A Method of Lighting the Stage Fourth Edition

Amended and Revised STANLEY MCCANDLESS

THEATRE ARTS BOOKS NEW YORK

   Fourth Edition Amended and Revised

Copyright, 1932, by Stanley McCandless 
Copyright, 1939, by Stanley McCandless 
Copyright, 1947, by Stanley McCandless
 (c) 1958, by Stanley McCandless

Fourth Edition, 1958


Corrected Reprint 1963
Third Reprint 1966

The author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable assistance rendered by Mrs. Edith J. R. Isaacs in the preparation of the first edition of this book and by his colleagues and publisher in the succeeding editions. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 58-10331 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTENTS PAGE FOREWORD 7 INTRODUCTION 9 PROCEDURE 17 LEGEND 27 LlGHTlNG THE ACTlNG AREA 33 INTENSITY 33 COLOR 49 DISTRIBUTION 52 CONTROL 61 BLENDING AND TONING 66 BORDERLIGHTS 68 FOOTLIGHTS 79 LIGHTING BACKGROUND SURFACES 86 CYCLORAMAS 87 GROUND ROWS 98 BACKINGS 99 CREATlNG SPECIAL EFFECTS 103 EMPHASIS AND ACTING AREA SPECIALS 105 MOTIVATING LIGHT 111 "EFFECTS" 128 OTHER USES OF LIGHT 140 APPENDIX 144 v ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Figure 1: PLAN OF THE STAGE 23 Figure 2: AN ISOMETRIC DRAWING OF THE STAGE 24-25 Figure 3: LONGITUDINAL SECTION 26 Figure 4: ACTING AREAS 32 Figure 5: TYPES OF SPOTLIGHTS 36 Figure 6: SPOTLIGHT SECTION 38 Figure 7: FRESNEL OR STEP-LENS SPOTLIGHT 40 Figure 8: ELLIPSOIDAL REFLECTOR SPOTLIGHT 41 Figure 9: SPOTLIGHT LENS CHARACTERISTICS 42 Figure 10: REFLECTOR SECTIONS 46 Figure 11: CUTOFFS 48 Figure 12: A CUBE UNDER DIFFERENT DIREC- TIONS AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIGHT 54 Figure 13: TYPES OF MOUNTING 62 Figure 14: BORDERLIGHTS 67 Figure 15: TEASER MOUNTINGS: A. 75 Figure 16: TEASER MOUNTINGS: B. 76 Figure 17: TEASER MOUNTINGS: C. 77 Figure 18: FOOTLIGHTS 79 Figure 19: TORMENTOR MOUNTING METHODS 83 Figure 20: FLOODLIGHTS 90 Figure 21: FLOODLIGHT SECTION 95 Figure 22: PROJECTOR--SHALLOW REFLECTOR 115 Figure 23: LINNEBACH LANTERN 130 Figure 24: THE EFFECT MACHINE 133 vi On to Next Section