The two main crew calls when a show's lighting goes in. During the hang, electricians mount fixtures on battens, booms and positions as drawn on the light plot, run cable, circuit and patch them and add color. During focus, each fixture is turned on in turn and pointed, sized, shuttered and locked off to the designer's instructions. It runs from a few hours for a recital to days for a large production.
Hang and focus is Tuesday and Wednesday, so the plot and paperwork need to be in the master electrician's hands by Friday.
Also heard as
- rig and focus
Related terms
Focus call
The scheduled crew session in which the lighting designer directs electricians to aim and shape every fixture.
Leko
Theater slang for an ellipsoidal reflector spotlight, the hard-edged fixture with shutters and a gobo slot.
Gel
A sheet of colored or diffusing plastic film placed in front of a lighting fixture to change its color or quality.
Channel check
The preshow routine of bringing up each lighting channel in turn to confirm every fixture works and is aimed correctly.