INTERIOR LIGHTING 10-85

FIG. 10-59. A community theater auditorium.

mately 1 footlambert on the surfaces adjacent to the screen is recommended.
In lighting such surfaces, the source must be concealed and so directed that
no light spills on the screen to reduce picture clarity. Any luminaire type
may be used (coves, shielded downlights, or masked projectors) that will
border the picture screen with surfaces of about one-tenth screen brightness.
For motion-picture theaters, illumination levels can be graded from
\
footcandle at the rear of the auditorium to
y^
footcandle at the front.
Some provision should be made to supply higher levels for emergencies,
for cleaning, and at the end of the final presentation.
Few theaters have sufficient illumination for program reading. In
community theaters where the auditorium may be used for other than
motion-picture projection additional lighting may be necessary. Theaters
used solely for stage plays need not have over-all low-intensity lighting.
A minimum of 5 footcandles should be provided everywhere for the read-
ing of programs during intermissions. Individually controlled local lumi-
naires on the backs of seats have been used successfully in some theaters
to provide light for reading programs and for locating lost objects.
Aisle lights located under the outside row of seats can provide useful
illumination without introducing high brightnesses in the field of view of
the seated audience.
Some use is made of carpets impregnated with fluorescent materials
which become luminous when irradiated by means of ultraviolet sources.
Theater Stages
The stage provides the most interesting lighting problem in the theater.
Even those theaters designed exclusively for motion pictures occasionally
may accommodate stage shows for charity, for community rallies, and
so forth.
,
Stage lighting equipment includes border lights, footlights, spotlights,
floodlights, and cyclorama floodlights. (See Fig. 10-60.)