Spotlight on the Theatre: The Set, Lights, and Audio
- michalawoodruff
- Apr 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 25, 2024
It’s dark. Silent. Everyone is waiting in anticipation for the curtain to open or a sound of bell or to get a glimpse of a character. The audience is swallowed by the sight of the set, the voices of the plot, the smell of the energy, the feel of the relation, and, of course, the taste of popcorn.
Live performances have always had a spark, an experience, the world craves. It is not just the storyline, the performers, the music, the lights, the sets, or one sole thing. It is a combination of things that make a show shine.
In this post, we will discuss a few vital, behind-the-scene aspects of the stage: the sets, lighting, and audio.
The Sets.
The curtain is pulled back. Jaws drop. The audience looks all around, taking in the scene. Here is where the importance of the set lies. The set is the first impression, the theme, or the atmosphere of the production.
This theme holds the message throughout the play. Let us put this into perspective. Say, for example, that the play was about royalty. The play may have different scenes—a forest, a ballroom, a stable, and so forth. However, wealth is going to touch every scene. Or, if the story was trying to get a message across, the royal colors might be bold and bright while the poor scenes of the play are dim and dull.
Set designers see the story and theme as a whole. They must consider transitions of scenes, the set-up process of scenes, and so on.
One way that has helped with transitions in the set from scene to scene is scenic projections, animations of a scene that is projected to the stage.
These projections can be projected to just about anything—screen-painted walls, muslin fabric, surrounding screens, and more.
Here are a few scenic projection mapping softwares and sellers:
o LumaMap Lite or Lumabox.com
Lighting.
Next on our list is lighting. Everything in a play—the set, animation, lights, audio, music, you name it—is to compliment and support and direct the attention to the characters.
If a character is feeling angry or full of love, red lighting is great to add to the character.
If a character is feeling lonely or cold, blue lighting is great to add to the character.
However, not only is there the color of the lights to consider, but the intensity of the lighting. Is the scene a sunny morning or a dark, stormy night? Lighting highlights these areas of the set.
Shadow formation, illumination distribution, and light glare/reflection are all things to consider when it comes to lighting your set.
First, shadow formation is shadows when something large blocks a light or when really bright beams are used. According to Illumination Integration’s article “Good Lighting vs. Bad Lighting”, shadow formations can be useful if you want the set to look darker; furthermore, hard light is used “to create a clear contrast between shadow and light” (para. 7, https://illuminated-integration.com/blog/good-lighting-vs-bad-lighting/). In short, be aware of shadows; they can be useful but use them sparingly.
Illumination distribution is the amount of light poured into an area(s). For instance, centered light such as a spotlight draws attention to that object, area, or character.
Light glare/reflection is your enemy. It makes it difficult for your audience to see and it can even be hazardous to the performers. So, avoid reflective things on stage or harsh lighting.
Lighting itself can be helped by designing an open set with crisp/bold colors and by being placed in the right spot (para. 12 and 14, https://illuminated-integration.com/blog/good-lighting-vs-bad-lighting/). Consider the direction of the light by where the light itself is placed.
Audio.
Lastly, let us touch on the audio of the live theatrical performance. Sound effects bring the audience in, surround them with the emotion of the story, and add depth to the stage.
Sound effects need to match the script. The script cues the sound effects while the sound effects cue other things—perhaps the lights, the lines of a character, or the play is beginning. It depends on the story.
Explore some great sound effects here:
o https://www.adobe.com/products/audition.html?
Here you can find some more and make your own:
In closing, the set, lighting, and sound effects add to the mood and atmosphere of the play. Their purpose is to bring out the story and characters. Use that to your advantage. A great way to learn is to start playing around with matching the set/scene, lighting, and sound effects.
You can try Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/create?utm) or Wondershare Filmora (https://filmora.wondershare.net/filmora-video-editor.html?).
As always, have fun! Also, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach me on the "Contact" page above.