Page "Lighting designer" Paragraph 11

After focus has occurred the LD usually sits at a temporary desk ( tech table ) in the theater ( typically on the Center Line in the middle of the house ) where he or she has a good view of the stage and work with the lighting board operator / programmer, who will either be seated alongside him or her at a portable control console or talk via headset to the control room.

At the tech table, the LD will generally use a Magic Sheet, which is a pictorial layout of how the lights relate to the stage, so he or she can have quick access to channel numbers that control particular lighting instruments.

The LD may also have a copy of the light plot and channel hookup, a remote lighting console, a computer monitor connected to the light board ( so they can see what the board op is doing ), and a headset, though in smaller theatres this is less common.

There may be a period of time allowed for pre-lighting or " pre-cueing ", a practice that is often done with people known as Light Walkers who stand in for performers so the LD can see what the light looks like on bodies.

At an arranged time, the performers arrive and the production is worked through in chronological order, with occasional stops to correct sound, lighting, entrances etc.

; known as a " cue-to-cue " or tech rehearsal.

The lighting designer will work constantly with the board operator to refine the lighting states as the technical rehearsal continues, but because the focus of a " tech " rehearsal is the production's technical aspects, the LD may require the performers to pause (" hold ") frequently.

Nevertheless, any errors of focusing or changes to the lighting plan are corrected only when the performers are not onstage.

These changes take place during ' work ' or ' note ' calls.

The LD only attends these notes calls if units are hung or rehung and require additional focusing.

The LD or Assistant Lighting Director ( also known as the ALD, see below for description ) will be in charge if in attendance.

If the only work to be done is maintenance ( i. e. changing a lamp or burnt out gel ) then the Production or Master Electrician will be in charge and will direct the Electrics crew.