MASTER SYLLABUS

Course number & title:

Department:
Credit Hours:
Prerequisites:
Recommended Texts:
Fees & Charges:

TH 317 Advanced Lighting Design

Theatre
3 to 9 credit hours
Theatre 206,207
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
$25.00 Used for consumable supplies used in building models

I.

CATALOG DESCRIPTIONS:
A continuation of 217 Lighting Design. Students will explore methods of lighting for
productions other than theatre, such as dance, opera and musical concert. This course
will also focus on the problems of designer and director communication in both verbal
and written form. Lab hours required. May be repeated for up to 9 hours credit.

II.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Students will be required to act as Master Electrician for one of the shows this
semester.
Students responsibility to schedule hang and focus. Time frame will be given to
the student and it is their responsibility to meet the deadlines.
Students will be graded on ability to smoothly and competently achieve the goals
of the lighting designer as well as their ability to work in a position of
responsibility.
Students are required to design lights for of the directing One-Acts. As part of
this class they will co-design a repertory plot for the studio theatre, within the
guidelines given. Within the framework of that design you will have a certain
capability for specials and practicals. Students will cue each One-Act assigned to
them.
Students will function as Lighting Designer for at least two paper projects. The
project will be an unrealized design of one play and one dance piece.

III.

INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH:
This class will be primarily taught in discussion and lecture. Each will hold equal value. I
hope to attain understanding through discussion, rather than a dictum of my thoughts on the
subject. Debate on all artistic topics is heartily encouraged. These debates will enhance your
understanding of the subject at hand, begin formation of strong theoretical ideas and
ultimately, what can they hurt. We have three hours a week together, lets make them
interesting.

IV.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Master Electrician Project:
20%
Paper Project 1
15%
Paper Project 2
15%
Design Project
25%
One-Act Design
25%
Each project in this class directly reflects on an actual theatrical production. Due dates are
therefore absolute. We rarely change opening night. As the catalogue says lab hours are
required this class is hard work.

Grading will be on completeness of concept, completeness and organization of paper work

and ability to clearly convey the ideas of the design, from clean drafting to perfect
paperwork. You will be asked to turn in the following:
Light plot scale
Section Drawing scale
Concept Paper
Color concept storyboard
Master cue sheet
Focus magic sheets
Hook-up
Color cut list
V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The role of the Master Electrician is far different than what we have traditionally thought of
as M.E. here. For lack of a better analogy, the M.E. is the Technical Director of lighting.
He/She answers to the Lighting Designer in much the same way as the Technical Director
answers to the Scenic Designer. In other words, it is a position of much responsibility. We
will discuss and define those responsibilities as our first series of lectures in this class.
Suffice to say that this assignment is a major time commitment that will include you being
here at least hour of each day the show is running in addition to all of the light hang and
focus. It will also be incumbent upon you to recruit electricians (i.e. warm bodies) for the
hang and focus of each show.