A striplight is a multi-circuit

stage lighting instrument Stage lighting instruments (lanterns, or luminaires in Europe) are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television s ...

. Striplights are one of the most basic types of lighting fixtures available. They usually consist of row of lamps. A single striplight is usually wired internally into either 3 or 4 circuits. Each internal circuit consists of several lamps evenly spaced within the unit. Often, a lighting designer will use roundels (colored glass lenses) or

gels A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still dif ...

to make these lights different colors. The unit can then be wired into several different circuits, allowing each bank of colored lights to be controlled by a separate dimmer on the

lighting board A lighting control console (also called a lightboard, lighting board, or lighting desk) is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple stage lights at once. They are used throughout the entertainment industry and a ...

. Striplights are often used to color a

cyclorama A cyclorama is a panoramic image on the inside of a cylindrical platform, designed to give viewers standing in the middle of the cylinder a 360° view, and also a building designed to show a panoramic image. The intended effect is to make view ...

, or can alternately be positioned behind the

proscenium arch A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...

to provide a general overhead color wash. Often, in older and low budget venues such as churches and schools, striplights are the primary lighting source. Nowadays, LED striplights are becoming more common. These units can deliver a similar light output with reduced power consumption. They also eliminate the need for roundels or gels.

References

See also