The Lighting Designer's Process

Kacey Coffin, Lighting Designer

Coffin's definition of a lighting designer: "To paint feelings, color, emotions and light overtop an already finished painting."

To design the lighting, Coffin first made a list of needed effects after reading the script, looking at the basic floor plan and watching rehearsals. "The words on paper do not mean anything until they are spoken by the actors and blocked on stage," Coffin says.

Then based on the floor plan and the inventory of lighting instruments, Coffin began to place lighting instruments on a plot to be hung. "I usually start with the basics to light the stage; back, front and side light. Then I move to any special areas that need to be isolated," Coffin says.

Finally Coffin added color to the lights and hung and focused the instruments for a rehearsal that combined the actors and the lighting. Coffin says the lighting should parallel the mood of the scene. "For example, if the actors are talking about how cold and dark it is, the lighting must reflect that," Coffin says.

Coffin says the role of lighting is a complimentary one. "To be a lighting designer is about accentuating every aspect of the show without overshadowing anything," Coffin says.