Lighting Fixtures & Cables
Here is a dictionary of all of the lighting fixtures and cables I have learnt about and worked with
Automated Fixtures
Automated fixtures are intelligent fixtures that can be controlled from the lighting desk. With other non-automated fixtures, they have to be in a fixed position for the duration of the performance. Cables are needed to connect your lighting fixtures to the lighting desk. Different fixtures have different cables needed to connect them as they have different wattage of power.
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A spot fixture is one in which the entire body moves, it can pan and tilt to create a pattern of movement. The bulb can change colours by a gobo, it can be focused and has different effects to make patterns with the light.
A Beam fixture is a solid beam of light. It uses gobos to change colours and is easy to manoeuvre once it has been rigged. When projected on a wall or floor it has a solid edge, unlike a Wash fixture which has a blended edge.
A Wash fixture is a beam of light with soft edges, this means that the projection on a wall or floor has a soft blended edge, instead of a solid hard edge.
An LED fixture is an updated light, but instead of a bulb, there is an LED lamp. It functions the same as any other bulb, but it is more environmentally friendly. This bulb emits less wasted energy to heat and uses it to produce more light, this also means the bulb will last longer. However, because it is environmentally friendly it does have fewer colour combinations.
Conventional Fixtures
Conventional lighting fixtures are any kind of stage lights that are produced using either analog quartz or tungsten halogen lamps.
Profiles provide a strong, intense, narrow beam. ​They can project gobos, and the defined beams are perfect for long throws.​
Fresnels create a soft, wide beam that blends well with the stage and other lights. It creates a general wash that can be controlled by the barn doors on all four sides of the fixture. The barn doors also control the spill of light.
Reflectors create a large wash of light which is great for filling a large area of the stage. Reflectors have harsh strong beams of light that cannot be focused but are cheaper than other fixtures.
Floodlights create large washes of light which is useful for lighting scenery. They have a general wash and have no lens, which means they cannot be focused. They are useful in lighting flat scenery.
Cables
A 13amp cable and plug is the standard UK plug, it has three prongs that connect to three wires, the earth wire, the neutral wire, and the live wire. The prongs are in rectangular shape which makes it easy to plug into a socket.
A 15amp cable is used for lighting installations, this is because it provides enough power to the light to keep it at a constant brightness. it is most often used in theatre houses and around the seating.
A 16amp cable is used for lighting installations and is mainly used to power automated lighting fixtures as it provides a steady constant flow of power to the fixture.
A DMX cable is used for transferring information from a desk to a lighting fixture, this is the cable you use to tell a lighting fixture what to do.