ABSTRACT
Design Professionals LIGHTING DESIGNER (LD) The most significant member of the design team is the lighting designer. This individual is charged with the overall artistic contribution of the lighting for a production. A lighting designer works with the director and other designers to produce an artistic vision for the production. Typical tasks of a lighting designer can be broken down into two specific time frames for a production: the pre-production and production phases. Pre-production is associated with tasks that are done prior to the load-in of the show, while production generally relates to the time in which the show is being developed in the theatre. Pre-production responsibilities for a lighting designer often include: generating a script analysis, attending rehearsals and production meetings, developing a conceptual framework for the production, and producing the lighting plans and specifications for a production. The production phase occurs once the show moves into the theatre and includes: hanging and circuiting or positioning and wiring the lighting equipment, focusing (pointing and adjusting each light for optimum performance), cueing (establishing the looks and recording them so that they can be duplicated from performance to performance), and tweaking or refining the lighting throughout the final rehearsals and preview performances. Once the lighting designer and director are satisfied with the lighting (generally upon opening night) the designer is typically released and moves on to the next production.
