Lighting Technician Training

Lesson 1 • Fixture Types and Their Applications

Surveys conventional, LED, discharge, and automated fixture categories. Connects fixture characteristics to appropriate use cases in live and studio environments.

Lesson 2 • Optics and Beam Control Basics

Explains lenses, reflectors, gobos, and barn doors as tools for shaping light output. Provides the optical vocabulary needed for precise fixture positioning.

Lesson 3 • Electrical Fundamentals for Lighting

Covers voltage, current, resistance, and power calculations relevant to lighting loads. Ensures safe and accurate load planning before any practical rigging begins.

Lesson 4 • Core Lighting Measurement Units

Introduces lumens, lux, foot-candles, candela, and colour temperature. Students apply these units to read spec sheets and evaluate fixture output accurately.

Lesson 1 • Equipment Inspection and Maintenance

Establishes routines for cleaning lenses, replacing lamps, and logging faults. Preventive maintenance extends fixture life and reduces show-day failures.

Lesson 2 • Dimmers, Drivers, and Power Distribution

Explains analogue dimmer racks, LED drivers, and portable power distribution units. Students configure and test power systems before connecting fixtures.

Lesson 3 • Rigging Hardware and Safety Accessories

Covers clamps, truss, safety cables, and load-rated hardware used to suspend fixtures. Proper hardware selection and inspection prevent equipment failure and injury.

Lesson 4 • Gel, Diffusion, and Colour Media

Introduces colour gel families, diffusion materials, and neutral density media. Students select and cut media to achieve specific colour and quality-of-light goals.

Lesson 1 • Electrical Safety Principles

Covers lockout/tagout procedures, safe isolation, and ground fault protection. These practices prevent electrocution and equipment damage during installation and maintenance.

Lesson 2 • Fire Safety and Heat Management

Identifies heat-related hazards from high-output fixtures and establishes safe clearance distances. Students apply fire prevention measures and respond correctly to fixture fires.

Lesson 3 • Personal Protective Equipment

Specifies PPE requirements for electrical, rigging, and chemical tasks in lighting work. Correct PPE selection and fit are verified through practical demonstration.

Lesson 4 • Working at Height Safely

Addresses ladder safety, aerial work platforms, and fall arrest systems for lighting installation. Correct technique and equipment selection reduce fall risk significantly.

Lesson 1 • Console Layout and Navigation

Orients students to fader wings, touchscreens, encoders, and playback controls on professional consoles. Efficient navigation reduces programming time during production.

Lesson 2 • Fixture Patching and Addressing

Covers patching fixtures in console software, assigning universes, and verifying output. Accurate patching is the prerequisite for all subsequent programming work.

Lesson 3 • DMX512 Protocol Fundamentals

Explains DMX universe structure, start addresses, and data transmission principles. Understanding the protocol enables accurate fixture addressing and troubleshooting.

Lesson 4 • Groups, Palettes, and Presets

Introduces fixture groups, position palettes, colour palettes, and beam presets for fast recall. Palette-based workflows dramatically speed up programming and live adjustments.

Lesson 1 • Reading and Creating Light Plots

Teaches interpretation and production of scaled light plots, section drawings, and instrument schedules. Accurate documentation enables efficient crew communication and installation.

Lesson 2 • Colour Theory for Lighting Designers

Applies additive colour mixing, colour harmony, and psychological colour associations to lighting choices. Students mix colours on fixtures to achieve specified emotional and aesthetic effects.

Lesson 3 • The Language of Light

Defines intensity, direction, colour, movement, and texture as the five attributes of light design. Mastery of this vocabulary enables precise communication with directors and designers.

Lesson 4 • Designing for Different Venue Types

Adapts design principles to theatres, arenas, broadcast studios, and outdoor stages. Students analyse venue constraints and adjust fixture selection and placement accordingly.

Lesson 1 • Load-In and Truss Assembly

Guides students through safe truss assembly, motor rigging, and ground-support erection sequences. Correct assembly order and torque specifications prevent structural failures.

Lesson 2 • Load-Out and Strike Procedures

Establishes safe and efficient de-rigging, coiling, packing, and inventory procedures after a show. Proper strike protects equipment and prepares gear for the next deployment.

Lesson 3 • Hanging and Circuiting Fixtures

Covers clamp attachment, safety cable installation, and circuit connection for each fixture type. Systematic circuiting ensures every fixture is powered and addressed before focus.

Lesson 4 • Focus Calls and Fixture Alignment

Teaches the focus call workflow, communication protocols between console op and focus tech, and precise beam alignment. Accurate focus delivers the design intent to the stage.

Lesson 1 • Effects Engine Programming

Explores built-in effects engines for chases, waves, and pixel mapping across fixture arrays. Students build layered effects that enhance live performance without overloading the design.

Lesson 2 • Visualiser Integration and Pre-Programming

Uses lighting visualiser software to pre-program and review designs before physical load-in. Visualiser workflows save on-site programming time and reduce costly errors.

Lesson 3 • Timecode and Show Control Integration

Covers MIDI timecode, LTC, and OSC protocols for synchronising lighting cues to audio or video. Timecode-driven shows require precise cue placement and robust backup strategies.

Lesson 4 • Multi-Console Networking and Backup

Explains console networking protocols, primary/backup configurations, and session handover procedures. Redundant systems protect live productions from single-point console failures.

Lesson 1 • Live Troubleshooting and Fault Recovery

Develops rapid diagnostic skills for fixture failures, DMX dropouts, and power faults during a live show. Students practise fault isolation without interrupting the performance.

Lesson 2 • Post-Show Debrief and Continuous Improvement

Structures a post-show review process to capture technical issues, design notes, and crew feedback. Systematic debriefs drive incremental improvement across a production run.

Lesson 3 • Real-Time Adjustments and Busking

Teaches live intensity adjustments, colour changes, and improvisational busking techniques for unscripted events. Busking skills are essential for concerts, corporate events, and festivals.

Lesson 4 • Calling and Following Cues

Covers cue-to-cue rehearsal, following a script or score, and responding to director calls. Precise cue execution requires active listening and anticipation of upcoming transitions.