Stage Lighting for Dramatic Effect

Marc David Broidy, formerly, a Southern California financial advisor who served the needs of clients of high net worth. Having been involved in theater production in various capacities, Marc Broidy is interested in lighting design and how it’s used to heighten the emotional impact of live performance.

A technical area that requires timing and precision, stage lighting can incorporate colors through the use of gels that are added in front of the light. Alternatively, a gobo (a tin etched pattern) may inserted inside an instrument, cut in such a way as to create various effects. This can be a specific shape or “picture effect” that matches the gobo’s design cut, or have a filtering effect. Examples include a dappling that mimics the leaves of trees, or strips that indicate prison bars.

Other dramatic lighting options include strobe effects that are created by flashing the light rapidly. This can be used to create the sense of being in an old movie or simply for the dramatic intensity of sped-up, jerky movements in which the sense of motion itself is the focus.