Lighting Simplified - Lighting Fixtures Revealed
by Brad Herring

In our November 2004 newsletter  issue we looked at the different types of lighting angles.  In this article I want to talk about the different kinds of lighting instruments available to you.

First is the PAR can. 

PAR stands for Parabolic Aluminized Reflector. A PAR can is generally the cheapest form of light that you can get – often times these are even home-brewed by taking a coffee can and floodlight and melding the two as one.  PAR cans are most often seen in concert rigs and basic lighting applications where general washes of mostly uncontrollable light are needed.  The PAR can has no focus ability nor shutter ability. It is in all practical sense an aircraft landing light housed inside an aluminum housing. The older PAR cans typically have a rectangular “hotspot” in the lamp with the rest of the lighting field bleeding off from it in a circular pattern. This rectangular hotspot can be turned to point whatever direction you desire for maximum coverage.

PAR cans are great for general washes but usually not so good from far distances.  A typical distance between a PAR can and the subject would usually be 30’.

Next is the Fresnel.

This light is very similar to the PAR can, except it incorporates a basic lense. The lense is how the light gets it’s name.  The fresnel lense is flat on one side and ridged on the other.  These ridges help focus the light towards the center – thus concentrating the beam.  Fresnels can be focused by sliding the lense closer to or further away from the lamp inside the fixture.  This allows for a smaller or larger pool of light.

The Fresnel is commonly used in theater and broadcast applications and comes in a variety of sizes and wattages.  Again, much like a PAR can the average distance in a theatrical production between the fixture and the subject would be about 30’, although with their larger sizes and focusable lense this distance could be increased.

Next we have the Ellipsoidal. 

The Ellipsoidal is a staple of quality lighting. These fixtures incorporate more sophisticated lense systems that allow them to be further away from the subject while maintaining a solid field of light.  These fixtures also have shutters that allow you to shape the light. This is very useful for isolating areas or cutting light off scenic elements.  The Ellipsoidal allows you to get specific with your lighting coverage.

Due to their lense system, the Ellipsoidal can be focused. This means that you can place patterns (usually called gobos) in the fixture. Typical gobos would include branch patterns, fire, dots, vertical lines, logos, or other such symbols. By adjusting the focus you can make these images very sharp or very fuzzy – all depending on your artistic desire.  The range of an Ellipsoidal will range from 10’ to over 200’ depending on the lense and power of the fixture.

Obviously there are other styles of lighting fixtures (such as foot lights, cyc lights, intelligent lights, and so on) but these three are the primary staples of basic lighting.  As you begin to develop a lighting system for your ministry you really want to think about what each light is designed to accomplish. For instance, if you are using video you want to make sure that you have lighting fixtures that you can control and keep the light off your video screens. If you are doing youth rallies then broad non-controllable PAR cans might be the perfect answer.

As with everything in life, it comes down to budget. I have often done shows with only PAR cans and moving lights, but I have just as frequently used only Fresnels and Ellipsoidal. Sometimes we simply can’t have everything.  The key to successful lighting is understanding the design of the fixture and knowing what you want to accomplish in the end.

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