Where you put a light matters as much as how bright it is. The angle of incidence — horizontal and vertical — decides whether a face looks flat and visible or dramatic and shaped.
The McCandless method
Stanley McCandless formalised area lighting in the 1930s, and the core idea still runs most theatre rigs: light each acting area from two front angles, roughly 45° to each side and 45° up, ideally one warm and one cool. The two angles give modelling — a sense of depth — while keeping the face visible.
- Front light — visibility, but flattens. Used alone it kills depth.
- Side light — reveals the three-dimensional body. The cornerstone of dance lighting.
- Back / hair light — draws a rim around the performer and lifts them off the background.
- Top light — dramatic, sculptural, but leaves eyes in shadow.
Rule of thumb: if a subject looks flat, you usually need less front and more side or back — not more intensity.