Although the principles of proper lighting may seem simple, there are many more complexities you must consider when designing your show. As we have mentioned in other blogs, your goal is to direct your audience’s attention and create an area of focus. Proper lighting is an important element in any event design.

The first rule seems simple: make sure we can see the presenter. As your audience watches the presenter, they need to see the person clearly. This helps ensure that they can engage with the presenter, and pay better attention to the show. Without proper lighting, the audience becomes distracted, and they stop paying attention to the presentation. We achieve this goal with proper front lighting. Usually, we have two or more lights in the back of room, which we focus on the stage and other key areas. We also use lighting to tell people where to look. For example, maybe there are some sponsor signs or logos around the stage. If we light them, we direct the audience’s attention to those elements. Without the light, they may blend into the background, thus ruining the focus given to the sponsors.

Lighting becomes especially important when using cameras on your show. Cameras perform best when they have enough light for the image. Front light is essential with camera work. In larger venues, we use lighting from many angles to create depth in the image. For example, we will use back light on a presenter’s shoulders to make them stand out from the background. It is also important to account for camera angles in the design to ensure lighting fills from the camera’s perspective and that we minimize unwanted shadows. Simply lighting a single person can be a lot more complex than you would think. It all depends on the goals you want to accomplish.

In addition to spotlighting, we also use colored LED lights for similar purposes. They are typically used for up lighting décor elements as well as the stage backdrop.  They can create that “wow” factor for your meeting. Décor lighting helps to transform your simple hotel ballroom into an entirely different space. It will grab the attention of your audience from the moment they enter the room and  choices of color will help dictate the mood and feel during the show as well. Furthermore, it can add a beautiful look to the backdrop making the presenter more prominent to the audience. Overall, lighting is often overlooked in smaller shows, but it is a critical aspect of production. A carefully implemented lighting show can make or break a show by controlling what the audience perceives. Use it to tell the story of your show!