Fade (lighting)

stage lighting Stage lighting is the craft of lighting as it applies to the production of theater, dance, opera, and other performance arts.

, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease of the

intensity Intensity may refer to: In colloquial use * Strength (disambiguation) *Amplitude * Level (disambiguation) * Magnitude (disambiguation) In physical sciences Physics *Intensity (physics), power per unit area (W/m2) *Field strength of electric, m ...

light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

projected onto the stage. The term fade-in refers to gradually changing the lighting level from complete darkness to a predetermined

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...

level. A fade-out (also known as fade-to-black) refers to gradually decreasing the intensity of light until none is shining on the stage. A ''crossfade'' is when lighting levels are gradually altered from one setting to another. A fade-in is sometimes called a ''build'', and where this terminology is used, a fade is understood to be a fade-out. Increasing lighting intensities that are not black is referred to as a fade-up. Similarly, decreasing lighting intensities to a level above black is referred to as a fade-down. Cross-fades are accomplished by executing fade-ups and/or fade-downs. In nearly all theatrical lighting designs, multiple lighting instruments are used to illuminate the stage at any one time. A cue refers to the recorded state of illumination for the entire stage at that time. The intensity of the lighting instruments is often altered with a single crossfade, altering the lighting state of the stage. The lighting instruments are altered from a

dimmer A dimmer is a device connected to a light fixture and used to lower the brightness of the Lighting, light. By changing the voltage waveform applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the Luminous intensity, intensity of the light output. Al ...

board or lighting control panel operated by a lighting

technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different special ...

. The dimmer board, now referred to as the lighting console, especially with newer digital control systems like DMX, uses a serial data stream to control multiple groups called "universes" of 512 DMX addresses to control compatible fixtures including dimmers, via different methods leading to a single twisted pair of wires connected to the fixtures. DMX consoles are largely computerized, thus allowing digital process control from multiple input devices, and synchronization via

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...

SMPTE The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) (, rarely ), founded by Charles Francis Jenkins in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is a global professional association of engineers, technologists, and e ...

etc. The terms ''fade in'', ''fade out'', and ''fade to black'' were borrowed by Hollywood, and are used in the formal structure of

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

s. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fade (Lighting) Stage lighting