LX Guide: Operating the Desk

Operating the desk is the role of the board operator (or in some cases at times the bored op). The exact nature of the task will vary with the exact type of show, but may be grouped into one of two main styles.

Rock 'n' Roll – Lighting for Live Events

These events often tend to be freer and more fluid, and although it is common for predefined 'looks' to be planned, events are largely unscripted and the operator must respond to the moment. Often the show will have more action and although creating a mood is important, the lighting is not designed to go unnoticed and may feature spectacular effects. No one will notice if the drummer isn't fully visible at all times while the pars chase, nor will many people notice if the whole stage wash at a particular moment happens to be yellow rather than blue. That's not to say that it's impossible to be make a mistake; it's still important to plan how effects mirror the feel and the mood of the music. Most crucial is that the lighting is sympathetic to the tempo of the music, and that the current 'look' is appropriate. To best achieve this, the board operator must be more flexible and compose a look from pre-programmed elements. Even so, for large complex events, some shows will be fully programmed beforehand and synced to an audio track (often with SMPTE (pronounced simpty) timecode – a signal from a central clock source plugged into the desk to keep everything together).

Theatre – Lighting for Planned/Scripted Shows

Theatrical shows tend to be more rigid and planned, sticking to a fixed script; they often demand more subtlety and it is important a lighting state accurately reflects what was agreed in rehearsal. In plays, the lighting should contribute to the feel of a scene; proving subconscious cues to the audience and aiding the actors to communicate. While there may still be a requirement to adjust the levels in a scene when something unexpected occurs, all but the subtlest changes will distract from the main action. Adjusting a state gradually without the audience noticing is known as "sneaking". e.g. 'sneaking a light in' is increasing its brightness very slowly. How much freedom a board operator has depends on the show and structure of the company. In some cases it may be to make changes 'live' to respond to unexpected events, whilst in others the lighting is always 'played back' the same without deviation.