Anyone who has ever looked after lighting a musical artist will eventually find themselves having to work in strange surroundings, with a light rig and set they did not design. Whether it’s a TV show, an awards presentation or a radio station-hosted arena bash, there is an unwritten etiquette that would be wise to follow… These shows have permanent lighting directors who excel in television lighting. The normal band LD does not. What the human eye sees is not what the camera sees, so a scene you may think looks great might look like ass to millions of viewers. And you know your artist is going to watch himself that night. If he looks bad, your job could well be in jeopardy… Let the folks at the TV studio do their job. Feel free to offer hints such as “In this song, the artist likes to be amber,” or “Please hit the strobes on this breakdown.” The programmers often appreciate those kinds of comments because they usually don’t know the music. Let them run the console.
From “LD-at-Large” by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Oct. 2009
