How to Get Best Angles for Stage Lighting?
Go to any theatre, large church, or other entertainment event space, and you'll see lights mounted everywhere, all pointing at the stage from many angles. It looks awesome, and very complex at the same time. It also probably looks like a lot more lighting than you can possible afford.
You may see lights above your head, off to the sides, above and beside the stage, and on the floor, and you think to yourself: " I can't have all these lights- so what angles of lighting actually matter to me? " Whether you're lighting a band, yourself, a preacher or any other kind of show, you don't need to get crazy with angles of light. It's simpler than you think.
3 Point Lighting
3 point lighting works to evenly light a person from 2 points in the front, and 1 in the back to give separation from the backdrop.
In a typical space, that is a first point 45 degrees to the left and 45 degrees up, a second 45 degrees to the right and 45 degrees up, and a third light 45 degrees up and straight behind the subject.
This is the ideal way to light for most venues, and you can find where this is in your venue by standing on stage and pointing your arm at these angles, or measuring to find the proper angles via math.(10 feet up and 10 feet out = 45 degrees!)
This 3 point method is the most even, flattering way to light a person.
The 45 degrees to the front and up illuminates all of the face, including under the eyes and excluding under the chin a bit, and the backlight provides separation from the background.
The small shadows under the chin and eyes provide definition to the face, and are fine in most instances.
Getting the front light right is your first priority.
These 2 lights will ensure the person's face and body are lit evenly. The backlight is less important, though it does matter when you are shooting video. So make sure you focus the majority of your effort on getting your front wash correct.
"So what if I can't put lighting up there?"
The happy, optimistic angles I mentioned above are great…if you're installing a new system or have access to rigging. But for the rest of us, we've got to compromise on our angles.
Your first priority needs to be to get 2 great angles of lighting from the front, since this is what enables the audience to see you clearly.
Even if you're in a situation where your lighting stands will be at the front corners of the stage, you'll be okay as long as you keep the talent on stage physically behind the lights.
When it comes to height, if the lights are too high they will create shadows under the eyes and neck that will make it hard to connect with the speaker.
If they are too low, the light will blind the speaker, they will not be able to see the audience at all, and it will look flat, creating distracting shadows on the back wall or curtain.
However, if you have to pick one of the 2 extremes, I would suggest going too low before going too high. It looks a lot better, though it will wash out any color you have going on a set or banner behind the band.
If you think creatively, there is probably a way to make your current lighting positions work well and enhance your show without spending much or any money.
Remember that lighting is a key part of your speakers communication. Just like bad audio or bad posture, poor lighting can be distracting and people may lose focus easily. If it looks bad to your eye, you can bet it will look worse on camera.
However, great lighting puts the focus on your presenter, whether that be a pastor, speaker, actor or business leader, and allows them to get their message across as clearly as possible.
