Why is Concert Lighting Important?

Concert Lighting

Going to a concert in the dark would be insane. Sound is essential, but the experience is incomplete without proper lighting. Concert lighting is one of the greatest attributes of the theatrical and entertainment industry. It is what separates a good concert from a memorable one.

The effects of concert lighting

As any professional in the AV business will tell you, many things affect a concert experience. However, the main objective is to make the audience feel a part of something bigger. A good lighting design allows them to be immersed in the event. Those experiences are created when everything around you comes together and sticks in your mind and heart. That’s because the mind attaches emotions to them and then transforms them into valuable memories.

All aspects, from brightness to colour theory, need to be considered to achieve this. Changes in visual dynamics and altering light patterns can shift emotional moods and increase public engagement. That is why you need to be careful when selecting stage lighting to rent.

You’ve all heard the phrase, “Seeing is believing.” But anyone who’s been to a concert will tell you that “Seeing is believing.” With today’s technology, concert lights not only enable the viewers to see what is going on but also affect their mood. Lighting helps build a connection between the audience and the artists on stage. It influences how interactive the crowd is with the performance.

Lighting in the music world

Concert lights can offer a variety of coverage, from soft, diffused ones to highly focused spotlights to pulsating strobes. Any light source can further be altered with the aid of adjustable shutters to control the “throw” of light, create a colored effect with colored gels, or insert a sheet with a design cut into it to project a picture-like effect on stage.

Implementing LEDS creates the most extravagant result of any lighting scheme. Their greatest advantage is that they offer an alternative to the typical sources that give off tremendous amounts of heat.

Lighting techniques

Lighting directors have been able to utilise different LEDS to create unique experiences. Using colours, they can establish the identity of individual groups, representing specific combinations to link a band’s genre and taste. During the performance, the lighting director must set the basic mood for each song. Throughout the concert, he must ensure that the lighting varies according to the music on the playlist.

The key purpose of stage lighting is to create anticipation. The audience should be able to envision what the music is going to do, and the lighting director should be able to feel the changes in the music before they happen. Any change in the music is then translated to a shift in lighting so that it happens in unison. In that moment, the music and lights truly become one.

As a song continues, it often becomes more exciting, so the lights must change in time with the music. As both increase in energy levels, so too does the crowd. The lighting director can intensify excitement by highlighting moments such as downbeats or when the song moves through different parts, like the verse or chorus.

Use of colour

The thought of a concert conjures images saturated with sound and color. Bright yellow sidelights supplemented by strong red backlights can escalate the visual excitement. However, various hues can also intensify the atmosphere, such as cool white spotlights, pulsating cyan and magenta, etc. Ideally, each performance needs to be unique, so a lot of careful planning is required to attain the best outcome.

The techniques often illuminate strategic points on stage while punctuating the music with heavy colour or intensity. Most importantly, the light director aims to express the same emotion conveyed in the lyrics. He may employ colour filtering or moving lights to heighten the dramatic visual impact. In effect, the lights strive to enhance what the singer is saying. Therefore, with proper usage, concert lighting can encompass the entire arena as it captures the song's mood and vibe.

Controllable qualities of light

Lighting typically involves manipulating four significant aspects of a light source.

• Intensity: It can vary from near total darkness to being painfully bright.
• Movement: This refers to the changing direction of the light, but it can also include intensity and colour.
• Colour: Any colour can be created using lighting gels or by mixing shades. It is a significant factor in setting the mood.
• Direction: This refers to how the light approaches the stage. It can come from below, directly above the stage, or anywhere between. The light source on stage can originate from behind, in front of, or to the side of the performers. Each combination produces a unique effect.

The next time you attend a concert, conscientiously think about the lights. Though visibility is the primary function of concert lighting, spotlights or hazers can form a selective focus by forcing you to look where the light points. Similarly, strategically placed lights throughout the concert arena can create different effects. All in all, they aim to develop a mood that matches the atmosphere of the concert. And these lights can guarantee that you have a mind-blowing experience.