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"Hear me, see me."
Words from Tommy-The Rock Opera by The Who
Welcome to Part Two of this multi-part series on Monitoring
Sound and Lights.
Engaging as many of an audience's senses as possible makes
the difference between a great event and one that has a "wow"
factor. The natural association between sight and sound
plays an important role in how you will set the mood and tone
of an event. Playing the right music to accompany various
aspects of the event will determine how the audience perceives
those elements and what they will remember about them.
Sound is an important component of event production.
How that sound reaches the audience, whether it is simple
background music, a headline speaker or a singer on stage,
depends on two factors: the quality of the audio system
and the venue's acoustics.
John K. Mackenzie is the owner of www.thewritingworks.com,
observes the following about event lighting. "It's been
said that good sound is the most neglected component of meetings
and events. Well, maybe. But lighting use (and abuse) is right
up there as a major contender for first place. Simply put,
lighting should draw the aggregate audience-eye toward what
you feel should be the focus of attention at any given time.
Perhaps the best way to start planning your event entertainment
lighting is to assume your meeting room does not have any;
or, at least, nothing other than standard ceiling fixtures
which are notoriously inadequate for accommodating multiple
presentation situations.
"Preparation: Apologies if we patronize, but meeting
planners have been known to check on lighting without being
sure what they were going to light. Lecterns? Panel discussions?
Performers? Tables? Award presentations? Aisles? High-school
marching band? Enough said. Hotels and conference centers
do not worry about this. You should.
"Site Survey: So you're no electrician or lighting designer,
but a little observation, plus a few questions, should give
you a pretty good idea of the status. Rule number one: If
you don't see any lights, ask! Many venues have basic lights
that may do a credible job, and the cost should be less than
retaining an outside contractor. Here are some questions to
consider if you're going to use an "in-house" system.
--Can lights be focused (pointed and adjusted) for your particular
set up? Some meetings have the lectern center stage, some
at the left or right, others on both sides at once.
--Can lights be controlled so they don't wash out projected
images?
--Where are the lighting controls?
--Can room and stage lights be turned down quickly and easily,
on cue, for video projections? If so, who's going to do it?
--If darkness is important to a presentation, are there windows
or skylights that need to be masked or shaded?
--Who's going to install and operate your lights? Will the
same technicians be with you for rehearsals and the show?
Will you have to use union electricians?
--Does your present room reservation schedule have installation
time?
--What's the cost for rental, installation, and operation?
The Walk-In: As guests enter your meeting room what do you
want them to concentrate on? Decor? Stage set? Wall-mounted
graphics? Table numbers? Product displays? Posters? Easels?
And after your rose-wash lighting has transformed the environment
is there enough light left for people to find their seats?
When the meeting starts, will there be enough light for people
to take notes?
"Speakers: Where there is a meeting, there will be speeches.
Some speakers use a lectern, others roam the stage with a
wireless microphone, and some may appear on videotape. A built-in
lectern light may be enough for a speaker to see his or her
notes, but not enough for an audience to see the speaker --
or for a TV camera to get a decent picture. Think about pre-lighting
your lecterns with a pair of focused spotlights. Your strolling
wireless may need a follow-spot operated by someone with experience.
It is not as easy as it looks to track someone around a stage,
while keeping the light from spilling over onto the screens
and washing out graphic projections or video walls.
"Entertainers: If actors, singers, or dancers play a
role in your meeting you may need a lighting contractor and
outside equipment. If you do, remember that additional lighting
means additional setup and rehearsal time going in, and additional
removal and packing time going out.
"Dinners: As if lighting for lecterns and videos was
not enough, now you've got this sales award dinner combined
with a corporate anniversary and live entertainment. Later,
the retiring CEO and spouse will dance by themselves as Barbara
Streisand sings "Memories." Some dinner designs
to think about:
"Dance floor lighting: Everything from a gentle color
wash to swirling beams and projected patterns can be used
here. The approach depends on the guests and the budget.
"Decorative lighting: This includes projected images
or patterns, illumination of architectural details, lighting
of specific décor items such as foliage, centerpieces,
podia, or props. Deep, saturated colors are frequently used
to enhance the décor and create a mood.
"Entertainment/performance lighting: Automated moving
lights, intense color beams, and vibrant special effects including
black light, strobes, and lasers can be part of this system.
"Ambient lighting: Lighting for environmental manipulation.
Blue and lavender will give a cool night feel; amber and yellow
are hot and up tempo."
"Big events and the rental equipment to light major
events is not usually found ready and waiting for your meeting.
To compare the merits of several lighting suppliers you should
describe the look, feeling, and effects you wish to get across
at your event. Van Allen Rice of Bestek Lighting recommends
the following three W's be a part of your request for proposal
(RFP):
1. What kind of event will it be? A fund raising gala is very
different from a product launch; although they may share common
features. The approach taken by your lighting contractor will
depend on accepted practices for the particular style of event,
as well as knowledge of the following: Is it important to
get a specific message across? Or are the guests invited just
to enjoy themselves?
Will lighting be used to accent the décor, or will
it function as the main decorative element? Will the event
be video taped? This is especially important because of the
different light levels and color requirements needed to satisfy
video cameras.
2. Where will the event take place? Every location, from ballroom
to tent, has its own strengths and liabilities: Will the loading
dock and freight elevator be open and running when your equipment
arrives? Is there be enough electrical power? If you cannot
determine this make sure your lighting contractor can. How
high (or low) is the ceiling? Are there any large windows
or skylights that you will need to cover? This can be a significant
'hidden' cost: beware! Is your location a union house? There
can be charges here you had better know about in advance.
If the venue has multiple function or ballrooms, specify exactly
which rooms will be used. Different rooms in the same hotel
can have vastly different requirements and capabilities.
3. When will the event take place? Many RFPs are written without
specifying exact starting and ending times: crucial information
for estimating costs. Include the time the lighting contractor
can have access to the site in advance of the event. Lights
take time to set up. Include a schedule that lists rehearsal
times, periods when work must cease (for meetings, lunch,
or other reasons), and when all work must be finished and
'show ready.' Always make sure your contractor has proper
liability and workers compensation insurance."
Mark Butts a leading lighting designer and automated lighting
programmer shares his vast experience through two case studies.
"As more and more artists realize the profit potential
of performing at special events, they have chosen to create
special show formats geared to a special event setting. Likewise
many lighting directors have created a 'corporate plot.' This
is usually included in the technical rider and is the standard
lighting requirements for the artist when they play festivals,
fairs, special events, and corporate functions.
"A typical corporate plot will usually ask for 120-1000
watt par 64 fixtures, a handful of lekos, 2-4 spotlights and,
sometimes 6-12 moving lights as seen in figure below. Even
though in many cases this will be a huge simplification of
the artist's touring system, there still can be major challenges
in the execution of this design.
"Many venues that host special events were never built
to house such complex entertainment systems. There are a few
problems you might face;
- Insufficient or non-existent rigging
- Insufficient power to operate a large lighting system
- Ceiling too low. Most artists' corporate plots assume a
minimum of 25 feet to the bottom of the lighting truss. When
you include truss height, rigging, and hoists you need 35
feet of vertical clearance to achieve a trim height of 25
feet.
- Logistical problems; loading docks too small, or far away,
freight elevators can't handle weight, or are too small.
"How do you overcome these obstacles and still have
a first-rate show? Your best bet is to talk directly to the
artist's production manager. Explain the logistical challenges
you are facing at the venue and ask what kind of compromise
can be reached. It is also a good idea to have the event's
lighting designer or director talk directly with the artist's
lighting director. They can usually iron out any differences
and reach a compromise both parties can be happy with.
"Make sure the artist's lighting director is kept abreast
of any changes in the design and/or any substitutions you
are planning on making. If I am working as the event lighting
designer I will usually send a copy of the overall lighting
plot to the artist's lighting designer. I will then call him/her
and go over it making sure they know what is designated for
their use and what is reserved for the event. Décor,
scenic, and general ambient lighting is usually kept off-limits
to the artist's LD.
Stay tuned for the next issue, featuring some case studies
on this important element we call production!
See this issue's
Industry News: Industry Certification Equals Increased Competency
by Kathleen S. Nelson, Ph.D., CSEP, CMP and Dan Nelson, CSEP,
CMP
This issue's
featured artist: The Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters
 Mark
Sonder, CSEP is the Chief Entertainment Officer of Mark Sonder
Productions, a leading national entertainment agency designing
headline talent and production services for large venues,
corporations and associations. In addition, Sonder sits on
the faculty of The George Washington University, Stratford
University, Northern Virginia Community College, University
of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) and The University of the West
Indies. Event
Entertainment and Production is the book published by
Wiley authored by Sonder.
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