How to Create an Even Wash of Stage Light

So you've got lights, dimmers and a console all setup and working, but when you turn everything on you've got huge dark spots on your stage- has this ever happened to you? Have you ever had a presenter walk into a dark spot and cause your audience to lose focus? Step number 1 is fixture selection. When creating a wash, or an even spread of light from multiple fixtures, it is important to have 2 things consistent- fixture position and fixture lensing. You need to make sure that all of your fixtures are the same distance from the stage that you are lighting, and hopefully spread out horizontally and evenly to be at the 45 degree angle for 2-point front lighting. You next want to position the lights in a 2-point layout for each zone on stage. Depending on the lens used and the size of your stage, you may have anywhere from 2-10 zones across your stage area. Once hung, focus your lights one at a time, making up zones across the stage that are symmetrical on either side of center. The light should overlap a few feet from zone to zone so that there are no dark spots. You will want to keep the top and bottom of the lights beam at the same level on stage, whether that is

through tilting them or using shutters if you have them. This will ensure a clean look when you have all the lights on. If you are using an ellipsoidal, you probably want to soften the beam a little to make the edges less noticeable. If you're using pars, make sure that the lamps or lenses are all spun in the same direction. If your lighting positions aren't quite even due to things out of your control, you can adjust the faders a little to make the wash more even. You may need to figure out if it is better to have color temperature differences or brightness differences- work with your video team on that! If you are also focusing color washes, use this same approach to make them look consistent to each other for when you mix and switch colors. Keep in mind that this approach works with any type of fixture, and you can mix fixtures in different washes- using ellipsoidals for white and pars for your colors, for example. Work with what you have and use this guide to maximize the effectiveness of your lighting system.