2.1 Change and timing

It’s always a number that represents a group of lights with different intensity, color, with defined parameters, etc. and its order in the timeline (performance, concert etc.). Basically, it is a specific lighting atmosphere. Here, the designation of such “mood of lighting” is the most widespread term – cue. Naturally, a cue undergoes changes during a performance, so the term change is really a change of one cue  (lighting  atmosphere)  into another one (day x night, winter × summer  etc.). In a certain sense, the work of a lighting designer is based on “changes”. A change is often distinctive in order to incite the audience to understand clearly the turn of events – place, time, emotions, etc. In most cases, regardless of the genre, the change is really so clear to the audience, but a part of the productions works with the so called invisible change, which is a change of a lighting atmosphere during a really long period of time (in the theater, just about 40 seconds is enough for the viewer not to see it), so that the viewer does not perceive the transformation consciously. It is interesting, but not necessarily the better; the decisive criterion is the dramaturgy / direction of changes and the entire performance as well. Changes are handled by the so called crossfade , i.e. by a cross blending of the current and the next cue. For manual handling, some console boards are equipped with a special sliding fader – crossfader. Some console boards have a crossfader of two faders when one pulls down and switching the current cue and the second switches on the subsequent one, which is very convenient for handling live operation (it is possible to pull down and up changes independently of each other, with a delay / speed-up  of one phase in relation to another one). Other console boards have only one fader for the  crossfade – a change of both cues  is then made  smoothly in direct proportion, a visible change  is therefore somewhat limited by this dynamics.

The change can also automatically made by the Go button when the change takes place at preset time while the speed of fading of the current cue may be different than the appearance of the next; it is also possible to delay various times according to the control board function or to link several consecutive changes automatically ( for instance according to the music). This timing is linked to the cue, it is its fully optional parameter. There we have already come to the other components that are very essential for the lighting design, which are timing and the dynamics of changes, which largely determine the rhythm of (theatrical) events and the entire performance.

Timing, besides already mentioned optional slots for various functions, also means the correct timing of a start and end of changes in relation to the action at the stage. In the theater, it can be “finished” action of an actor (for instance a stylized look after the final replica), chorus or solo at a concert, etc. and this is the right sign for the operator to initiate the change. In opera productions, this command to start the changes is often given by a stage manager who is oriented in the performance on the basis of the documentation and listening to music and gives the command to the headphones of lighting technicians.

The dynamics of changes can be seen as both the speed at which change is handled, i.e. the length of a change (it can be quick with the so called cut and standard time of about 3 seconds, or slow, long, up to “invisible” blending), as well as the overall rhythm of lights in the performance. Lights can endorse the development of a performance (for instance quick light cuts in comics-like brief scenes), or bring your own theater time (e.g. a slow change in lyrical passages of remembrance) or create “lively” space by its constant changes, or combine all according to the dramaturgical structure of the performance or event in general. Thus the overall dynamics of light changes can actively intervene in the set design, stage adaptation of a performance. It is up to the operator, whether he is sensitive to the tension in the scene or he strictly follows the comments in the script how to handle the change exactly.