Theater Lighting Technician Course

Lesson 1 • Theater Venue Anatomy

Maps the physical spaces of a theater: stage, fly system, catwalks, and front-of-house positions. Enables safe and efficient navigation during load-in and focus.

Lesson 2 • The Lighting Technician's Role

Defines responsibilities of the lighting technician within the production hierarchy. Clarifies communication protocols with the designer, master electrician, and stage manager.

Lesson 3 • Properties of Light in Theater

Covers intensity, color temperature, beam angle, and how light behaves on stage surfaces. Establishes the physical vocabulary used throughout all subsequent technical work.

Lesson 4 • Reading a Light Plot

Introduces the light plot as the primary technical document for a production. Students interpret fixture symbols, position labels, and circuit assignments.

Lesson 1 • Conventional Fixture Types

Surveys ellipsoidal, Fresnel, PAR, and cyc fixtures with their optical characteristics. Connects fixture choice to the designer's intent for beam quality and coverage.

Lesson 2 • Fixture Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Establishes preventive maintenance schedules and fault-diagnosis workflows for common fixture failures. Builds the habit of documenting repairs in a production log.

Lesson 3 • LED and Automated Fixture Technology

Examines LED source types, color mixing systems, and pixel-mapped fixtures. Highlights differences in maintenance and color calibration compared to tungsten sources.

Lesson 4 • Lamps, Lenses, and Accessories

Covers lamp types, replacement procedures, and optical accessories such as gobos, irises, and barn doors. Reinforces safe lamp handling and storage practices.

Lesson 1 • Dimmer Technology and Operation

Compares SCR, IGBT, and relay dimming technologies and their effect on lamp behavior. Covers dimmer curve settings and compatibility with LED and conventional loads.

Lesson 2 • Patching and Circuit Assignment

Teaches physical and soft patching to assign dimmers and addresses to control channels. Directly enables the console programming work covered in the next chapter.

Lesson 3 • Electrical Safety and Codes

Covers lockout/tagout procedures, ground fault protection, and load limits for safe electrical work. Applies industry safety standards to real load-in and strike scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Troubleshooting Electrical Faults

Develops a systematic fault-finding approach for dead circuits, blown fuses, and ground faults. Reinforces use of a multimeter and circuit tester in live production environments.

Lesson 1 • DMX512 Protocol Fundamentals

Explains the DMX512 data packet, universe structure, and timing requirements. Provides the protocol knowledge required to address fixtures and diagnose signal problems.

Lesson 2 • Ethernet-Based Control Protocols

Introduces Art-Net and sACN as IP-based alternatives for multi-universe control. Connects network configuration skills to the console programming chapter that follows.

Lesson 3 • Network Testing and Documentation

Establishes workflows for testing DMX and Ethernet networks before programming begins. Emphasizes network diagrams and address sheets as essential production documents.

Lesson 4 • DMX Cabling and Hardware

Covers proper cable types, connector pinouts, splitters, and opto-isolators for DMX runs. Ensures students build signal chains that meet professional reliability standards.

Lesson 1 • Console Interface and Navigation

Orients students to the physical layout, touchscreens, and command line of a professional console. Establishes efficient navigation habits that accelerate all subsequent programming work.

Lesson 2 • Groups, Palettes, and Presets

Introduces groups, color palettes, position palettes, and beam presets to speed programming. Demonstrates how reusable data structures reduce programming time and errors.

Lesson 3 • Patching and Fixture Libraries

Covers console-side patching, importing fixture profiles, and building a show file from a light plot. Connects the physical patch from Chapter 3 to the console's virtual representation.

Lesson 4 • Programming Cues and Cue Stacks

Teaches recording, editing, and organizing cues with timing, delay, and follow attributes. Builds the core programming skill set used in every production context.

Lesson 1 • Practical Effects and Specialty Fixtures

Introduces strobes, UV fixtures, followspots, and practical prop lighting integration. Covers safe operation parameters and coordination with other departments.

Lesson 2 • Color Theory for Stage Lighting

Applies additive and subtractive color mixing principles to stage lighting decisions. Connects color theory to gel selection, LED mixing, and the designer's color palette.

Lesson 3 • Gobo Selection and Application

Teaches how to select, install, and focus steel and glass gobos for texture and pattern effects. Covers gobo rotation programming for moving fixtures.

Lesson 4 • Gel and Color Media Handling

Covers cutting, framing, and installing color media in conventional and LED fixtures. Includes storage, labeling, and replacement practices to maintain color consistency.

Lesson 1 • Rigging Hardware and Load Ratings

Covers clamps, safety cables, pipe ratings, and working load limits for lighting positions. Ensures every fixture is secured to a rated structure with appropriate safety backup.

Lesson 2 • Strike and Load-Out Procedures

Covers the safe and efficient removal of fixtures, cable coiling, and equipment storage after a production. Emphasizes inventory checks and damage reporting during strike.

Lesson 3 • Focusing and Aiming Fixtures

Develops the technique for aiming, shuttering, and locking off fixtures to match the light plot. Covers communication between the focus puller on stage and the technician at height.

Lesson 4 • Working at Height Safety

Establishes fall protection requirements, ladder safety, and lift operation protocols for lighting work. Compliance with these standards is mandatory before any overhead rigging task.

Lesson 1 • Pre-Production Planning

Covers reading a full production package, building a crew schedule, and ordering equipment. Establishes the planning habits that prevent costly errors during load-in.

Lesson 2 • Strike and Post-Production Wrap

Covers the full strike process, equipment return, and post-production documentation. Completes the production lifecycle and prepares students for the next engagement.

Lesson 3 • Run of Show Maintenance

Establishes daily maintenance checks, lamp replacement schedules, and pre-show system verification. Ensures consistent performance quality across the entire run of a production.

Lesson 4 • Load-In and System Build

Sequences the physical installation of a lighting system from power to focus in a real venue. Reinforces integration of rigging, electrical, and control skills from prior chapters.