Event lighting presents some unique challenges for any production crew. In general, lighting is one of the most difficult nuances of film to master. Understanding the discrepancy between lighting a space and lighting a scene takes time and practice. But regardless of the application, lighting is essential—especially when you have an event to produce!
Just like lighting a studio, event lighting is totally dependent on the space and the end goal of the production. The technique and style of your lighting varies between events, but the end goal is always the same: to create a kick-ass, immersive experience! It’s not always easy, but when you a) understand what you want, and b) have an awesome team like ECG behind you, event lighting is a breeze.
What You Want To Achieve With Event Lighting
In a studio, lighting is all about making the actors and the set look scene appropriate. You’re setting the mood with the action in the scene, then enhancing it with the correct lighting system.
Event lighting takes a similar, albeit more aggressive approach. At an event, you want your lights to make an impact. Big, substantial light sources help make a presentation or demonstration stand out and pop. Good event lighting to announces to the audience that what comes next is something worth seeing. You capture the moment, but also draw in the crowd, and keep their attention.
When it comes to setting the mood of an event, there are techniques aplenty. For instance, uplighting is one of the most widely used lighting gags at any event. Just like it sounds, uplighting involves shooting big beams of light directly upward—usually up some kind of edifice. Seeing uplighting in a room fosters a sense of grandeur, importance, and at times even regality. In short, it's an easy lighting technique that makes a space look really amazing.
With professional lighting to complement existing resources in your venue, you’re able to achieve the right look without interfering with the way people experience the event live.
When To Bring In Additional Lights
At any event, lighting has two central purposes. First, lights can be decorative. Techniques like illuminating signs or flashing lights around an entrance effectively draw in an audience. Second, lights can be functional. Functional lighting highlights speakers and presenters. It sets the stage, literally, for where the action takes place. Before bringing in additional lights, you should know what you have to work with on-site. Important questions to ask first include:
- Are the house lights dimmable?
- How are existing lights controlled?
- What types of fixtures are already in the space?
Once you know these, your professional production team can evaluate the venue and advise whether or not you need additional lights to achieve your desired effect. They’ll most likely need additional information such as how tall the ceiling is and whether or not additional lights can be hung. You should also verify with the venue whether or not there’s enough power to accommodate more lights.
How To Find The Best Lights
Working with a professional production crew often means leveraging their expertise to select the right lights for your event. A good event lighting crew should have enough knowledge of lighting setups to advise you not only on the exact lights you’ll need, but what brand that will best align with your goals. ECG Productions offers lights from many industry-leaders, including:
- ARRI — With lights designed for professional film and TV crews, ARRI lights are used in motion pictures, TV and photo studios, theaters, and at trade fairs and other events.
- ikan — As a company comprised of seasoned film professionals, ikan lights are crafted with the needs and demands of everyday production in mind. They can light everything from a big-budget motion picture to a local wedding.
- Kino Flo — These lights can easily be dismantled and reassembled to quickly address changes in production. Kino Flo lights make moving from different locations within a single sales meeting more efficient.
- Joker — Having a reputation as highly versatile, Joker lights are well-known to cut through the haze for a concentrated beam of light.
High-quality light brands, with options that can suit any situation, help create a cohesive lighting system for your event.
ECG Productions: Your Event Lighting Partner
Put simply, ECG is a go-to resource for event lighting because of two things: expertise and inventory.
At ECG, our seasoned production professionals have seen and lit every kind of event imaginable. Huge industry-spanning conferences? We’ve done that. Intimate small group workshops? Yeah, we’ve made those look amazing, as well.
But what enables us to make every kind of event under the sun look awesome is the depth and breadth of our lighting gear selection. As evidenced above, we have every kind of light you’d ever need in studio and ready to go. Whether you need a small lamp to give a little extra oomph, or a big boy that can fill up a whole auditorium, we’ve got you covered.
ECG approaches whatever event we’re lighting with a creative and analytical flair. From keynote addresses to small get-togethers, we capture all the action with natural and non-invasive lighting.
To learn more about how ECG can help lights up your next event, contact us today.
