Draw a “rough” plot first. If you are hand-drafting you can make all sorts of smudges, erasures, and corrections on this copy. Then, when you have the plot the way you want it, lay another piece of clearprint over it and trace your final clean copy.

Draw the theatre structure and set using a thin line. It’s a good idea to include the set outline on this preliminary/rough plot, even if you’re not planning on including it on the final plot. Having the set visible makes it much easier to effectively locate the lighting areas on the set.

Draw in your lighting areas using a thin line. On your rough plot, you can draw circles for the lighting areas if doing so will help you visualize. Some designers assign each area a letter to differentiate between them and possibly indicate where on the stage they are (“DR” for downstage right). When you draw the final plot, don’t draw the circles; just place the appropriate letters in the center of the areas. If placing the letters in the center of the area interferes with the location of any lighting equipment, move the letter, not the equipment.

Replicate the lighting key in each area. Use a thick line for the symbols for all lighting equipment. (If you, as lighting designer, are going to be assigning circuits to each instrument, do so when you draw each instrument.) When you plot the location of the fixtures, it is usually easiest to start with an area that will be the least encumbered by set pieces and masking. For proscenium and thrust productions, this is usually one of the areas down center. For arena productions, the least encumbered areas are usually center stage. If you’re a little hazy on how to replicate the key in the lighting areas, you might want to review Chapter 14 , “Using the Lighting Key to Draw the Light Plot.”

Replicate the key for any additional layers of lights, such as the support lights for any sources (practical lamps, windows, fireplaces, and so forth); washes; cyc and ground-row lighting; offstage atmospheric lights such as hallways, adjoining rooms, and so forth. Don’t forget to circuit each instrument, practical, and effect.

When you’ve laid in all your lights and made any necessary adjustments, number all of your instruments according to the guidelines described earlier in this chapter.

Using your light plot and the ground plans of the set(s) and theatre as your guides, draw a rough lighting section. If you find that some lighting equipment interferes with the set or masking, make any necessary adjustments to the section and the plot .

Fill in all necessary data on the channel hookup or instrument schedule.