In stage lighting

Stage lighting

Modern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...

, an ellipsoidal reflector floodlight (sometimes known by the acronym ERF which is often pronounced "erf"), better known as a scoop, is a large, simple lighting fixture

Stage lighting instrument

Stage lighting instruments are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.Many stagecraft terms vary between the United States and the United...

 with a dome-like reflector, large high-wattage lamp

Incandescent light bulb

The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...

 and no lens

Lens (optics)

A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...

. It consists almost entirely of a lamp in the center of a big curved metal (or plastic lined with reflective foil) dome that acts as a reflector

Reflector (photography)

In photography and cinematography, a reflector is an improvised or specialised reflective surface used to redirect light towards a given subject or scene.- Types :...

. The result is a wide, soft-edged pool of light good for general lighting. However, since scoop lights do not have a mechanism for cutting down the size of their beam, they are rarely used for more specific lighting needs.

Many theaters use scoop lights for worklights, rehearsals, non-performance times, and certain performance times. Scoops can be used to mimic the effect of a striplight

Striplight

A striplight is a multi-circuit stage lighting instrument. Striplights are one of the most basic types of lighting fixtures available. They usually consist of row of lamps. A single striplight is usually wired internally into either 3 or 4 circuits. Each internal circuit consists of several...

 to illuminate a cyclorama

Cyclorama (theater)

A cyclorama is a large curtain or wall, often concave, positioned at the back of the stage area. It was popularized in the German theater of the 19th century and continues in common usage today in theaters throughout the world...

. They are easy to set up and take down, are relatively inexpensive, typically have long lamp life. When used as worklights, scoop lights frequently don't require the use of the light board to operate.

Scoop lights are also used for flooding a stage with downlight, as this requires the least amount of control of the beam. However, fresnel lantern

Fresnel lantern

A Fresnel lantern is a common lantern used in theatre, which employs a Fresnel lens to wash light over an area of the stage. The lens produces a wider, soft-edged beam of light, which is commonly used for back light and top light....

s are more frequently used for this task. Most scoops use a PS52 mogul screw (E39) incandescent lamp.