As in "Stage Lighting, Part 1", about the lighting instruments in common usage, and as with the audio articles here at MagicRoadie.com, I won’t recommend brand names, and I’ll spend as little time as possible on the science behind everything This is intended to be an “applications” guide to effective stage lighting for your magic act. Part 2 will outline how to build an effective stage lighting design.

I did a fair amount of poking around the Net, looking for exceptionally useful, reasonably easy-to-understand-and-execute tutelage on how to create a lighting design. What I found is a logical, systematic approach called the “McCandless Method”, which was created by a guy named Stanley McCandless, and first published in his book, “Method Of Lighting The Stage” in 1958. It’s the “standard” in the world of theatrical lighting. What follows is a shamefully over-simplified précis of his work, but it gets all the basics, and is certainly enough info to carry you until you have your own LD (lighting designer).

1. Identify Your Performance Areas
Break your stage up into the appropriate number of performance areas, lighting each with two instruments, usually Fresnels or ellipsoidals. Each instrument should be pointing down at the acting area from the front, at a 45-60º angle, with the two instruments forming a 90º angle between them (as viewed from above). Lesser angle do a better job of lighting the performer’s eyes (also getting under hats), and greater angles produce a more dramatic & shadowy effect. Give each lamp a different color filter: a 'warm' (yellow, amber, orange, or red) from one side, a 'cool' (blue, green or purple) from the other. The ability to dim each one will help to strike a usable balance between the two, and will allow each performance area to be emphasized or de-emphasized at will. Remember, what you’re going for in this step is visibility of the performer, and not the props.

2. The Rest Of The Stage
After visibility has been dealt with, you may feel you’re done. If necessary, however, you can light the rest of the stage for mood and atmosphere. You can use pretty well any instruments for this type of lighting: It really is a matter of application & preference. Generally, though, a flood-type instrument will frovide less emphasis, and a spot-type will produce a more dramatic effect.

3. Backgrounds & Backdrops
Backdrops and cycs should all be lit separately from everything else, and this is usually done with striplights. Typically, this type of light comes from the top, or the bottom, or both, and a smooth effect is what’s desired.

4. Emphasis
It may be appropriate to use an ellipsoidal to place even more emphasis on a particular area than is afforded with the use of the usual “performance area” instruments. A single instrument can also provide a very shadowy, spooky effect. Ellipsoidals are the standard for this type of lighting. If you use emphasis lighting, be sure to spend sufficient time with them in rehearsal to make sure you always “hit your mark”.

While stage lighting truly is an art under the direction of a gifted designer, I ain’t a gifted lighting designer, and my bet is that you’re not one either, but everything has to start with some sort of guidelines, and this “McCandless” fella seemed to have knocked one outta the park with his system, because it’s the basis (with some minor revisions) of modern theatrical stage lighting.
Well, there ya go, my friends! Now we ALL know a heck of a lot more about lighting a magic act!

Cheers!

Dan McLean Jr
MagicRoadie.com