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Spotlights are light sources that emit a cone of light and are used in rock and roll shows, award ceremonies, and stage productions. There are seven types of spotlights, including Plane Convex, Ellipsoidal, Fresnel, Aluminized Parabolic Reflector (PAR), PAR Pin, Beam Projector, and Followspot lights. Each type has its own functionality and features. The most commonly used type is the ellipsoidal spotlight, which can illuminate a large area or concentrated spots and can be manipulated by shutters, irises, or light gobos. Other types include the Fresnel spotlight, PAR spotlight, PAR Pin light, Beam projector spotlight, and Followspot light.
Anyone who has seen a rock and roll show, award ceremony or stage production has experienced the illuminating effects of spotlights. They are light sources that emit a cone of light. It has a definite conical volume and is used to illuminate the objects within this conical volume. Torches, table lamps, and theater lights are all examples of spotlights, but most people think of the lights that are used in stage shows.
Seven types of spotlights classified according to their functionality include Plane Convex, Ellipsoidal, Fresnel, Aluminized Parabolic Reflector (PAR), PAR Pin, Beam Projector and Followspot lights.
Plano-convex light was first developed in the 1870s and is the first form of theater lighting system that uses a single lens. It uses a plano convex lens that is convex, or round, on one side and flat on the other. This lens is contained in a simple housing which also contains a bulb and reflector.
The ellipsoidal spotlight is the most used type of this lighting. Also known as a ‘Leko’, it has the flexibility to illuminate a large area or concentrated spots. Normally, it produces a beam of light that is round in shape but can be manipulated by the shutter, iris or light gobo. Shutters can change the shape of the light beam and irises can be inserted to narrow the beam. A gobo is a metal plate in which cuts are made to alter the shape of the light produced. Ellipsoidal spotlights usually have one lens but can have an additional lens. The lens position can be moved forward or backward to change focus, resulting in a beam edge that varies from sharp and hard to soft.
The Fresnel spotlight takes its name from the French physicist Augustine Fresnel who designed the “Fresnel” lens. Fresnel lenses are mainly used in lighthouses. The single lens of the light provides illumination for a concentrated spot or a large area. These lights lack the ability to cast patterns like the ellipsoidal type and are more useful for providing diffused lighting.
PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) spotlights are highly efficient and have the reflector, filament and lens optically aligned and in fixed positions. They are often used in musical performances. The haze produced by haze machines and the smoke created on the stage of a rock show, for example, makes the PAR spotlight path prominent. These are also used as top lights in theatres.
PAR Pin light is a low voltage PAR spotlight that illuminates a very concentrated area. It is often used to highlight particular points such as an actor’s face, a gun or an image on stage after dimming the general lighting.
Beam projector spotlights have no lenses and produce intense beams of light. They can be used to follow an actor on stage or to simulate sunlight and moonlight in performances.
Followspot lights are operated by one person and are used to follow a performer onto a stage. These are most commonly used in musicals, theaters and operas to highlight an individual performer or group of performers by following their movements.
