Once you have your fixtures positioned where they look great and are properly lighting their subjects, you need to look further. The output of the fixture might be causing problems for the performers, audience members or television cameras. I will often walk the stage and ensure that the lights are not too blinding for the performers, and I pay attention to where overhead focuses are ending. For instance, many years ago, I had a pretty look on stage and fixtures in an “up and out” focus pointing above the stage and audience. This look was used during a 45-minute speech. While it looked great to most of the audience, people in the upper rows of the top section of the arena where unhappy about the fixtures just sitting there, pointing in their eyes. I was asked to adjust the focus so that none of the “pretty” lights were annoying the audience. As I did this, the look above the stage lost some ambiance, but was more pleasing to the crowd. Now I always ensure that “up and out” focuses are not pointing directly into audience eyes (unless it is just for a moment of an effect).
Brad Schiller, from “Feeding the Machines,” PLSN, Feb. 2012
