Lighting is a another production element greatly enhanced through the use of virtual settings. Traditionally, a lighting designer's concepts are communicated through a series of sketches, known as a lighting storyboard. Virtual settings allow the designer to concentrate directly on lighting, without having to redraw the scenery over and over again. Light sources within virtual settings can be moved, colored and focused with considerable accuracy and the effects are immediately evident within the virtual world. Each lighting effect can then be saved for future reference and shared with other members of the production team.
Virtual reality provides, understandably, excellent means for communicating.
The accurate communication of a designer's concepts to others is particularly important in the theatre. Theatre is a collaborative art, created through the synergistic contributions of many creative people. Just as they strive to communicate their mutual artistic intent to an audience, so must they strive to communicate with each other in order that each production element can harmonize with the others. In the past, I shared my work with collaborators by showing sketches of proposed designs. The result is an astounding leap in effective communication.