The Lighting Designer

When we go to concerts most of us don’t tend to look at the lighting, unless your into technical. Most people spend their time looking at the band. But how much work is actually put in, to make your show look good, and to light your band members so you can enjoy the show. Stage lighting for live music is essential, not only to actually see the bands/musicians on stage, but also to enhance the music and create an atmosphere for the concert. Lighting is meant to help out the band, but not be the star of the show.

But lighting happens in more places than you would think of, lighting designers create the lighting not only for music but for theater, dance, opera, television shows, video/film and movie productions. They can also be involved in lighting museum exhibits, public parks, and large buildings,  dances, religious occasions, public events,  fashion shows, and festivals. Wherever lighting needs to be dramatic and highlight a person/band/ group or monument, lighting designers have a hand within the task at hand.

Lighting designers are responsible for setting the mood for each scene, song, environment or set. And the process to do this is more than just pressing a few buttons and making lights work. Its a far bigger and longer process.

Lighting designers often work as technicians as well which requires them to help setting up and running the lights. This requires a good technical knowledge of how to rig, patch, and correctly fix the lights to the trussing with safety clamps. Lighting designers and Lighting Techs have to have  a comfort with heights, and a good sense of timing when programming for a song.

Typical responsibilities of a lighting designer:

• If the show is for a theater project, the first thing the designer needs to do is read the script. But for this blog. I’m talking about music. So in the case of the music, the designer may listen to the band’s music in order to gain a feel of the music.
• Discussing the technical requirements.
• Researching the venue- This is very important, as a designer needs to know the technical specs of a venue before designing a lighting plan. Knowing the space, and trussing available will give the design an idea of what equipment would be suitable, and what lighting they are able to use. Some venues already have their own equipment so it’s good to find out what they have, and see if you are able to use that.
• Establish a lighting plan, drawing it out for the technicians- Another important step. Drawing out the lighting plan so that all your lighting crew are able to help you rig. Drawing out a lighting plan takes careful thought, and thinking about many lights which would be able to light the musician/band in the best way possible.

 

 

• Whilst deciding and designing the lighting plan the lighting designer must think of the lights, gels and any other additional equipment that may be required.
• Once the lighting plan is ready, the designer along with the crew will travel to the venue, this could be straight after another show, taking all the equipment down, travelling hundreds of miles and reaching the next venue after as much sleep as possible getting the equipment into the venue, the lighting designer will then supervise the hanging and focusing of lighting instruments, ensuring that the lighting plan is being followed, and the lights are in the correct position, facing the right way, and working.
• Whilst travelling the designer would have already plotted the songs before touring, or spent hours of time pre-programming the lighting with the correct plan on lighting software. Or the designer will spend time with the lighting desk programming songs, ready to connect with the lights up in the stadium. A typical song could take from 4-9 hours to program depending on the requirements. So imagine how many songs are programmed for Bon Jovi, and how much time the designer had spent in order to have the lighting ready for the show.
• May maintain and repair the equipment- A lighting designer should have knowledge in fixing and maintaining the equipment. Having the knowledge to know how to fix the lights come in very very handy!
• Ensuring the show runs smoothly.

• Create a production notebook containing: Contact information if any lights have been hired, contact information for the crew, and for organisations who the equipment has been bought from. Schedules for lighting meetings, load ins, get outs, rehearsals, sound checks. Notes from meetings, the band may have certain lighting requirements they want. Research of the venue and any other relevant research. Sketches, lighting sketches, lighting plans, ideas. All lighting documentation.
• Be in communication with all members of the production team about any issues that might affect others such as color, if the musician is wearing something specific, it needs the correct lighting. Texture, Floor surfaces, fog, smoke machines, safety issues, special effects, things on stage. To keep in contact with all of the team, so team work and communication is vital.
• The Lighting Designer needs to provide the Master Electrician with atleast 3 copies of the lighting plot, access to the paperwork, and any other required details.
• The Lighting Designer will be in very close contact with the Director (For a theater show) Stage Manager both for music events and theater shows, Production Manager, Master Electrician, Technical Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer and Sound Designer for any changes that might affect the lighting, again communication is a must!

 

Below is the lighting desk used for Bon Jovi shows. The GrandMA lighting desk.

The typical average cost of the GrandMA lighting desk in FullSize will range. But retail at $78,500. For a smaller size, retailing at $57,000. These are prices without of course the other things that are required to go with it.

Next time you attend a show, take a second to look at the lighting, and think of the process the designer and the team have gone through in order to make that happen. And remember, without the lighting designer, you wouldn’t be able to see your band 😉

xoxoxo