# Amps and Volts important to a Lighting Designer?



## derekleffew (Apr 26, 2009)

Just found this quote from Tom Skelton's obituary, full text here:

> ...A genial, witty man, he asked his students at the Yale School of Drama to study everything from French to Picasso to cooking.
> 
> 
> "These are all things that make it possible to communicate with the other people you are going to be working with," he said in an interview in _Theater Crafts_ magazine in 1989. "And I certainly don't think you should be studying amps and volts. I don't know very many designers who know very much about amps and volts. You hire an electrician who does."


It jives with Gilbert Hemsley's thoughts (previously discussed in this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/education/10913-college-university-technical-theatre-major.html ):

> The lighting designer is expected to communicate with directors more and more. I don't deal with somebody who majors in theatre as an undergraduate. I want a history major, a communication arts major, or an English major. I want somebody who can talk about the history of the 19th century. It is crucial that students have a sense of time and place. It is impossible to do opera unless you understand the 19th century. Or the 20th. Thank God I had taken a lot of classics at Yale before I talked to Martha Graham. ... You can't get into those wonderful, fantastic conversations unless you do have a knowledge of the world behind you. One foot in the humanities, the other in the technical side. It's no longer Leko, Leko, Leko. A broad education is needed not only of the real world but of the humanities, finances, art, and architecture; then they can be a lighting designer or a person in the theatre.


Agree/disagree? What's more important to a designer, electrical calculations or Picasso's expressionism?


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## gafftapegreenia (Apr 26, 2009)

Everything.


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## theatre4jc (Apr 26, 2009)

Maybe I'm different but I'm the resident designer at my facility and also the ME so if I didn't know electrics I'd be in trouble.


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## cprted (Apr 26, 2009)

derekleffew said:


> It jives with Gilbert Hemsley's thoughts (previously discussed in this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/education/10913-college-university-technical-theatre-major.html ):
> 
> > The lighting designer is expected to communicate with directors more and more. I don't deal with somebody who majors in theatre as an undergraduate. I want a history major, a communication arts major, or an English major. I want somebody who can talk about the history of the 19th century. It is crucial that students have a sense of time and place. It is impossible to do opera unless you understand the 19th century. Or the 20th. Thank God I had taken a lot of classics at Yale before I talked to Martha Graham. ... You can't get into those wonderful, fantastic conversations unless you do have a knowledge of the world behind you. One foot in the humanities, the other in the technical side. It's no longer Leko, Leko, Leko. A broad education is needed not only of the real world but of the humanities, finances, art, and architecture; then they can be a lighting designer or a person in the theatre.
> 
> ...


I agree. I have a history degree and I feel it makes me rounded and gives me a broader skill set and a better understanding of the world around me, for which I am grateful. 

Of course this is not to suggest that electrical calculations are unimportant. Far from it.


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## willbb123 (Apr 26, 2009)

theatre4jc said:


> Maybe I'm different but I'm the resident designer at my facility and also the ME so if I didn't know electrics I'd be in trouble.



I am the same thing. I think with the economy that is going to become more and more common. I basically have do anything that needs do be done, design, ME, rigging. I've had to stop programming the board, run onto stage and plug in a guys guitar amp. 

I definitely see how knowing history would help you. But you cant just bring in a history major and expect him/her to design a show. I think it would be easier for a designer to research the time period, then it would be for the history major to design.


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## seanandkate (Apr 26, 2009)

I think in ANY art, the more you know, the more valuable you can be. But that evades the question a little bit. If, as the two quotes would imply, the ultimate purpose is to communicate your artistic intentions with others, I think amps and volts often can take a back seat. If I tell a director "In this scene, I'm going for a Rembrandt 'Calling of St. Matthew' feel", I've just said in very few words what would have taken a reem of paperwork and renderings to convey.
That being said, there's no excuse for not knowing basic shop math that applies to the craft (it should be noted that the quote says the designers in question didn't know MUCH about volts and amps. Not to be confused with knowing nothing). I think a designer can be forgiven for not knowing how to trim a dimmer or how many devices can be driven by a particular PSU. 
And, yea, all bets are off if you're a designer / ME combo.

PS -- How I miss Theater Crafts magazine!


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## ruinexplorer (May 8, 2009)

First of all, I did not go to school as a design major, so I don't know how those programs are set up. I believe that designers need a firm base on the understanding of electricity as well as the instruments that use it. If a lighting designer isn't able to read and understand the available power, he may be faced with a lot of re-design when going into a space. Since the designer and ME need constant communication, the designer needs to have the basis of that communication. Does the designer need to know how to tie-in power, no. He/she does need to know what that power can provide, especially given the equipment available (not everyone has the budget to get what they want) and make his/her design fit.

I also agree that a designer should have a firm grip on the humanities. Again, this comes down to communication. The designer needs to communicate with the scenic designer, costumer, and director and must be able to understand the references made by them. I don't think it is necessary for him/her to be an expert in fine art, but should have an understanding of the different styles of art and architecture. A firm knowledge of elements of research is vital. If the designer can't sift through all the garbage that is out there to find the necessary information required to make a successful design, then he/she won't be successful.


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## teqniqal (May 8, 2009)

Picasso probably won't kill you. Volts and Amps can do it real quick. I'd err on the side of safety.


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## gafftaper (May 11, 2009)

Well I'm a college T.D. with a B.A. in History and M.A. in Education... no theater degree. I feel like I've always got a great grasp on the design concepts having studied the world so much. Glad to hear that Skelton and Hemsley agree with me.


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