LED Stage Lighting: Guide for Novices
Have you ever been to a concert or a theatre play? Did you notice how innovative lighting is used as a means to set the audience’s mood prior to the performance? Also, did you notice how lighting is in synchronization with the performances? Did you also notice how lighting tends to become more exciting as the night unfolds? Lighting is linked to the success of a performance. All great performing artists will tell you how lighting has played a key role in their performances. LED stage lighting has been gaining popularity lately.
Lately, the use of conventional incandescent lighting has become extremely rare. Stage lighting is now being used in abundance. Here’s a guide on how to use of stage lights to lighten up your performance and win your audience.
Why Choose LED Stage Lighting?
Stage lighting has a plethora of benefits. Due to these benefits, LED stage lighting has quickly replaced old fashioned lighting systems. Some of these benefits of stage lighting over traditional incandescent lighting are as follows.
Lower Power Consumption
LED stage lighting tends to consume a lot less power than the traditional lighting system. Alongside that, LED stage lighting also tends to be highly power efficient.
Brightness
Despite being on the extremely low power consumption spectrum, LED light offer very high brightness. This makes LED stage lighting superior to conventional lighting fixtures.
Run Cool
LED stage lighting tends to run cool and do not produce as much heat as the older systems. Stage lighting owing to this property is appropriate to be used in cramped halls and closed spaces.
Ease of Use
LED stage lighting is lightweight and compact. There is less entanglement of wiring making it easier to use as well as transport.
Longevity
LED stage lighting claims to last for over ten years. They offer tens of thousands of working hours. Most manufacturers usually quote the expected number of working hours of an LED light. This also makes them environment friendly.
Color Range
LED stage lighting offers a range of sharp and pastel colors.
Types of LED Stage Lighting
The key to perfect stage lighting is to understand how various types of equipments work in conjunction with each other and yield the perfect stage lighting results. LED stage lighting is of many different types. Combining different types of LED stage lights allows you to achieve your desired stage outcomes. The stage LED lights are controlled by remotes and interfaces. DMX lighting controller is the standard control used for LED stage lighting.
The three more common types of stage lighting prevalent in the stage lighting industry are; Moving LED Stage Lights, LED Bar Stage Lights and PAR or Flood LED Stage Lights and others.
Moving LED Stage Lights
Modern performing arts require freely moving artists. Moving LED stage lights are the need of the hour. These moving LED stage lights varying movements, rotation, color and intensity. Moving LED stage lights
LED Bar Stage Lights
LED Bar Lights comprise of a thin strip of individual lights mounted together. They are an excellent choice for illuminating small stage setups and indoor space. The lights are cost effective and ideal for beginners. They tend to offer multiple operational modes. Generally they are all encompassing for stage lighting requirements.
PAR or Flood LED Stage Lights
Parabolic Aluminized Reflector or PAR Stage Lights are a misnomer for LED lights. Outwardly they tend to resemble the traditional PAR lights. PAR LED lights to comprise of LED lights mounted on a printed round circuit board. Flood lights tend to be high-intensity beam lights used as stage lighting in vast outdoor spaces such as open air theatre and stadiums.
Other LED Stage Lights
Ellipsoids or Leko are a diverse type of LED stage light that combines a wide variety of beam intensity; sharp and soft beam. They also combine different colors and shapes. They are included in LED spotlights.
Fresnel Spotlights used as back, front and side LED stage lights. The width of the beam is subject to change.
Battens and bars are also a type of widely used LED stage lights. They are a type of fill lights.
Follow spotlights are widely used on television sets and theaters for illuminating certain performers to create a more dramatic effect.
How to Use Stage Lights for your Performance?
There are hundreds of ways to arrange LED stage lights to achieve desired results. The rule of the thumb is to start with the front lighting. The front lighting setup forms the mainstay of the stage. Two lights on either end placed at a 45-degrees angle. The next step is to set up backlights which are usually placed higher and at a steeper angle than the front lights. This is followed by side lighting to supplement the front and backlighting.
Properly positioned and angulated stage lights are important for the success of a performance. Also, simple layouts are generally more effective. While setting up the light rig, the perspective of the audience must be given preference.
Conclusion
Owing to their benefits over traditional lighting fixtures, stage lighting has quickly taken over the market. It is now the most widely used stage lighting. LED stage lighting is environment friendly. It requires a lot less power, lasts longer and weighs less than traditional lights.
Today, LED Stage lighting is not just used for concerts, theatre plays and studios. In addition, they are now being extensively used in public spaces. Restaurants, clubs, places of worship and carnivals also tend to opt for LED stage lighting. The superior illuminating properties, as well as the countless benefits, make it an ideal fit for use in public places. However, using stage lighting in conjunction with traditional lighting systems allows us to reap the benefits of both and overcome most limitations.
Change is constant. Like everything in this fast paced and ever-changing world, the world of stage lighting is also changing. However, stage lighting with its abundance of advantages is here to say. The key is to keep updating your stage lighting knowledge by keeping an eye on the latest developments in the market.
VLTG, a professional manufacturer of LED stage lights with over a decade of experience is a one-stop solution to all your lighting needs.
