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P
PHOTOFLOOD
A lamp used by photographers which gives a bright white light. Because it
has a thin filament, it gives a good flash effect (eg lightning), but has a
relatively short life, so should not be left on for any length of time.
PICK-UP
1) Device which, when attached to an acoustic musical instrument, converts
sound vibrations into an electrical signal.
2) A way of describing the directional sensitivity of a microphone. An
Omnidirectional microphone has equal pick-up from all around, a Cardoid
microphone is more sensitive from the front, a Hypercardoid has very strong
directionality from the front. A figure-of eight microphone picks up front
and rear, but rejects sound from the sides.
3) The action of turning a followspot on a performer. (e.g. "that was a good
pick-up", "your next pick-up is downstage left"). A BLIND PICKUP is on a
moving performer and requires good hand-eye co-ordination. A SET PICKUP is
on a specific area, is preset, and is made on a cue from the stage manager.
A SIGHT PICKUP is made visually by the operator to a preset position.
PIN SPOT
1) A lantern focused very tightly on a small area (eg an actors head)
2) A luminair used widely in disco installations, consisting of a low
voltage (6V) Par 36 lamp (lamp code is 4515) with a very narrow beam in a
metal case with built in transformer.
PIPE ENDS
Lanterns hung at the very ends of lighting bars - used for crosslight and
very common in dance or musical theater.
PLAN
A scale drawing showing a piece of scenery, the whole set, lighting layout
etc from above. Lighting plans are usually drawn onto the theater's
groundplan. A view from the side of the set (or a piece of scenery) is known
as an ELEVATION.
PLASA / P.L.A.S.A.
Professional Lighting and Sound Association (UK).
PLAYBACK
The part of a computerized lighting control desk which enables the operator
to recall cues from the electronic memory.
PLOT
1) List of preparations and actions required of technical crews during the
performance (eg Sound Plot = list of sound cues and levels in running
order.) In the US, the term plot refers to a plan. (eg Light Plot = scale
plan showing lighting instruments).
2) The basic story thread running through a performance / play which gives
the reason for the character's actions.
PLOTTING SESSION
Time during which the plot for each department is prepared (eg Lighting
Plotting session)
POINT CUE
A cue inserted during / after plotting between two existing cues. (eg 8.5 is
inserted between cues 8 and 9). Most computer lighting desks have the
ability to either insert an additional cue in a sequence, or to link to
another cue out of the sequence, and then link back again. Inserting cues
into a plotted sequence on a manual lighting desk is more awkward, because
it is a running plot (where only the changes between cues are noted down).
Sound cues within a sequence should have lettered cues (e.g. 8A is a fade up
of Cue 8 and 8B is the fade out).
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