Moving Lights and DMX Systems Quiz

Chapter 1: Introduction and Safety

• Entertainment lighting is exciting and demanding
• Lighting work includes heavy fixtures, high voltage, and heights
• Safety precautions are crucial in the lighting industry

Chapter 1: Safety

• Theatre and outdoor stage workplaces can be dangerous
• Hazards include electricity, falling fixtures, and scenery
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is vital for safety

Chapter 1: Proper Climbing Techniques and Practices

• Always ensure both hands are free to hold onto the ladder when climbing
• Do not carry tools or materials by hand while climbing a ladder
• Use a three-point contact (two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand) to climb ladders
• Always face the ladder and keep your center of gravity between the frames of the ladder

Chapter 1: Working at Heights

• Working at heights may involve ladders, scaffolds, or manlifts
• Workplace Safety and Health Act (Singapore) governs work at height activities
• Safety precautions, including PPE, and proper training are must-haves for working at height tasks

Chapter 1: Electricity

• Electricity is dangerous and requires adherence to safe practices
• Accidents are often caused by carelessness, incorrect wiring, lack of grounding, and faulty equipment
• Electrical installations must be approved by licensed workers

Chapter 2: Introduction to Lighting Equipment

• Various types of equipment are used in a lighting system
• Lighting fixtures, consoles, dimmers, distribution boards, cables, and accessories are necessary components
• Classification of lighting equipment is important to function effectively

Chapter 2: Conventional Lighting Fixtures

• These are the most basic lights
• Their function is to light up
• Some fixtures have features such as adjustable beam width or bulb alignment

Chapter 2: Floodlights

• Floodlight power ranges from 300W to 1500W
• They have wide beam angles (approximately 80 degrees)
• Floodlights are simple, efficient, but don't offer much light control
• Asymmetrical or symmetrical reflectors are common

Chapter 2: Asymmetrical Floodlights

• Used for washing light over backdrops or cycloramas
• Concentrated light at the bottom of the beam
• Focuses the light output in one direction

Chapter 2: Symmetrical Floodlights

• Used for area lighting, such as outdoor stadiums
• Uniform light distribution over a large area

Chapter 2: Cyclorama Floodlights

• Multiple floodlights attached to a metal strip (baten)
• Commonly used for illuminating cycloramas/backdrops
• Can also be used as footlights when positioned at the front of the stage

Chapter 2: Fresnel

• Power varies from 300W to 5KW
• Produces a soft-edged beam with limited beam angle control
• Beam angle ranges from 10 to 70 degrees
• Some Fresnels have barn doors to control light spill

Chapter 2: Parcan

• Light output varies from 50W to 1KW
• Common in rock concerts for intense, parallel beams
• Typically quick to rig and utilize for deep colours
• Different diameter options (PAR36, PAR46, PAR56, PAR64)
• Several beam-width options (spot, narrow spot, medium flood, wide flood)

Chapter 2: Profile Spot

• Power ranges from 500W to 2.5kW
• Produces controlled and varied beams, from sharp to soft edges
• Beam shape is adjustable using shutters or gobos
• Zoom profile's beam angle ranges from 15° to 30° or 25° to 50°

Chapter 2: Follow Spot

• Power varies from approximately 300W to 5000W
• Highlighting individual performers on stage
• Usually located in the auditorium
• Primarily used for powerful long-throw applications such as musicals or theatrical performances

Chapter 2: Moving Lights

• Also known as automated or intelligent lights
• Popular choice for versatility and quick effect changes
• Designs with either "moving mirrors" or "moving yokes" to animate the beam
• Offer a wide range of coverage options with features like dimming, colour-changing, gobo projections

Chapter 2: Gobos

• Integral part of moving lights fixtures.
• Created from metal and heat-resistant glass.
• Mounted on a rotating wheel for selected gobo patterns
• Used to create projected light effects

Chapter 2: Spot, Wash, Beam, and Hybrid Functioning in Moving Lights

• Spot: Gobos, used for spotlights
• Wash: Wide-angle lighting, area coverage
• Beam: Effect-driven lighting
• Hybrid: Combines features of spots, washes and beam lights; often not as effective as specialized moving lights

Chapter 2: Lighting Consoles

• Hardware terminals with software for controlling lighting fixtures
• Key features include DMX 512, Artnet, or proprietary protocols for controlling large numbers of lighting fixtures
• Consoles serve specific lighting situations and often use specific terminology

Chapter 2: Playing Factors of a Console

• Emphasis on functions allowing improvisation and quick adjustments via physical controls
• Used in live lighting situations for quick changes
• Important for situations with little pre-production time

Chapter 2: Playback Capacity in a Console

• Designed to handle complex, sequential lighting changes via a go-button
• Main function for cue playback with extensive editing and viewing controls
• Common usage in theatrical productions, musical performances, or theme park lighting

Chapter 2: Lighting Cables (Power)

• Common types for transmission of lighting power to equipment
• Types of common connectors include 16A cables and Ceeform connectors
• Suitable for use in automation and demanding applications within the entertainment industry

Chapter 2: Signal Cables

• DMX512 is a standard digital control protocol for controlling lighting equipment
• Used with lighting consoles
• Standard in modern digital lighting systems

Chapter 2: Flightcases

• Used for transporting and protecting valuable equipment
• Made from materials like polyethylene, plywood, or aluminium
• Constructed to fit specific equipment sizes ensuring durability resistance of hazards

Chapter 1.7: Color Gels

• Polycarbonate-based medium
• Used to colour a light's beam
• Variety of colors

Chapter 2.7: Gobos

• Templates cut into circular plates
• Used to create patterns of projected light

Chapter 2.7: Flightcases

• Containers for transporting and protecting equipment
• Often use hard materials and are colour-coded for easier identification
• Size is important to make sure equipment fits in appropriately

Chapter 3: Conventional Lighting Systems

• Basic components: power source, dimmer units, dimmer control system (lighting console), lighting fixtures, patching system

Chapter 3: Moving Lighting Systems

• Requires 230V power and DMX 512 data input
• Power should not come from dimmers, as this may damage the unit
• Using a daisy-chain method, connecting outputs to inputs
• Ensure correct DMX addressing for each fixture

Chapter 3: DMX Addressing

• Crucial for communication between lighting fixtures and consoles
• Proper addressing avoids errors and ensures proper functioning

Chapter 3: Cable Coiling

• Stranded copper wire inside the cable has a natural twist
• Using an over-under method helps unravel cables without twists

Chapter 4: Entertainment Rigging

• Deals with equipment setup, use, maintenance, and potential risk

Chapter 4: Chain Hoist Motor

• Important parts include aluminum housing, DC braking system, friction clutch, block stopper, one-hoe eye shackles, and contactor controller chain bag

Chapter 4: Motor Basics

• Electric motors convert electrical energy to mechanical energy
• Key parts are the stator and rotor

Chapter 4: Braking Methods

• Plug braking: Reversing the current to stop the motor
• Regenerative braking: Using the inertia of the moving load
• Dynamic braking: Disconnecting the AC source and applying DC

Chapter 5: Electrical Power

• Introduction to lighting equipment, including shock and fire hazards
• Acts and subsidiary regulations governing Electrical installations must be followed
• Common safety procedures, such as the use of voltage testers, must be known

Chapter 5: Electrical Loading

• Provides calculations related to electrical power and the components/fixtures using it

Chapter 5: Resistance of a Luminare

• Using Ohm's Law to calculate resistance
• How to determine the resistance provided by a device by using the lamp's voltage and current ratings

Chapter 5: Power Factor

• Describes the ratio of watts to volt-amperes in an electrical circuit.
• Explains how inductive and capacitive properties affect power factor and load calculations.

Chapter 5: IP Code

• Categorization of electrical equipment based on their protection against solid objects (dust) and water (ingress, spraying etc)

Chapter 6: Maintenance

• Approaches for inspecting, monitoring, assessing and analyzing lighting equipment
• Common issues and appropriate maintenance procedures

Chapter 6: Maintenance Tips

• Cleaning and troubleshooting guidance for lighting fixtures
• Important considerations for lamp storage

Chapter 7: Lighting Design

• Important for effective visualization and execution of visual displays
• Emphasizes the importance of basic lighting design knowledge

Chapter 7: Lighting Consoles

• Descriptions of hardware and software
• Understanding channels, submasters, cue playbacks, and how to use these aspects effectively in lighting design, including multiple-scene setups

Chapter 8: Event Management

• Importance of pre-production in delivering quality events, and including planning details
• Processes within the pre-production phases, including documentation and approvals
• Production process and logistics, emphasizing team-work and safety (e.g. site inspection)
• Setting up, testing, and refining rehearsals
• Operations, including winding up (or tear-down) and final checks

Chapter 8: Technical Rider

• A document specifying equipment needed, staff, and business arrangement for a show

Test your knowledge on moving lights and DMX systems with this quiz. It covers power supply requirements, channel occupancy, connectors, and features specific to moving lighting fixtures. Perfect for lighting technicians and enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding.