Lighting cues should only occur if there is a significant music change, tempo change, or mood change. A cue might also occur to highlight a particular piece of choreography or a particular dancer or group of dancers. Cues should not occur for the sake of it, and are there to support the performance - not to overpower it.
Most cues should occur over 3 seconds. "Snaps" should be incredibly rare - and should only happen if the music or choreography demands it. A fast change (1 second) is often more suitable and far less abrupt. An out of place 'snap' can take the focus of the performance.
Consider when your cue should start fading in - this is the time to give us. Is the light intended to occur over a choreographic or music change? Or intended to pre-empt it or occur after it? A good example is if you have a spotlight appear for a dancer - should the spotlight start appearing when they are travelling into position, or should it be there when they arrive? Consider this when timing your cues.
Please provide exact track times - down to tenths of a second.
The blackout at the end of your piece is a cue and we need the details of what you're after. Consider how fast the blackout should occur, and if there is action after the music that we are supposed to see - be sure to note that the blackout is designed to occur after the music stops. We will otherwise generally default to the blackout fading with the track.
If you repeat a cue more than once, please specify that it is a duplicate. ie "Same as Cue 1".
If you're not sure of what look to go for, give us as much detail about what feeling you're trying to achieve, and we can assist.
The more information you can give us, the easier it will be for us to realise your vision.
The following is generally available:
Haze: This will be running constantly at the discretion of the lighting operator. It is not necessary to specify haze, and haze is generally insufficient to give a spooky creepy feel as there is not enough time to pump this in between scenes, and dancers moving into position will disturb it.
Side lighting: Generally, this is used to provide face light for upstage dancers, but can also be used for a stark, shadow like effect when nothing but side lighting is used.
Fixed spots: Beams of light that shine directly down. There are nine of these spots, three rows of three, equidistant across the stage. For example, there is a spot hitting centre stage, one spot to the right of it halfway to the wings, and one spot the left of it, halfway to the wings. This is repeated upstage and downstage. These spots are suitable for a single dancer or two and they do not move. There is no moving spotlight that can follow a dancer.
Mirror ball: Generally used in party scenes. Can also be used to simulate snow, rain, stars etc.
Intelligent lights: These can be used to wash the stage, to put patterns on the stage or the cyc, to build spots requiring more than a single dancer or two, to create programmed moving lights (think 'search lights'), strobe etc. If you're choosing a pattern, please be specific about the kinds of shapes or feelings that you're after.
Audience blinder (back-lit lights): Flash and blind the audience. Use sparingly - we are there to entertain the audience, not annoy them.
UV Lamps: Will be available down stage (towards front of stage) – makes white costumes glow in the dark with limited effect - should only be used briefly.
Foot lights: Comes from the front/bottom of the stage. Sometimes used for face light, but also good for casting shadows onto the cyc.
Cyc wash: Any colour you want. Can split top half and bottom half, can also chase through colours.
Stock footage: Essentially, a video playing on the cyc from a front projector. It could be a cool pattern, lightning, a creepy forest. There is so much available – search YouTube for HD Stock Footage with the theme you’re after. We need to move quickly on this, as lots of work goes into marrying your music and video. Pixel resolution is 1920 x 1200. The projection does not cover the entire cyc.
Any footage projected onto the cyc will be washed out by any lighting. Consider whether the projection onto a drab, dull grey-looking cyc is preferable towards a brightly lit cyc.
You may choose to have a black curtain instead of the cyc. A black curtain can also be lowered in the middle of the stage - this is a good way to reduce the size of the space (if it's a small group) or to conceal some of the dancers for part of the performance. Black curtains are out of place in joyful scenes.
A "scrim" can also be used to "knock back" some of the colour of the cyc. Can achieve a darker look but retain some colour.
Cameron can be contacted via cameron.walter@in2itive.com.au if you have any questions.