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Paperwork Consolidation
While the primary goal of lighting paperwork (or any
paperwork for that matter) is to legibly store or retrieve information,
a secondary quest is to present that information in
the most compact format to the broadest audience requiring
the fewest documents.
Deciding which documents are necessary for any production
is a judgment made on a show-by-show basis. Although
it’s important to present the proper information in the simplest
format, the question “who needs to see this?” may help
reduce the overall number of documents required.
One less document constructed is one less document that
will require alteration when the updating process occurs.
Every time a document is updated, the possibility of human
error can occur. Therefore, the fewer documents to update,
the better. Or from another viewpoint, the fewer times the
same information is repeated on different documents, the
fewer documents that then need to be updated. The fewer
the documents, the faster the updating process and the
lighter the paperwork load.
Document Distribution Chart
As a lighting design evolves, the identity, purpose and number
of documents required to communicate and expedite that
design can be monitored by creating and updating a document
distribution chart. Whether a one-off, sit-down or a tour, this
basic document usually changes (and often expands) during the
life of a production. The examples of paperwork shown here are
all from the 2004 Patti LuPone “Matters of the Heart” tour.
The document should be laid out in a spreadsheet format,
with the rows divided into the three main class “packets”:
public, private and infrastructure. The columns show members
of the staff (lighting supervisor, lighting designer, production
manager, stage manager), along with each city.
Public Lighting Paperwork Packet
The Public Packet was e-mailed to each stop long before the
company’s arrival. It contained the PDF files illustrating elements
detailed in the company’s Tech Rider, and provided the information
necessary to pre-hang the masking and light plot prior to
the company’s arrival (Well, you can always hope). While most of
the Public Packet was generic, the lineset schedule was specific
for each theatre. So in place of a number, the date was used to
indicate when that city’s lineset schedule is finalized.
The Public Packet included the following:
• A cover letter reviewing the contents of the packet, the
company’s schedule and contact information, and a “we
can adapt since we didn’t advance” note.
• A reduced-scale PDF groundplan, showing a generic
lineset schedule, notes about soft good placement, talent
traffic patterns, and a review of who provides what.
• A reduced-scale section, showing an ideal sightline, a
reiteration of the generic lineset schedule, the relative
position of the soft goods and electrics, and their respective
trims to the equipment on the stage deck.
• A reduced-scale PDF version of the Light Plot that fits onto
a letter-sized piece of paper. As shown in Figure 1, the red
circle (1) shows the title block, which is also a contact sheet.
(2) is a quick review of what the theatre and company are
each providing for the show. (3) is a spreadsheet showing
Patti LuPone Matters of the Heart 2005 Date: 12 April 2005
Lineset Schedule
Event Name: Patti LuPone
NEW IMPROVED
Fox Theatre, Atlanta Event Date: 10 May thru 15 May 2005
Line Footage Goods Trim Line Footage Goods Trim
- 1' 1" Plasterline obstruction
- 0' 7" Smoke Pocket 33 15' 1"
0' 0" Fire Curtain 34 15' 6" 3 Electric 25'-8"
1 1' 6" House Teaser 20'-6" 35 15' 10"
2 1' 11" 36 16' 2"
3 2' 8" House Curtain (42' open?) 37 16' 6"
4 3' 2" 38 16' 10" 4 Electric 27'-0"
5 3' 8" 39 17' 3"
6 4' 2" 1 Electric 24'-9" 40 17' 8" 3 Blk Border 25'-3"
7 4' 8" 41 18' 1" Show White Scrim 26'-2"
8 5' 2" 42 18' 6" 3 Blk Legs (40' opening)
sprinkler 43 19' 0"
9 5' 6" sprinkler
10 5' 11" 44 19' 6"
11 6' 4" 45 20' 0"
12 6' 9" Picture Sheet 46 20' 6"
13 Dead 47 21' 0"
14 7' 2" 1 Blk Border 21'-3" 48 21' 6"
15 7' 7" 1 Blk Legs (40' opening) 49 22' 0"
16 8' 0" 50 22' 6"
17 8' 5" 51 23' 0"
18 8' 10" 52 23' 6" 4 Blk Border 23'-3"
19 9' 3" sprinkler
20 9' 8" 53 24' 0" 4 Blk Legs (40' opening)
21 10' 1" 54 24' 6" Show Black Scrim 30'-0"
22 10' 6" 2 Electric 25'-9" 55 25' 0" Show Plastic 30'-0"
23 10' 11" 56 25' 6"
24 11' 3" 57 27' 1"
25 11' 8" 58 28' 1"
26 12' 1" 59 29' 1" 5 Electric 28'-0"
27 12' 6" 2 Blk Border 21'-9" 60 30' 1"
28 12' 11" 2 Blk Legs (40' opening) 61 31' 1"
29 13' 4" 62 32' 1"
30 13' 9" 63 33' 1"
31 14' 2" sprinkler
32 14' 7" 64 34' 0"
Figure 2
the distribution of each fixture type, in each lighting position.
(4) The Symbol Key not only identifies each fixture type,
it also states the total number of each fixture type required.
This makes it easier for the local electrician to compare the
needs of the show to the house stock. (5) While the lineset
schedule is generic, it shows the general distribution of
electrics and soft goods, and reiterates the trim heights from
the section and the lineset schedule. (6) Scale bars indicating
hanging location of overhead fixtures relative to Centerline.
• A PDF of the Lightwright channel hookup and instrument
schedule. If the theatre didn’t possess Lightwright, these
PDF files were the fallback; they could be printed “as is”,
and be used to keep track of the plot installation. A column
in both documents reiterated the hanging location
for the overhead fixtures.
• The Lightwright file (and the layout file) used to create the
above PDFs. If the theatre possessed Lightwight, this soft
copy could be tailored or updated to their satisfaction.
• A PDF of the Lineset Schedule specific to that theatre.
Figure 2 is designed to mimic the appearance of the lineset
schedule found on the Fox Theatre web site (www.
foxtheatre.org/tech_package.htm). By mirroring the theatre’s
layout, the local stagehands can focus on analyzing
the information, rather than wasting time trying to understand
a foreign paperwork layout.
This lineset schedule is pretty typical. It includes the
name and date of the engagement, the lineset number and
distance from the zero (in this case the Fire Curtain). It then
identifies the goods (electric, border, legs, etc.), as well as the
trim height, the distance from center, and any notes.
Next time, we’ll take a look at what paperwork is included
in the Private Packet.
Steven L. Shelley is a lighting designer and production manager.
He designs the plastic Field Templates and VectorWorks® toolkit
SoftSymbols, both available at www.fieldtemplate.com. He’s
also the author of A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting.
www.stage-directions.com • April 2008 15