Behind the Lens

4.6Adventures in Lighting: Fixture Types 101, Part II—The Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight

I was originally introduced to the world of lighting in high school with legitimate (live) theater. There we had four primary types of lighting fixtures: the Fresnel—used onstage and over-stage for general wash, backlight, and some selected area lighting; the cyc light—used primarily for color wash on the rear cyclorama; large scoop lights—used primarily for work lights; and ellipsoidal reflector spotlights (ERS) fixtures—used for more focused and shaped light, generally from the front-of-house position. ERS lights are more commonly called Lekos or some times a Klieglight (by the real old-timers), but both nicknames are based on two manufacturers brand names: ...