Tag: concert lighting

Lighting up the Night at Live Events

Posted on by J3551CA

Illuminating a live event presents special challenges for lighting directors. From sporting events to concerts there must be sufficient lighting for audiences to see what’s happening without blinding viewers or performers. Subjects must be highlighted, while providing sufficient light for events that are recorded for later viewing or broadcast live.

Simply employing more lights doesn’t mean a venue will be any brighter. Professional lighting directors are intimately acquainted with the interplay of light and shadows, reflection techniques, cameo lighting, and the relationship between filming methods and the light required. They’re also well-versed in the application of LED lighting and have the ability to see from the camera’s perspective and not just what’s apparent to the naked eye.

It’s important for the lighting director to actually examine the arena in the dark and discover what type of illumination options may or may not already be available at the venue. LED lights allow an elevated level of lighting that’s eco-friendly and can be deployed in a vast array of arrangements. Light balloons are another option that can be employed alone or in combination with other methods to achieve the desired effect.

Digital cameras react differently to low light situations, making it important to know how the cinematographer will be filming. The use of industry-specific sensors is indispensable for gauging illumination levels in different areas, eliminating graininess, and detecting unwanted areas of shadows.

Creating pools of illumination rather than trying to saturate an entire venue provides a more realistic appearance. Less lighting can be used with the strategic positioning of reflectors that result in a softer look. Even wetting down concrete can act as a reflector. Lighting directors are also familiar with the camera techniques used for nighttime filming and the lighting requirements for each.

Keep in mind that even the best lighting directors at the pinnacle of their careers check and recheck every aspect of their lighting plans and run simulations. They leave nothing to chance, especially during demanding night shoots. They utilize all their creative skills and technical knowledge to illuminate venues that enables viewers to feel as if they’re actually there and part of the action.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.

            

Behind the Scenes at A Concert

Posted on by J3551CA

Whether you are working with a brand-new band or an established rock legend, ensuring that a concert looks and sounds great is a time-consuming task.  Even before the audience turns up to enjoy the show, there will have been swathes of professionals working behind the scenes to make sure that every element of the performance is carefully planned to look, feels and sounds completely awesome.

  1. Lighting

Great lighting at events is a fundamental part of making a live show successful.  A full lighting plan will be designed by a highly skilled lighting director and his team, who will ensure that every flash of light or total blackout perfectly matches the music or action on stage.  Using huge lighting rigs and a wide variety of lamps and bulbs, the lighting design is every bit as much of a show as the action taking place on the stage itself.

  1. Staging and Equipment

If you are attending a concert that is taking place is a theatre or arena, the stage and much of the technical equipment will already be there.  But, if you are visiting an outdoor concert or one that is so epic that it will need more than is already in place, professionals will be needed to install additional staging, screens and much more.

Planning how to build up a stage is a long and complicated process.  Not only does it need to be as large as possible, it will also need to be solid enough to support the weight of the performers, instruments, lights and speakers. Special effects will need to be considered as well as access to and from the stage area, and backstage facilities for the crew and performers.

  1. Video Cameras and Screens

Many large venues use screens on either side of the stage to ensure that the audience doesn’t miss a thing, regardless of where they are seated.  The screens themselves need to be sourced and set up by professional AV teams, and the camera setup has to be controlled and edited, often in real time.

  1. Sound and Speakers

From earpieces, microphones and monitors to giant speaker stacks that push the sounds out across vast open spaces, every element of the sound system have to be carefully considered before the event.  A team of engineers work diligently throughout the concert to make sure that the sound is always perfectly reproduced without feedback or distortion, and the sound desk that they use will also need to be built and set up somewhere a safe distance from the stage itself.

  1. Controls

The sound, the lighting, and the visual feeds will all need to be closely monitored in real time throughout the event.  This means that control panels and desks will need to be installed both at the side of the stage and somewhere out front for experienced lighting, video and sound technicians to ensure that their individual responsibilities are fully taken care of and working exactly as they should at all times.

Putting on a world-class performance may be the job of the artists on stage but making sure that every single member of the audience can hear and see them is equally as important.

Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, we can ensure that your event lighting is perfect from the outset. Speak to us today at (561) 368-0101 if you would like to find out more.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.