When executing a successful lighting design, the question of color is often considered near the end of the process, and in some ways, it seems to make sense. We first ask ourselves, what’s my budget? Which fixtures do I have? What are my hang positions? And then, finally, what color should those fixtures be? In this class replay from CUE 2022, Declan Randall, ETC Training Program Coordinator, challenges that idea. He’ll show you why if you care about light, you should care about color from the very first moment.
Color does not exist without light
We only see color because of light and how an object reflects that light to our eyes. So, it stands to reason that controlling that light is incredibly important. As a designer, you want to decide why you change light, how you change light, when you change light, and its native source. Your design success is ultimately tied to your level of light and color control. Choosing a fixture that gives you the options you need to control the light in a way that fits your needs is more important than ever. And having a console that works with your fixtures is equally important.
Since LED fixtures came on the market, we’ve started thinking about color differently. With LEDs, you start with nothing and build up, adding color and intensity as you go. The more of the spectrum you have available, the more you’re able to add, and the better your light will render on the objects you have – costumes, scenery, backdrops, etc. With LED fixtures, you are now able to manipulate color to a degree of precision that was never possible with gel. And that’s really exciting.
Fixtures and console control
If you were to connect the same lighting fixture to different manufacturers’ consoles and then select a standard color – Lee 201 or Rosco 58, for example, you’ll start to see how drastically control options vary. This is because some consoles are only capable of calculating color based on RGB values. They ignore any extra emitters because they’re not capable of processing the extra color information beyond an RGB array. With other consoles, spectral data and intensity are ignored. These variances in control make a big difference in how you’re able to reproduce color on your stage. Without even realizing it, you may be missing out on features that limit the performance of your fixtures and your design.
“If you care about light, then you must care about color too. And thanks to the selection of ETC consoles, these tools are available for everyone -not just Broadway and The West End.”
Start with white light
In this class, Declan will take you back to the beginning and talk about how white light is created. Using that same formula, he then dives into other colors and how each is created within different fixtures. You’ll quickly see that not only does the array matter, but how you control the array, matters too. The “color recipes” that make up light are called metamers. And while metamers are not new, the way we are able to control them is.
Watch the full session below to learn more about the benefits of changing metamers to improve your design.
Suzhou Bay Cultural Center is located at the shore of Lake Tai in Suzhou of China, and adjacent to the Taihu New Town CBD. It is one of the signature development projects initiated by the city through the Wujiang Lakefront Masterplan. The 215,000 square-meter center consists of two wings, the Suzhou Opera House on the north side, and Wujiang Exhibition Center on the south.
The two magnificent buildings are connected by a long rooftop ribbon-like arch. This huge ribbon waves and intertwines from the north wing to the south, forming a giant figure eight. With patterns of rotating geometry, this architectural feature is visible from afar. The ribbon represents the silk and water sleeves of the Kunqu Opera, and evokes the cultural richness of the city. It also serves as a bridge for pedestrians to enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Tai and the heart of Suzhou CBD. Suzhou Bay Cultural Center has symbolized successful economic and cultural development, marking a milestone for the city.
The north wing features an Opera House, a black-box theatre hall, rehearsal rooms, art space, cinemas, and restaurants. The Opera House is an international opera theatre which has a 1600-seat capacity. Different from the neatly arranged auditoriums of a traditional theatre, this Opera House adopts an asymmetrical design. The seating area on the upper deck is designed like several small petals stacked on top of each other. The petal-like auditorium is a unique and poetic design that brings the audiences a natural immersive and enjoyable experience. The theatre hall serves as a multi-function black-box theatre which has a capacity of 600 seats. The stage setting and auditorium will be specially arranged based on the requirement of each performance.
ETC gear including consoles, luminaires, dimmers, and networking systems are installed in the Opera House and theatre hall. Two Gio consoles with 24K outputs are installed in the Opera House, and two Gio @5 consoles with 4K outputs are used to control the lighting of the theatre hall. The venue owner was impressed by the powerful magic sheet functionality which makes managing the fixture layout, and control and programming of buttons, faders, colors, and gobos, easier. The magic sheets also provide flexibility for the user to adjust the control to fit the needs of a variety of performances.
To enjoy world-class power and dimming control, ETC’s Sensor3 ThruPower Dimmer and Relay modules are installed in the venues. These modules popular in the theatrical industry as they are famous for their reliability and stability for smoothly controlling the intensity of all types of fixtures. Using the Sensor3 ThruPower module enables users to switch freely between constant circuits, on/off switching with true air-gap relays, and dimming of the lighting loads.
Luminaries from ETC have been recognized as the standard lighting fixtures in the industry and are widely used in theatres. This is the reason that Suzhou Bay Cultural Center selected Source Four LED Series 2 and ColorSource Spot fixture with CYC adapters as the stage lighting of the Opera House and theatre hall. The lighting designer found Source Four LED Series 2 favorable as it brings high brightness from a variety of positions while having a low power consumption, thanks to the LED light engine. The lighting designer was also amazed by the rich and smooth wash of color brought by ColorSource which can enhance the moods of every scene.
To have a reliable data distribution for all lighting technology in the venue, Response Mk2 DMX Gateways from ETC are installed to securely connect the sACN network to the DMX runs. They are also interoperable as it meets the industry-standard protocols such as ANSI E1.31 (sACN) and ANSI E1.20 (RDM) using standard Ethernet cabling and infrastructure. Response Mk2 DMX Gateways once again impressed the venue owner as they offer a powerful, fast, and stable data distribution by the use of ETC’s network technology.
ETC was honored to be selected to offer a comprehensive range of lighting technology to Suzhou Bay Cultural Center and be part of the city’s cultural and artistic development journey.
Photo credit: Suzhou Bay Cultural Center and Hangzhou YiDaShi Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Portugal’s stunning Teatro Garcia de Resende was recently renovated and selected ETC lighting solutions including ArcLamp luminaires, ArcMesh Drivers, and an Echo control system to upgrade the space.
The theatre, which is recognized for its interior ‘Italian-style’ architectural beauty, was built in the 19th century and is a part of the European Route of Historic Theatres: a route around Europe, which distinguishes the most beautiful, historic theatres that represent European cultural heritage.
The theatre’s technical director, António Rebocho, was in search of LED lighting to replace the existing tungsten lights in the building. He particularly wanted an LED solution, which would not compromise the quality of the light or increase maintenance costs. After researching various options, António decided to go with ETC’s ArcLamp luminaires commenting that he had ‘never seen the room so beautiful – the new lights enhanced all the colors, especially the red tones.’
ETC dealer, NAN Audiovisuals installed 108 ArcLamp lights with Fade to Warm feature technology into the Teatro Garcia de Resende. The LED luminaires provide quality light, smooth dimming, and up to 90% energy savings. António Rebocho – commented: “ArcLamp is a unique solution in the market which would accomplish everything needed for the project. It improved the quality of light in the theatre whist simultaneously reducing the maintenance costs related to lamp replacements and energy consumption. Being able to control the lighting from the installed button stations and lighting desks was also a great improvement.’”
“The Teatro Garcia de Resende is considered to be a building of great architectural beauty and a landmark in the city of Évora. We are very thankful and proud that our ArcLamp solution was chosen by the theatre. Despite some challenges due to the age of the venue and its electrical infrastructure, the highly experienced staff of NAN, our dealer in Portugal, did a fantastic job with the installation and commissioning of the system. Not only was the lighting result stunning but also highly energy efficient and nearly maintenance free.”