This document discusses the functions and processes of lighting and sound design for theatre. It explains that lights are used to see actors, focus audience attention, create mood, and establish interior/exterior sources. Specific lighting instruments like spots, washes and gels are discussed. The lighting design process involves reading the script, meeting with the director, creating a light plot and cue sheet. For sound design, the major functions are establishing mood, providing realistic sounds, and situating the audience. The document discusses using music and effects to set mood and provide realism. The sound design process is similar to lighting, involving script analysis and creating a cue sheet.

1. Lights and Sound

2. Lights
4 Major Functions
1. See actors
2. Focus audience attention
3. Create a mood
4. Establish interior/exterior light sources

3. See actors
• Spot
– Direct lighting on an actor that does not
move
• Follow spot
– Moveable light that follows an actor around
the stage
• Wash
– General lighting that covers an area with
more than one actor

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7. Focus audience attention
• Spot light
– Darkness everywhere except spot
• Dimmer in certain areas of the stage to
pull focus to more lit areas

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11. Create a Mood
• Bright vs. Dark
• Color symbolism
• Happiness
• Eeriness
• Etc.

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17. Interior/Exterior Light Source
• Sunlight into a room
– Windows
– doors
• Time of day
– Interior or exterior
• Lamp
• Overhead light

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24. Process
1. Read the script and take notes
– Light sources
– Affects
• Strobe
• Police cars
• Etc.
– Time of day
– Time of year
• Winter darker than summer

25. Process
2. Speak to the director and take notes
• Color symbolism
• Mood in scenes
• Areas of the stage
• Locations of set pieces

26. Areas of the stage
• Our stage areas

27. Equipment
• Lamp -- actual bulb in the light
• Fixture -- houses the lamp
• Gel -- inserts in front of the light to
change the color or filter the light
• Gobo -- gel that projects a certain
image
• Board -- controls the lights from the
booth

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29. QuickTime™ and a
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34. Process
3. Light Plot
map of lights available in a venue

35. Simple Light Plot
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

36. State of the Art Venue
QuickTime™ and a
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37. Process
4. Cue Sheet (also called prompt sheet) -- chart
out every moment that lights change
Cue = The moment in the script when the lights
change.
Top = beginning
Up = on
Down = off
Fade in = slowly come on
Fade out = slowly turn off

38. Example of cue sheet
# Pg. # cue Description
of change
1 1 Top of show House lights
down; lights
up SR
2 1 “get thee to a
nunnery”
Fade out SR;
DC Spot
3 2 Transition to
scene 2
(Ophelia
screams)
Work lights
up; full stage
wash top of
scene 2

39. Sound Design

40. Major Functions
• Establish Mood
• Provide realistic sound
• Situate the audience in the world of the
play

41. Establish Mood
• Mostly through music
– Pre-show
• Audience will know the vibe of the show before it starts
– Transitions
• No dead space
• Move feelings from one emotion to the next
– During scenes and at certain moments
• Heightens tension
• Builds romance
– Helps the audience understand how they should
be feeling

42. Ben Lovett
http://www.echomountain
.net/news/black-rock-movie-out-in-theaters-scored-by-ben-lovett-h

43. Provide Realistic Sounds
Doorbell
Door knocking
Phone ringing
Dog barking
Toilet flushing

44. Videos
• Foley Artist = Create sound for movie.
Not usually used in theatre but provides
a good example of sound creating
realism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=UNvKhe2npMM&noredirect=1

45. Situate the audience in the
world of the play
• Time Period
– Especially with music
– Telephone sounds (old school vs. cell)
• Time of Day
– Crickets chirping
– Birds singing/rooster crowing
• Location
– City sounds
– Country sounds
– School
– Office
– hospital

46. Wall-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TSf8Er2gV_Q

47. Process
1. Read the script and take notes
– Time period
– Time of day
– Locations
– Realistic sounds

48. Process
2. Talk to the director and take notes
• Mood
• Transitions
• Music
• Pre-show

49. Process
3. Cue Sheet - Similar to lighting cue
sheet

50. Cue # Page # Cue in script Description of
change
1 1 Top of show Fade out pre-
show; fade in
Mozart track 1
2 1 “get thee to a
nunnery”
OS - sound of
glass breaking
Affects Track
1
3 2 (Ophelia
crosses to C)
Door knocking
- Affects track
2

51. How to acquire sound
• CD’s
– Music
– Sound affects
• Internet
– Youtube
– Pay sites

52. Activity
• Create a WWW for a lighting term or a
sound term
(spot, follow spot, wash, gel, gobo, cue,
fade, foley artist)
• Create either a sound or a light cue
sheet for the provided scene
– Cue sheet must have at least four cues.
– Be creative; make choices.