The Workhorse of Concert Lighting
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Concert L ighting Techniques, Art and Business THIRD EDITION Dr. James L. Moody, Ed.D. With contributing writer Paul Dexter AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK Copyright © 2010 by James L. Moody. Published by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: ( ϩ 44) 1865 843830, fax: ( ϩ 44) 1865 853333, E -mail: [email protected] . You may also complete your request on-line via the Els evier hom epage ( http://elsevier.com ), by selecting “ Support & Contact ” then “ Copyright a nd Permission ” and then “ Obtaining Permissions. ” Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Application s ubmitted British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN : 978-0-240-80689-1 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com 10 11 12 13 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China Dedication I dedicate this edition to my students at the Theatre Wendy Dio, Steve Summers, Suzanne Dexter, Kenjie Academy at Los Angeles City College and all the people at Ohashi, Toshie Oki, Peter Johanson, Lass Jendermark, colleges and seminars who have sat through my rambling Tobbe Berg, Ossian Ekman, Calle Brattberg, Mike and musing. To Paul Dexter, who gave such valuable sug- Wood, Bruce Jordahl, Richard Bellview, Lewis Lee, Nick gestions, new material, and dedication to the continuation Archdale, Robin Alvis, Mark Hunt, Marty Wickman, of this series. Finally, as before, to Trudie, my life partner, Thomas Thompson, Nick Jackson, Larry McNeny, Kelly who puts up with all my time away. All my love. Sticksel, Gary Carnes, Jake Berry, and especially Paul The author would also like to thank the following Dexter. people for their generous time and support in the prepa- ration of this book: Jeff Ravitz, Richard Pilbrow, Andi Jim Moody Watson, Ronnie James Dio, Gil Moore, Kevin Cronin, Studio City, CA Chip Monck, Joe Tawil, Bob Gordon, Susan Spolter-Vine, This page intentionally left blank Contents Foreword to the Third Edition ix Contracting the Crew 32 Foreword to the Second Edition xi The Contract Rider 32 Foreword to the First Edition xiii Rider Items 33 Preface: Are We Legit Yet? xv The Importance of the Rider 33 Author ’ s Page xvii Follow-up 34 The Promoter’s View 35 Small Production — Low Budget 36 SECTION I BACKGROUND The Yellow Card 37 AND ORGANIZATION 4. PreProduction 39 1. The Birth of Rock and the Rise Types of Halls 39 of the Concert Lighting Field 3 Budget 42 Concert Lighting Begins in the Artist’s Requirements 42 United States 4 Stage Limitations 43 The San Francisco Light Show 5 Crewing 43 Other Cities and Venues 6 Opening Acts 44 Fillmore E ast 6 Prep Time 44 Fledgling Lighting in England 6 Rehearsal Time 45 Moving to Larger Venues 7 Timing 45 The End of Bill Graham’s Fillmores 8 Variety of Venues and Artistic Styles 45 Melding Fo rms 8 Lighting Becomes Big Business 9 Mergers and Buyouts 9 5. The Design Stage 47 Casinos 11 The Workhorse of Concert Lighting 47 Purpose Built Concert Air Light 48 Amphitheatres 11 Moving Lights (Luminaires) 48 LED R evolution 12 Other Luminaire Choices 49 Expansion Beyond the Concert Format 12 Placement of Luminaires 50 The Concert Lighting Designer/Director 12 Color 50 Circuiting and Dimming 51 Layering 51 2. Tour Personnel and Unions 15 Layout and Symbols 51 Road Crew Duties 15 Hanging 54 Sample Light Plot 55 Color Changers, Moving Luminaire, 3. Business 27 and Effects 57 Freelance 27 Variables 57 Company Employee 28 More Complex Designs 58 Direct Con tact 28 Pay 29 Per Diem 29 6. Cueing the Music 59 Equipment Costs 30 Cues, Song Punctuation 59 Contracts 31 Picking the Console to Match the Cues 60 Authorized Representative 32 Find Your Looks 60 ■ v Contents Cue P lacement 60 SECTION II EQUIPMENT DESIGNED The Cue Book 60 TO TRAVEL The Cue Card 63 Verbal Communications 65 11. Lighting Consoles 111 Cueing Follow Spots 65 Hands-on Consoles 112 Summary 66 Consoles Dedicated to Moving Luminaires 114 7. Road Life 69 Theatre Consoles 116 Power S ervice 69 Hybrid Consoles 118 Follow S pots 69 Specialized Consoles 121 Stages and Ceiling Height 70 Summary 121 Special Ef fects 70 Road Lif estyle 71 12. Portable Dimming and Transportation 73 Distribution Systems 123 An Established Field 75 Power Distribution Racks 126 Other Power Distribution 126 MultiCable 127 8. Working Outside the United States 77 Company Switch 127 Carnets 77 Transformers 128 Touring in the European Union 78 Portable Generators 129 Touring in South America 81 Cable Reels 129 Touring in Japan and Asia 81 Cable Crossovers 130 Respect for Other Cultures 86 13. Lighting Trusses 131 9. Risk Assessment and Safety 87 Truss Design 131 Specifi c Areas for Safety The First Trusses 131 Concern 88 Triangle Truss 132 Fall Protection Systems 93 Square or Box Truss 133 Failure of Structures 96 Modern Truss Design 134 Seismic Con cerns 98 Engineering and Construction 136 Luminaires 99 Spans 138 Focusing 100 Integration of Electrical Power H ookup 100 Connections 140 Pyrotechnics 100 Lighting Grids 140 Smoke 101 Advantages of Portable Trusses 141 Murphy’s Law 101 Building a Grid 142 Safety P roblems: Corrections and Solutions 102 14. Lifts, Hoists, and Roofs 143 Air and Cable Crank-up Lifts 143 10. Finding Solutions 103 Ram Lifts 144 Problem Solving, Stress Management, Scissor Lifts 144 and Interpersonal Communication 103 Truss Tower Lifts 146 Decision Mak ing 104 Hoists and Rigging 148 Design, Crew, and Equipment Chain Hoists 148 Failure 104 Digital Remote Control 150 Dimmer P roblems 105 Load Cells 151 Computer P roblems 106 Safety First 152 Being P repared 106 Roofs 153 vi ■ Contents 15. Moving Luminaires 157 The New Beam Projectors 196 The History of Moving Luminaires 157 Audience Blinders 196 Vari*Lite History 160 Follow Spot 197 Current Developments 161 DMX Iris 198 Cost and Availability 163 Shutter 200 Morpheus Lights 163 Fat Lights 200 Martin P rofessional 164 Color Scrollers and Changers 201 High End Systems 165 Strobes 203 Robe Lig hting 167 Moving Yoke 204 Production Resource Group (PRG) 168 Projectors 205 Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) 169 Blacklights 206 ADB Lighting Technologies 169 Flame Effects 206 The Future of Moving Luminaires 170 Color Media 207 Gobos and Accessories 208 Man Lift 209 16. LED Units 171 Personal Accessories 209 LED T echnology 171 Effi ciency 172 Colors and RGB 173 19. Smoke and Pyrotechnic Effects 213 Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) 174 Smoke 214 Quantum Dot LEDs 174 Haze 214 High-Power LEDs (HPLED) 174 Fog 215 Power S ources 174 Fans 217 Advantages of LEDs 175 Pyrotechnics 217 Disadvantages of LEDs 175 New S ources 175 Entertainment Applications of LED 20. Protocol, Control, and Ancillary Technology 176 Enablers 219 The LED PAR 177 Protocol 219 Wash Luminaires 177 Ancillary Enablers 220 Moving Luminaires 178 Interfaces 221 LED W alls 180 21. The Designer’s Workbox 225 17. Digital Lighting and Software Programs 225 Media Servers 183 The Visualization Process 230 Adding the Control of Visual Media Visualization Programs 232 to Lighting 183 Visualization Studios 232 Digital Light Developments 186 Other Tools in the ToolBox 233 Media S ervers 187 Media Server Capabilities 188 22. Festivals, Fairs, Racetracks, Content 189 Amphitheatres, Casinos, and Local Lighting Equipment 237 18. Conventional Lighting and Festivals 237 Accessories 191 Fairs and Racetracks 239 The PAR Family 191 Amphitheatres 239 Fresnel 193 Casinos 240 Ellipsoidal Refl ector Spotlight 194 Local Production Equipment 241 Cyclight and Farcyc 196 The Advantage of Local Lighting Vendors 242 ■ vii Contents SECTION III DESIGNING WITH Gil Moore, Vocalist/Drummer TOURING EQUIPMENT for Triumph 298 Establishing Ideas 299 23. Master Designers 245 Paul Dexter: The Heaven and Hell Tour 245 26. Music Video, Film, DVDs, and Questions 247 Long-Form Production 303 , Richard Pilbrow: “A Tale of Two Cities ” Film versus High Defi nition Video 303 A Broadway Musical 255 Film 304 Questions 257 Video 304 Andi Watson: Radiohead The Debatable “ Look ” 304 In Rainbows Tour 261 Lighting Considerations 305 Questions 263 What the Camera Sees 305 Jeff Ravitz: Bruce Springsteen and The Cutaway 306 the E Street Band MAGIC TOUR Monitors 306 (2007–2008) 270 Balancing Foreground with About Jeff Ravitz 270 Background 306 Questions 272 Key Light 306 The Close-up 307 24. Designers Perspective: Creating Background 307 Art vs. Business 281 Audience Lighting 307 Answers From Four Designers 281 Accommodation 308 Long-Form Concert Videos 308 Live Video 309 25. Artist’s Perspective 291 What to Expect 291 Engaging the Artist 291 SECTION IV THE AFTER-WORD Establishing a Relationship 292 Handling R ejection 292 27. Postscript: Looking Back 313 The Artist’s Perspective 292 Where is Concert Lighting Kevin Cronin, Lead Singer, REO Technology Headed? 313 Speedwagon 293 Establishing Ideas 293 Ronnie James Dio, Lead Singer, Glossary 315 Heaven and Hell and Dio 295 Bibliography 319 Establishing Ideas 296 Index 321 viii ■ Foreword to the Third Edition I fi gure that James and I may be only 10 years apart in I do, in fact, remember seeing a Dolly Parton presen- age.