Start with what needs to be visible
For a conference, start with faces across the presenter's working area. For an exhibition stand, start with the product and the people demonstrating it. For a show, add the looks and transitions the programme needs. Decorative colour and moving effects can be valuable, but they should have a defined job in the design.
Before requesting lighting equipment, list the subjects the audience must see and mark them on a plan. Include screens and projection surfaces that should receive as little unwanted light as practical. The useful question is what each lighting layer achieves at its working position, rather than how many fixtures the supplier can put in a package.
Separate the lighting layers
| Layer | Purpose | Typical decision | Review point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presenter or face light | Keep speakers visible during their planned movement | Which speaking positions need coverage? | Check standing, seated and demonstration positions |
| Product accent | Direct attention to the object being shown | Which surfaces and details matter? | Inspect glare from visitor and camera positions |
| Scenic or architectural light | Give the space its intended appearance | Which walls, textures and colours belong in the view? | Check the result with actual scenic materials |
| Show effects | Support entrances, music and planned transitions | Which moments justify a change? | Allocate programming and rehearsal time |
One fixture can sometimes serve several tasks at different times. Those tasks still need separate decisions. A light aimed at a presenter cannot be assumed to illuminate a product table elsewhere in the same cue.
Choose function before fixture names
ETC describes Fresnels as sources with soft beam edges that can blend into general coverage. Profiles allow more precise beam shaping, while moving fixtures provide remotely controlled changes. Those distinctions help explain a proposal; they do not determine the whole design. ETC's fixture guide describes the main types.
Ask the supplier to label each proposed fixture group by purpose: presenter area, lectern, product, background or effect. If the budget changes, you can then discuss which visual result changes with it. An unexplained list of model names makes this much harder.
Position also matters. ETC's angle guide shows how raising front light changes the shadows a person casts. A venue with limited mounting positions may require a different design from a theatre, even with the same fixtures. See ETC's discussion of lighting angles. Confirm available positions with the venue and a competent installation team before treating a rendering as buildable.
Worked example: a presentation and product demonstration
Imagine a hypothetical 6 × 3 m stage with a lectern on the left, a demonstration table on the right and a display behind. The speaker walks between the lectern and the table. The session is recorded by a front camera. These dimensions illustrate a brief; they are not a fixture-count formula.
Divide the scene into three requirements: a continuous speaking area, a separate product emphasis and a background appearance. Ask for an initial design that covers the two speaking positions and the route between them. Request a demonstration check with the real product, since a shiny enclosure or glass surface may need adjustment. Mark the rear display as a surface to protect from unnecessary spill.
Then define three states: welcome, presentation and product demonstration. In the demonstration state, the product can become the visual priority while the presenter remains visible. If an opening effect is proposed, identify the cue and the rehearsal needed for it. This gives a basic functional design and an optional creative addition that can be priced separately.
At the review, have someone stand at both positions, sit if the programme includes a seated guest, and perform the demonstration. Check the result from the audience and through the recording camera. Approve the sequence as well as the still image.
If cameras are involved, involve their team early
Tell the lighting supplier whether there is a livestream, recorded presentation, interview corner or slow-motion content. Agree a test with the actual camera settings, lighting states and screen content. ETC recommends checking LED flicker in real conditions. Its camera-flicker note explains why the combination matters.
Do not approve camera suitability solely from an audience photograph. Ask the camera and lighting teams to agree the appearance of faces, products and the background together. Make time for any adjustments before presenters are called for rehearsal.
Common budgeting and briefing mistakes
Ordering colour before face coverage. Identify the indispensable speaking and demonstration positions first.
Choosing effects without a cue plan. Include who programs, triggers and rehearses them.
Ignoring installation. Confirm mounting, cables, access, power and removal as part of the proposal; the fixture hire price is only one part.
Approving a product display without the product. Supply a representative sample or useful material photographs early, then confirm the result on site.
Expecting one static look to suit every segment. List scene changes, even for a short event.
Prepare a useful lighting brief
Attach venue and stage plans, dimensions, photographs and confirmed installation constraints.
Mark faces, products, audience, camera positions, screens and reflective surfaces.
List programme states, movements, transitions and any required brand appearance.
Share filming requirements and arrange a joint camera-and-lighting check.
Confirm setup, focus, programming, rehearsal, operation and dismantling time.
Use design and visualisation to develop the intended appearance, then discuss AV rental against the agreed functional layers. Request a clear explanation of what changes when a proposed option is added or removed.