Hi Agent So,
first, usual lighting fixtures/ the basics:
PAR Lights: mostly use dis the PAR 64, then you may also encounter the PAR 56. PAR means (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector). you have the PAR 64 is a 1000w lamp. usually, the ones available are in 110v since it has a longer life than the 220v version. so you usually connect 2 pcs in series to be able to use them in 220v. The PAR 56 is a 300w lamp usually available in 220v. there are also 500w verion models around. when you buy these, you'd usually be asked what "number", this usually means either #1(very narrow spot), #2 (narrow spot) or #5 (flood)...if you are just starting, just go with a #5, a flood..general purpose...easy to flood the satge with light with just a number of lamps. The PAR CAN is the casing, simply to hold the lamp.
Followspot: it's designed for what it states... the spot follows the subject on stage. there are a variations....but i'll just cut it short, just go with a gas lamp type (discharged lamp) unit, 250w or 575w will do for begginers. the important feature is an IRIS, this is the feature that makes the beam bigger or smaller. please please do not simply base your decission on the wattage of the lamp, a lot will depend on the quality of the optics. There are a lot of 1200w China followspots in the market that cant even compete with 575 watt European followspots. so the bottom line, check and compare visually.
Dimmer Packs: usually available is a 6 channel rack mount pack, it could handle 2Kw to 4Kw per channel. so, with a good 6 channel dimmer pack, you could pretty much run 24 PARs. if they say a pack is 2K per channel(or 2000 watts), then it can handle 2 PARs per channel.
Dimmer Board: this is your control. there are manual boards and programable boards. there are boards dedicated for conventional lighting, boards for special effcets like moving lights, and boards that integrate both...
this is your control interface, so its important to try it out as well. try to use it in manual mode, try to program a scene, a chase, try playing back a program.....if its easy, then its for you. if it takes you more than 3 strokes to record a scene or chase, thats too slow.
Basic Stage Design: With regard to design, there is a rune of thumb in the number of lighting fixtures to use for stage. your side lights is half of your frontal lights. so, if you have 8 frontals, put 4 each on the sides of the stage for side lights.
There is a wealth of documantation on the net about lighting, its a joy to read...once you start, its hard to stop.
hope this helps.
