Directors expect lighting designers to come to their first meeting well prepared, reasonably familiar with the play and with background material. The lighting designer's initial play analysis and research will serve as a point of departure for their discussions. The lighting designer will try to leave as many options open as possible by presenting a number of different approaches, based on the knowledge he or she has accumulated through analyzing the script. In the course of this meeting, the lighting designer will begin to understand how the director has interpreted the script and what is the director's concept of the production. The lighting designer will try to adapt his or her initial interpretation to accommodate that of the director. Lighting is a powerful tool which can totally transform the way in which the play is interpreted, therefore the lighting designer must keep in mind that he or she is only one of the artists creating the show. Likewise, a director who is working with a lighting designer with a distinct personal style must take special care to ensure that there is no inconsistency or conflict between the style of the lighting and other aspects of the show.
The most important aspect discussed in this meeting will be the production style, and inclusion of the scenic designer in this discussion can be very useful. The discussion will embrace practical details such as location, entrances and exits, as well as the scenographic concept.
The lighting designer should emerge from this meeting with a
clear
understanding of the aims and the artistic complexity of the lighting, and a better idea of how he or she can work in cooperation with the rest of the artistic team. Work on the lighting design can now be started forthwith.
