A spotlight is a very general term that refers to any lantern or luminaire that is used to create a pooling of light onto a stage. There are several different kinds of spotlights that break down into three general types:
Profile Spotlights-
Profile spotlights tend to be longer light fixtures that contain convex lenses and have a gate at their focal point that allows for the insertion of gobos or irises to shape the beam of light that is emitted.
Gobos are thin circular plates that have holes cut into them to create patterns that projected light will create when passed through the plates. These are used to soften a pool of light that spotlights produce, for example.
With no filter of any kind in place, spotlights will produce very distinct round and sharp edges, a literal circle of light, on the stage. In order to soften the edges and produce any number of effects that will result in a more attractive composition, gobos are used as a type of filter or mold for the light of the spotlight.
'PAR' or 'beamlight' spotlights are spotlights that throw soft edged pools of light onto the sage. This light is generally fixed and not quite as versatile, yet it can create a very distinct 'punch' of light to an area over a much larger span of space.
Fresnel Lantern or 'PC' spotlights are smaller fixtures that give a soft-edged spot or fuzzy pool of light. These types of spotlights employ a Fresnel lens that washes light over a area of the stage. The way that the light is delivered produces a sort of 'stepped' appearance that makes for softer shadows. This is what makes Fresnel Lantern spotlights so great for side and back lighting.
Fresnels use spherical reflectors with lamps at the focus. This means that the reflector and lamp remain fixed together inside the housing and are positioned back or forth to focus the light by the means of a slide bar on the underside of the lantern, or by a worm track. For this reason, Fresnels are not that good for tight focus on small areas, but are superb for medium distances and area lighting.
Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights (or ERS) are the most popular and abundant instrument type that is currently in use. The flexibility of application and installation of the Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight units allow them to fulfill the bulk of lighting roles in theater as well as other presentation applications.
From broad area lighting to tight focus on small areas, from shin kickers on the stage to long throws from the back of the auditorium, ERS performs very well. Since these are such common spotlights, they are usually referred to by brand name and model name for particularly popular models.
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