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What Is a Lighting Diagram? The Overhead Plan Explained
A lighting diagram is an overhead plan of a setup: the space drawn from above, with the actors, every camera, each light and its modifier, the grip control and the cable runs, so the electric and grip departments can rig it before the cast arrives.
Also called: lighting plot · lighting plan · overhead diagram · floor plan
Drawn for the people who rig it
The director of photography designs the light; the gaffer and key grip turn the diagram into equipment, stands and power. A diagram that names each unit by its role as well as its fixture, such as key, fill or backlight, lets a gaffer make a sensible substitution when the planned fixture is not on the truck.
In theatre a lighting plot is a formal document for a whole rig, with circuits and channels. On a film it usually covers one setup and is redrawn when the coverage turns around.
Power belongs on it
Add up the watts on each circuit and divide by the voltage to get amps. A 120-volt, 20-amp household circuit carries about 1,900 watts continuously, which is why a plan that looks fine on paper can trip a breaker at call time.
