Whether it’s your first time setting up a stage or you’ve spent years travelling with performers and stage acts, knowing how to light up a stage is important. Lights not only give the audience a better view of what’s going on the stage, it can also breathe life into the stage. Shifting and changing the lights is a big part of the show, in fact, it can even help set the mood and gets the audience feeling excited and very into the show. Below are the three basic components of stage lighting and how they are used.
Overhead Lights These are the lights that are commonly placed on the ceiling or on beams above the stage. They need to give out a strong, clear light since they’ll be lighting up most of the stage. Some stage designers would place films and colours on these lights to give the stage a nice tint and would turn these off and on for effect. LEDs are the best to use for these since they give out a nice, bright light and they don’t heat up as much, making it more comfortable for the people on the stage.
Background Lights Lights placed on the back of the performers are used for effects and mood. They’re basically accent pieces that stage managers and light technicians can use to add a bit more drama to the area. These lights give a nice playfulness to the stage and give a new life the performers. It’s also a big help for photographers since they can be used to fill out dark spaces and add effects to their photos.
Spot Lights When highlighting a certain person or thing on stage, spotlights are needed. They’re a big help in drawing the crowd’s focus. Like overhead lights, spotlights need to have a strong beam that can be controlled. Consider getting LED lights for your spotlights.