensionality.

Typically, the way an artist implements lighting on stage is based on how it works in the real world. If the stage object looks familiar, the viewer can easily guess the light source he knows. Then we can talk about natural (realistic) light on the stage.

When working with lighting angles, you need to keep in mind some general principles regarding working with light:

• it is light that reveals the shape of objects,
• identical light patterns quickly become boring,
• insufficient number of light sources impairs visibility,
• the presence of shadow enhances the effect of light.

As a rule, lighting designers improve their skills every time they simply do their job. However, sometimes it is useful to experiment with light without being tied to any project. These exercises can be done alone or in company with colleagues.

Neil Fraser recommends that aspiring lighting designers keep a diary or journal with ideas, references, diagrams and sketches, photographs, postcards, etc. Such a magazine can become a kind of treasury of ideas and a source of inspiration. It will be helpful to include your notes regarding the suggested exercises.

EXERCISES

Most of the practice exercises here will require multiple light sources. Of course, theater lamps are best suited, but in some cases you can get by with the help of floor lamps. Some exercises can be simulated in miniature using small light bulbs and a table surface. Non-practice exercises will help you fill your notebook or journal with ideas.

Exercise 1. Finding the right angle

1. Find an interesting inanimate object to illuminate, such as a pyramid of chairs or a fabric draped over the legs of an upturned table.

2.Select a viewpoint.

3.Take three light sources and place them at different angles to the subject.

4.See what the lighting from each source looks like separately and describe it

5.See what the lighting looks like when combining light sources in pairs, describe your impressions.

6.Look at the effect of turning on all three sources at once, describe your impressions in a journal. If you have the ability to change the brightness of your fixtures, use it to create combinations of key and fill lights.

To make the effect of each light more noticeable, use different color filters for each of them in rich shades, such as red, blue and green.

Exercise 2. Painting with light

1.View the list of basic lighting angles:

horizontal light,

rear light,

Side light,

overhead light,

Ramp light.

2.Take a stack of old magazines and leaf through it, looking for illustrations where the light falls in one of the above ways.

3. When you have a sufficient number of such examples, arrange them in ascending order: from the best to the worst application of a given lighting angle.

Some lighting angles will be seen more often than others, and they are rare in their pure form. Therefore, you can repeat this exercise when you have old magazines again. File your best photos in a folder so you can refer to them in the future. This exercise can be done while watching television or video images.

Exercise 3. Learning to see the light

1. Take a list of the main lighting angles:

horizontal light,

rear light,

Side light,

overhead light,

Ramp light.

2.Visit several different places, such as your bedroom, classroom, library room, park, etc.

3. Make notes in your notebook (location, time of day, etc.) and record the angles at which the light hits each of these locations.

4.If you can draw, make some sketches.

Come up with a symbol for each angle (this may be useful for later notes).

Exercise 4. Three against one

This exercise is similar to Exercise 1, but instead of lighting an inanimate object, you'll be lighting a living model. Again, an important part of this exercise is to verbally describe what you will see. This exercise will become even more useful if you conduct and discuss it with your partner.

1.Place the model in the center of the illuminated space.

2.Choose an observation point - the place from where you will look at the model.

3.Select three light sources and place them at different angles in relation to the model.

4.Look at how each of them illuminates the model separately. Describe your impressions: what it reminds you of, what atmosphere they create, what emotions they evoke.

5.Do the same for pairwise combinations of light sources.

6.Turn on all three sources at once and record your impressions.

7.If you can adjust the brightness of your lights, create a key light and a fill light. Or go to Exercise 6 (which expands on this topic).

Exercise 5. Working five

Create a lighting scheme for the model placed in the center of the selected space using five light sources. Each of them should shine at one of the basic angles:

horizontal light,

rear light,

Side light,

overhead light,

Ramp light.

Of course, you must very clearly define your own point of observation. When you create your diagram:

1.See how all five lights work on their own. Describe your impressions: what it reminds you of, what atmosphere they create, what emotions they evoke.

2.Combine light sources in pairs and write down your impressions.

3.Do the same for various combinations of three light sources.

4.If you can adjust the brightness of the lights, create several variations of key and fill lights.

5.Answer the following questions for yourself:

Do you like how the model is lit from one angle or another? Choose your favorite single light source: why do you like it?

Which of the light source combinations you've created do you like and which don't? Why? Can you use your design to make the model look a certain way (like a hero, like a weak person, like a prisoner, etc.)?

Can you create a certain atmosphere with your design? Try the following: mystery, horror, anxiety, fun, drama, heart, hopelessness, excitement, boredom, depression.

Exercise 6. Realistic light

1.Place the model in the center of your room

2.Choose three light sources and position them so that your model is illuminated as if on a bright sunny day (do not use color filters). Check the result by asking someone to comment on the resulting picture. Ask, “What natural light does this remind you of?” If he answers “noon” or sunny day,” ask him to say where the sunlight is coming from (i.e. which light source is simulating sunlight).

3.Repeat the experiment, recreating the picture of moonlight.

In this exercise you will create a strong, bright key light. The main difficulty is to strike a balance between the key light and other sources. Achieving this is twice as difficult without using colored light, but it is much more useful.

Exercise 7. Improvisation

Creating an effective and "natural" key light is easier if you can use color to impact the viewer. But the main point of this exercise is to coordinate the levels of light directed at different angles.

Again place your model in the middle of the room and create a lighting scheme using the following ideas:

Sunlight in the forest

Frosty winter day

Formal interior at noon,

City street corner at night,

Cabin in a submarine,

The landscape of an unfamiliar planet,

hospital ward,

tropical island,

North Pole.

This list can be continued endlessly. You can add your own ideas to it or ask someone else to think about them. By working in a group, you will be able to find more options that suit your needs. Discussing your ideas with your partners will be very useful to you in the future, when you have to implement the director’s or production designer’s plans on stage.

Exercise 8. Dramatic atmosphere

Creating a truly dramatic atmosphere is an important function of stage lighting. You can use color in this exercise, but only if you absolutely cannot do without it. Again, you need to place the model in the center of the room and light it so as to create an atmosphere:

Liberation,

Envy

Cruelty,

Peace.

Again, the list goes on and on. For example, all seven deadly sins could be included here. You can have fun with your colleagues discussing options. The number of ideas you can implement will depend on the resources available (time and equipment). But it wouldn’t hurt to at least write them down.

Exercise 9. Lighting an area of ​​the scene

Many of the previous exercises focused on lighting the model. In this exercise we'll take it a step further and illuminate not only the model, but also the area of ​​the scene around it.

1.Select an area of ​​the scene where you will place your model. It should not be too large (2 square meters is enough).

2.Now choose some minimal lighting scheme from the previous exercises (for example, for “sunny day”, “North Pole”, “anger”, etc.) and light an area of ​​​​the scene in such a way that your model can move even when this is to remain in a given atmosphere.

3.Pay special attention to the lighting of the model at the boundaries of your site. Obviously, in some cases you will have to redirect your fixtures or add additional light sources.

This exercise is the first step to lighting the entire scene. It will help you gain confidence that you are lighting all the space you need. You should also be able to feel the difference between lighting a static model and a moving model. Be especially careful to ensure that there are no unwanted shadows or highlights in your area.

Part 3. Rainbow on stage

The third lesson for beginning lighting artists is dedicated to colored stage lighting. Neil Fraser, Curator of the Technical Department of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, talks about the emotional impact of color and offers 9 exercises to develop skills in working with colored light.

Theatrical light is a full participant in any performance, be it a realistic production or a fantastic story. Often it is the light that sets the context of the action or immerses the viewer in the desired psychological atmosphere. Moreover, the strength of the influence of light largely depends on how it is painted.

It is important to understand that all light is colored - there is no light that does not have a color tint. True, sometimes this shade is not striking (for example, we rarely perceive ordinary sunlight as colored). However, if we are careful, we will notice that the slightly yellowish midday light clearly adds optimism to us, and the bluish-gray twilight lighting plunges us into a state of anxious foreboding.

As for theatrical light, we can distinguish its warm and cold shades.

WARM LIGHT is considered more suitable for comedies and romantic stories. Typically, various shades of straw, light pink, amber and gold are used.

COLD LIGHT is suitable for “sad stories”: tragedies, nightmares and detective stories. Common cool colors are steely blue, light green and plain blue.

Theater lighting can also vary in color intensity. Light and delicate colors are used much more often. With their help, you can highlight the desired area of ​​the scene, emphasize skin tone, highlight a costume favorably, or indicate the time of day or location of the action.

Richer, darker colors can be very dramatic and usually convey more specific messages. Thus, green can be interpreted as the color of envy or illness, blue creates an atmosphere of serenity and peace, and red denotes passion, blood, war, rage or love.

When we see a certain color, we proceed from the impression that the rays reflected from a particular object make on us. Our eyes recognize different wavelengths and interpret them as color sensations.

The names we give to different colors are subjective, because the colors of the spectrum smoothly transition from one to another without any clear boundaries between them. In fact, the seven colors we use to describe the rainbow are too rough a way to describe all the countless shades that the spectrum contains.

However, in the theory of color perception, several primary colors are distinguished - their choice depends on the color mixing model used.

If we put RED, GREEN and BLUE filters on three spotlights, then the intersection of all three rays will give us white light. In this case, the three primary colors complement each other, so the process is called additive color mixing (from the English word “add” - add). With additive color mixing, more light and a brighter color are obtained at the intersection of rays.

If you put three filters (YELLOW, PURPLE and BLUE) on one spotlight, each filter will retain light with a certain wavelength, this process is called subtractive color mixing (from the English word “subtract” - subtract). It is clear that in this case we will get less light and a darker color.

So, the most important thing to remember when working with colored theater lighting is:

• Any light is colored
• Color is a powerful tool for conveying emotional states
• Color helps determine the place and time of action
• Rich colors have a powerful impact
• Lighter colors also set the mood, but not so clearly
• Color can be interpreted differently in different contexts (for example, red can represent anger or passion)

Exercise 10. Assembling a collection

1. Stock up on old magazines with lots of color photographs and illustrations.

2. On a large sheet of paper, draw a rainbow (in the form of an arc or just a flat spectrum): red - orange - yellow - green - blue - indigo - violet.

3. Cut out small pictures from magazines, colored in rainbow colors, and paste them onto your sheet.

4. When you're done, flip through the swatchbook of color filter samples and write next to the pictures the numbers of the colors that appear on your diagram.

Do the same exercise with your favorite color. See how many shades of color fit between the lightest and darkest options (for example, between light blue and dark blue).

This exercise trains color perception. The human eye is capable of distinguishing several million shades of color, and lighting designers must continuously improve in this art.

Exercise 11. Painting with light

1. Using three spotlights with red, green and blue filters, direct three beams painted in primary colors onto a white surface - a screen or a white canvas (it’s best to do all this in a darkened space).

2. Note what color you get when all appliances are turned on at full power.

3. By varying the brightness of the spotlights, find the best version of “white” light available. Record the device settings.

4. <Используя материал, подготовленный в Упражнении 10, выберите какой-нибудь из цветов и воспроизведите его с помощью трёх прожекторов. Снова зафиксируйте настройки.

5. Repeat the experiment with other colors.

Do this exercise using the yellow, cyan, and magenta filters.

Exercise 12. Chameleon color

1. Find several objects or fabrics that are dyed in rich colors. They can be single or multi-colored.

2. Using the diagram from Exercise 11 and the primary color filters, direct the colored rays one at a time onto your “still life”. This exercise is useful for comparing different colors with each other (again, this experiment is best done in a darkened space).

3. Write down how each of the primary colors affects the appearance of your chosen items. Be sure to note what the original color of each of your objects was under normal lighting, but in the space where you then lit them.

Repeat the experiment, replacing the primary colors with any other rich or more subtle shades. Those objects that look exactly the same under a certain light may change greatly when illuminated by rays of a different color. This is because the material they are made from reflects light at different wavelengths differently.

Exercise 13. All shades of black

1. Find a few objects or pieces of fabric that appear black to you (don't worry that they may look slightly different in colored or even normal light).

2. Again use the filter pattern and primary colors from Exercise 11 and direct the colored rays one at a time to the black objects.

3. Write down how each of the primary colors affects the way your chosen objects look.

Try to make a good mixture of shades of "black" - so that some of them do not reflect any color, and others appear black in normal lighting, but reflect some color when illuminated with rays of certain light. Most likely, such a reflected color will be quite dark in any case.

Repeat this exercise with "white" objects made from various materials (this could be paper, fabric, laundry detergent, feathers, etc.)

Exercise 14. Emotions and color

1. Make a list of emotional states you know. Try to make it as complete as possible, first add:

ANGER / JOY / HATE / ENVY / LOVE / JEALOUSY / COMPASSION / HOPE / CONFUSION / PEACEFUL / EXCITATION / SURPRISE / GREED / MADNESS / SUSPICION...

2. Now, opposite each word, write down the color that you associate with this emotion or feeling.

You can do this exercise based on any other list, such as a list of people or animals. You can also test your friends - in this case, it is best to read out the list, demanding an immediate answer - the one that comes to mind first. You shouldn’t think too long; it’s better not to have an answer at all than to force it.

This exercise is about developing your imagination, not about getting the "right" light. As with many things, there are no wrong decisions here. The only wrong action is not to find a single solution.

Exercise 15. Random selection

1. Take the list of emotions compiled during the previous exercise and write each word on a separate card.

2. Place all the cards in a bag or hat.

3. Take out any card from there.

4. Now, on a white screen (or on a sheet hanging vertically), create lighting that illustrates one of your chosen emotions. Naturally, you can change not only the color, but also the shape, intensity and size of the projected beam. Although the dominant color should still be.

5. Once you have built this scene, show it to someone and ask them to guess what emotion you illustrated. If this person cannot answer immediately, ask him to choose one emotion from the list.

This exercise can be attempted using less equipment (gradually reducing it until only one spotlight remains).

You can repeat this exercise many times. Some emotions are easier to express than others. Remember that we are not looking for the “right” answers, but rather developing our imagination.

Exercise 16. Real color

1. Arm yourself with a swatchbook of color filters from some manufacturer.

2. Look among them for colors that can be found in real life (most likely, these will be light straw, amber, pink, blue and possibly green shades).

3. Over a period of time (a day or a week), choose several moments when you can stop and carefully look at the colors present in natural or artificial light. These include morning light, rainy day light, evening light, street lights at dusk, fluorescent light in your kitchen, night light in your bedroom, light from a running TV, etc.

4. Always try to match the color of the light source with one of the samples in your swatch book. When making notes, be sure to include the light source, time of day, weather conditions, and filter number.

Record your findings in your lighting designer's journal. If you haven't started one yet, now is the time to do so. Notes like these are invaluable when you're looking for inspiration or just looking for a color you like.

Exercise 17. From dawn to dusk

DAWN

NOON

TWILIGHT

Do this exercise by lighting a small area of ​​the stage (no more than 1 square meter) by placing a single object (for example, a chair) on it.

Notes:

1. Obviously, you will feel a huge difference when doing this exercise on a plane and in space. In the second case, you need to find suitable light direction angles. If we work with a flat screen, color plays a major role.

2. The colors you choose can range from completely natural to downright romantic shades. And it depends on your decision what exactly you will depict: a cold winter or a warm summer day.

3. As is often the case, there are no “right” solutions here, only more or less effective ones.

Exercise 18. Four seasons

1. Prepare a small white vertical screen or white sheet.

2. Direct the light onto the screen to depict one or more of the seasons (SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER or SPRING).

Again, try this exercise on a small area of ​​the stage with only one object (for example, a chair).

This exercise forces you to remember your ideas about the seasons, and to recreate the essence of these impressions on stage. It is clear that summer and winter look different in different places and at different times. However, it's worth trying to capture the essence of each season and convey your ideas through certain means without getting too bogged down in the details.

Part 4. Creating the mood on stage

The fourth lesson in a series of articles for aspiring lighting designers is dedicated to creating the mood on stage. Royal Academy of Theater Arts curator Neil Fraser talks about how to use light to convey the character of a scene and highlight the emotions of actors.

What is the mood of the scene?

The picture you paint on stage can be concrete, abstract, or somewhere in between. For example, you might want to create lighting that simulates a cold, moonlit autumn night (a very literal use of lighting) or conveys a sense of tragic horror (a more abstract concept). Or all together: A COLD AUTUMN NIGHT, IMPACTED WITH HORROR!

Thus, with the help of light you can not only determine space or time, but also create elements (fire, water, air) or moods. Each of us has an understanding of how to visualize emotions such as anger, joy, sadness. It is important to understand that there are no right answers here, but only the most preferable ones (from your point of view, as well as from the point of view of the director, production designer, author of the play, etc.).

At the same time, it is imperative to take into account the expectations of the audience - after all, they also have certain ideas about what this or that lighting looks like in the real world. This performance helps them interpret what is happening on stage, even if they are not aware of it. That’s why it’s so important to work through your own ideas in detail, achieving their maximum effectiveness.

How to create a mood?

Conventional methods of constructing light paintings work to create a mood. It all depends on your specific decisions: which devices and where exactly to put them, what color, intensity and beam shape to use. Just like the notes in a piece of music, lighting fixtures offer many possibilities depending on their relative position and settings. Each combination makes its own unique contribution to the atmosphere of the performance.

The process of creating such light paintings is reminiscent of a walk through an unfamiliar city. On the one hand, you have basic knowledge that allows you to ask yourself the right questions. You know the basic angles at which you're going to point the fixtures, you have a certain palette of colors, and you can change the intensity of different light sources.

On the other hand, only practice will help you determine what you like best and what you want to get in the end. To make such an assessment as objective as possible, you need to constantly practice the following:

Observation. Look at the world with wide open eyes, consider the world around you as a kind of school of working with light. Learn to see how light forms the shape of objects, how it reflects from different surfaces. Train yourself to associate this or that lighting in the real world with your well-being or mood.

Education. Feel like an artist who is building the composition of his painting. Learn from the great masters - Embbrandt, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Hockney. You must develop your own taste - an understanding of what exactly makes a good light picture.

Experiment. Use every opportunity to test your ideas, gain some benefit from them, and draw practical conclusions. The more lighting options you work through for each scene, the easier it will be to choose the best ones.

Below Exercises will help you develop the necessary skills in working with light and learn how to create stunning light scenes on stage, full of drama and emotion. It is very useful to keep a journal where you write down ideas, links, paste drawings, photographs, postcards and any other results of your exercises. Such a magazine can become your assistant and source of ideas.

Exercise 19. Imitating reality

1.Select one or more scenes from the list (all of them take place on the street):

Afternoon in the desert

Night forest

Leaf fall

Sledging

Sea beach

City lights

2.Choose a small area of ​​the scene (about one square meter) and place any object there: a chair, a houseplant, or anything you have on hand.

3. Light the area, trying to create the scene you chose in Step 1. Pay special attention to the color choice and how it works when using a different beam shape, its intensity. Don't worry about who or what exactly you're covering. Concentrate on getting the right mood.

The important point of this exercise is to create a strong and defining key light - it can imitate the sun, a street lamp, or something else. The better you do this, the more realistic the result will be. You will also have to decide where you will watch the results of your efforts (where the audience will sit). This point of view also plays an important role in the following exercises.

Exercise 20. Light inside a building

1.Select one of the indoor scenes presented in the list:

Morning in the classroom

Underground crypt

Evening service in the temple

Prison cell

2.Do the same steps as in exercise 19.

Unlike “street lighting,” indoor lighting consists of the light of many natural and artificial light sources. Its effectiveness will depend on how well you combine them. And of course, on your understanding of how it works in the real world.

Exercise 21. Focus on mood

2. Place several devices so that your “actor” is in one of the following moods:

Depression

Danger

Serenity

Awe

Righteousness

As in the previous exercises, it would be nice if you ask your friends and colleagues to guess what kind of mood you had in mind. Your “actor” should not help you, his job is to simply stand or sit still. The setting is also not critical - it doesn’t matter where exactly you create this scene or what light sources you use. The use of a key light and a good balance with other light sources should remain a priority. Then you can create effective, dramatic and exciting lighting.

Exercise 22. Everything is relative

1.Ask your friend or colleague to stand in the center of the light beam

2.Use a light directed from below to illuminate your “actor”, as is done in horror films

3.Add a few more fixtures to enhance that mood.

4.Now remove all devices again, except for the low light

5.Make the lower light dim and warm

6. If you can, find a way to add flicker, as if there is a fire on stage.

It is important that you understand the importance of context when staging a particular scene. The same low light that terrified, in a different context, can create quite nice and even friendly lighting.

This exercise is worth doing both for yourself and to show others. When a group of people observes the first (and very convincing) effect achieved with a downlight, there is hardly a single person who can imagine that the same light can create a comfortable and optimistic impression without changing the focus, just adding color. Sometimes it is worth asking your “actor” to make one gesture - to warm his hands over an imaginary fire. This once again proves the importance of context.

Exercise 23. In contrast

1. Select a small area of ​​the scene and place several ordinary objects in it - a table and chairs, a stack of books, coffee cups, a hanger, etc.

2.Select one or more pairs of moods listed below

3.Create two scenes in which objects are in two contrasting states:

Horror/Fantasy

Freedom/Imprisonment

Good bad

War/Peace

Fast slow

Hot/Cold

Big small

In this artist’s “workshop” there are no paints, a palette and an easel, but there are a lot of buttons, spotlights and light filters. Therefore, for a full-fledged creative process, it is important not only to have artistic taste, but also to have excellent knowledge of lighting equipment. Maxim Shlykov’s first acquaintance with the profession of theatrical illuminator and lighting designer took place in 2000, and since then he realized that he could no longer imagine his life without working in the theater.

Maxim, tell me how you ended up in the theater? And how did your path into the profession begin?

It all started in childhood, when my parents and grandparents regularly took me to the circus and theater. Therefore, I fell ill with the theater even at that time, especially after watching the legendary performance of the Saratov Youth Theater “The Scarlet Flower”. And when I was in first grade, the Teremok puppet theater came to our school with the production of “The Jumping Princess,” which is still part of the Teremok repertoire. After the performance, I told the teacher that when I become an adult, I will definitely work in this theater. Then I could not imagine that everything would happen like this, but, in any case, there was always an interest in the theater and the desire to work as an artist in it.

While studying in high school, I joined the school activities of the Youth Theater, and later I was lucky to collaborate with the wonderful production designer Olga Vladimirovna Kolesnikova. It was she who brought me to the lighting workshop, which always attracted me and where I first tried myself as a lighting designer. This was around 2000. There I began to learn my profession. A great help in this was the Youth Theater lighting designer Viktor Markovich Storozhenko, whom I still consider my teacher to this day and to whom I am very grateful. Later, thanks to him, I visited the city of St. Petersburg to take courses for lighting designers - these were large, interesting courses organized by specialists from the USA and Russia. They became a kind of “initiation” of mine into the profession. This is where all the fun began.

Where do specialists of this profession come from in our theaters? Where are lighting designers trained?

Unfortunately, in our country there are no institutes that would train specialists with the diploma “Lighting Designer”. In St. Petersburg there is a theater academy that graduates technical artists with a specialization in “lighting designer.” Until recently, this course was taught by the great lighting designer Vladimir Lukasevich, who, unfortunately, passed away at the end of last year. Moscow GITIS also teaches a specialty in lighting design - that’s all higher education in this field. Most often, lighting designers are such “nuggets”, people who came to work in the theater, fell in love with the theater, began to try themselves in something more, they began to succeed, and, in the end, their work turned out to be truly necessary and in demand. So it was with me.

What exactly should a simple lighting designer achieve so that in the future he can rise to the next step - become a lighting designer?

You need to be able to organize the light in a performance. A lighting designer must see and understand how light can be used to express what the director intended. How to fit within the framework set by the director and at the same time how to bring something of your own to what is happening on stage to make a truly good performance. After all, a lot depends on light, sometimes it is light that becomes the very highlight of the performance, the most important expressive element - especially if we are talking about some kind of modern high-tech production.

And how did you come to work at the Saratov Puppet Theater?

In 2006, I received an invitation to come work at the Teremok Puppet Theater. At first I had doubts, I didn’t make up my mind right away, because in another theater the specifics of staging the light were different, but then I didn’t refuse the chance to try something new, and subsequently I never regretted it. Of course, during the first few years I had to get used to it and learn new methods, because lighting in a puppet theater is set up differently and has slightly different tasks. But there is a main unifying point - regardless of all the nuances, this work requires only a creative approach and sincere interest in what you do.

Maxim Shlykov: “Light is the main magician and assistant in the theater”

How do the specifics of lighting production differ in different theaters?

In fact, these differences are small. In the opera and ballet theater, for example, it is most often necessary to use the so-called flood light; in ballet, the soloists are illuminated with spotlights. In the Philharmonic it is concert light, in the puppet theater it is mainly local light that focuses on the puppets. But the drama theater gives more freedom in this regard. In any case, if a lighting designer is a professional, he can easily adapt to any conditions, nothing is impossible for him, the main thing is that the light is not household, but artistic. I am now collaborating with several theaters, I have been doing my work for 15 years, and yet I do not claim that I am a great specialist. I continue to study every day, I love working with different directors in different theaters, participating in various seminars, exhibitions, trainings - this experience is invaluable to me.

How is your work in the theater structured? At what stage of creating a performance does a lighting designer become involved in this process?

The work of the lighting designer begins already at the stage of discussing the general concept of the future performance with the director and production designer. The director expresses all his ideas, talks about how he approximately sees the final result, the production designer shares his thoughts about the design of the scenery - and based on this, the lighting designer begins to draw his “light” picture in his head, selects equipment, comes up with lighting, directing the light, selecting the color scheme, and so on. Then, during the rehearsal process, all this is clarified several times, set up, corrected, a lighting score is written, recorded in the lighting console and on paper. In fact, this is very painstaking work, but certainly creative.

Tell us a little about the “creative moment” in your work. Does a lighting designer really feel like an artist, since he is still very dependent on technical equipment?

The lighting designer's job is not simply to illuminate the stage. Just as an actor has his own special semantic line that he leads through the entire performance, so a lighting designer has a similar opportunity for self-expression. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s an even bright white light, or deep twilight, or just one candle left on the table. You can paint different “pictures” on stage, create the atmosphere of a cold winter evening, a hot summer day, a fairy-tale magical forest, or simply somehow especially emphasize the character of the actor, his emotionality - and all this with the help of light.

When I give tours for children in the lighting workshop, I always tell them that light is the main magician in the theater.

The work of the lighting designer begins already at the stage of discussing the general concept of the future performance with the director and production designer

Do you have any favorite performances that you especially remember working on?

I immediately remember the play “Don Juan” - one of my very first works in the puppet theater, I was just beginning to get acquainted with the specifics of this theater - nevertheless, the performance turned out to be very successful in terms of the light, it seems to me. The play “The Town Musicians of Bremen” is also a very bright production. At the Kiselyov Youth Theater I can highlight the performances “Five Twenty-Five,” on which I worked together with my teacher, “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils with Wild Geese,” and “Hercules and the Augean Stables.” The last performance is an example of when a very coordinated, trusting work with the director is built - this rarely happens.

There was another work for which I was very worried - this was Tyuz’s play “Sophocles. Oedipus, Tyrant”, directed by the famous French director Matthias Langhoff. Light played a special role in this performance. At first it was natural sunlight that illuminated the courtyard between the houses, and the auditorium was also illuminated throughout the entire performance - this created the effect of a single space, the so-called effect of full presence. At the moment of the climax, when Oedipus gouged out his eyes, the lights on the stage and in the hall completely went out, everything was plunged into darkness, and the audience felt as if they had lost their sight along with the main character of the play. Then a special lantern was lit, thanks to which the space around became gray. All this, of course, helped create a special emotional tension in the performance. It is a pity that now it is no longer possible to see this production on the stage of the Youth Theater.

What challenges do you face in your work? Are there any emergency situations?

There are always a lot of difficulties, without them it would be uninteresting to work. But the main difficulty is insufficient funding. Sometimes you want to do something special, but there is no opportunity for it. After all, if a painter doesn’t have paints, he won’t be able to paint. And if a lighting designer does not have the necessary equipment, this greatly limits his work. Of course, you can always “get out” and do what you need in some other way, but you always want to have a complete set of “paints” at hand.

And emergency situations sometimes occur, for example, the remote control suddenly fails. In fact, these are all little things. A professional lighting designer will always be able to quickly solve this problem, and there will be no disruption to the performance because of this.

The lighting designer's job is not simply to illuminate the stage. Just as an actor has his own special semantic line that he leads through the entire performance, so a lighting designer has a similar opportunity for self-expression

What makes you especially happy about your work?

I am pleased with the work process itself. I really like to “host” a performance, sitting at the lighting console, controlling light transitions based on a cue, music or any other actor’s signal recorded in the performance’s lighting score. This is incredibly interesting, to do this you need to immerse yourself in the performance along with the actors, understand what is happening on stage, get into the tempo that the actors set, and then everything becomes a single whole in the performance.

How do you feel about the fact that the work of a lighting designer is sometimes not noticed by audiences and critics? Do you feel offended because of this?

Yes, sometimes it’s a shame that our work often goes unnoticed. This is probably how it should be, because the actors and the performance itself always come first. And light is only a helper.

By the way, in the prestigious theater festival “Golden Mask” there are nominations “Lighting Designer in a Drama Theater” and “Lighting Designer in an Opera House”, but unfortunately there is no nomination “Lighting Designer in a Puppet Theater”. There are many lesser-known festivals that simply do not provide such nominations. It’s a shame for my colleagues, because our theaters have wonderful lighting designers, and I would like their work to be recognized at the festival level and in general.

As for the viewer, the most important thing is that he likes the performance as a whole. This means that all its creators did their job well. After all, light should not be intrusive, should not interfere, irritate or distract. For example, I really love light on stage that is close to natural, I try to avoid all kinds of light shows and “disco” flickering. Although in the age of technology this is not always possible, unfortunately.

How in demand is the profession of a lighting artist now?

The profession is quite in demand, but there are very few specialists in this field. In St. Petersburg and Moscow you can still find competent lighting designers, but there is still high competition among theaters and various concert venues. In the provinces, of course, things are much worse, but there are specialists, and I could give many examples.

I think to do this you have to really love theater work. Understand why you came here. Understand that you will never make big money here. But if you realize that you came to the theater to engage in creativity, then this will become your business, and the performances in the creation of which you take part will turn out better and better, and will delight the audience for many years.