Lighting on TV sets

According to the 2022 Annual Report “Analysis on the TV-Audiovisual Industry” published by Barlovento Comunicación, an audiovisual and digital consultancy specialising in TV audiences, programming and television content, traditional television consumption in Spain fell by 11.0% as compared to the previous year, with 190 minutes per viewer per day.

This figure is nothing but a reckoning of what is happening in the audiovisual sector, which is looking for new business models and new audiences in this digital age were are experiencing, beyond what we know as traditional television.

In this sense, audiovisual content is very present in our daily lives, through new channels, media and consumption slots, which has lead to a chenge in the ways of producing said content.

This new present reality has caused the technology used to also adapt to changes, seeking more diverse, specialized and economical equipment to meet the needs of creators and/or communication companies.

But despite these new quests for stories and ideas and the implementation of new production strategies, what remains unchanged is the use of dedicated spaces prepared for creation of programs and content; specifically we are making reference to TV studios.

A TV studio is a fully prepared fixed installation comprising two areas: on the one hand, the production control, where there are multiple technical equipment units for shooting, recording and broadcast of the contents thus created; on the other, the TV set, a perfectly isolated space where there are three basic items for production: camera equipment, direct-microphone sound equipment and lighting equipment, along with scenography (conventional and virtual) elements and the possibility of having (or not) an audience.

Nowadays, there are many types of TV studios that adapt perfectly to different budgets, the type of program and/or the size of the company, organization and/or entrepreneur producing audiovisual content. From the large TV sets, typical of communication companies operating in the traditional TV environment, to mini-sets for debates, discussions and/or content that are closer to the field of social media, through a custom design of other sets better suited to the needs of universities, vocational training centers or private sector companies in other professional environments that are in the need of establishing online and/or hybrid communication.

These TV studios, whatever their type, have three featres in common: first, they are an isolated interior location; second, the production of content with multi-camera is the prevailing way (from studio cameras, EFP and even PTZ cameras); and third, they allow multi-content, that is, they are ready for offering different types of programs.

These three features are key to understanding the lighting of a TV set in a generic way, a matter that will concern us throughout this article.

This purpose of getting to know AV inside out leads us to embark on the lighting system. There is no doubt that without light the audiovisual industry would not be possible. Whether its source is a natural or artificial one, light shows us, presents us, allows us to see what surrounds us; and with more nuances, it allows us to create different stories and atmospheres. This is what we call ‘lighting’.

Audiovisual lighting is the ability to make sense of such light for aesthetic, artistic, narrative and communicative purposes. It is a technique and a language applied to theatre, cinema, television and the audiovisual in general.

We all know that the first works in this sector were carried out with natural light, mainly emanating from the sun. A capability for invention, scientific curiosity and good work in this trade, by applying new means of production, gave rise to studios (film studios at first and then TV studios).

A TV studio with artificial light allows greater use of working time, maximum control of lighting, and a better balance between the financial cost of a day’s wpork in the audiovisual sector.

From experimentation to industry, from the beginning to the present times, we can see that implementation of constant technological innovations has been facilitating work in the audiovisual sector, thus improving its aesthetic and narrative possibilities. And, of course, also in the field of lighting.

As a first observation to focus on the subject, we must specify the two fundamental work environments for creation and production of television/audiovisual content: a TV studio (which, in turn, is subdivided into technical control and TV set) and, on the other hand, outdoors (what is known as “doing feature reports or reporting”) and natural indoor locations.

In both instances, the way of working, the novelties and developments in the field of lighting and the criteria for progrm production, have all been gradually modifying the type and design of the various light sources, types of projectors and accessories, thus adapting to each particular need.

As it is the case with the different audiovisual technological solutions in terms of lighting, we continue to find a myriad of types, models, configurations, brands and manufacturers that provide a solution to the way of implementing lighting for works both in TV studios and outdoors.

Therefore, it is important to determine what environment we are referring to in this article so as not to mislead readers or generate a false expectations about what we are going to explain next.

We will only deal with what is necessary for lighting a TV set:

• Physical space: We are referring to the place and the building itself, that is, the set. This space, of a given height and width, should comply with the following recommendations: be an enclosed space of great height, with thermal, light and sound insulation, protection from possible risks and prepared with acoustic insulation coating. It should also feature large entrances and exits for technical staff, be equipped with technical machinery, building elements for sets/scenery and other goods, and typically built at street level, no uneven surfaces, and fitted with emergency exit doors.
• Electrical installation: It is the basic set up for us to work with artificial light in an electricity-based lighting system. In this sense, most TV studios/sets are dependent on an electrical network supplied by a company and electrical installations supervised by a company specialising in Low Voltage (LV). Therefore, a series of technical requirements must be met, both in terms of quality, construction and safety, so as not to give rise to major problems when operating the lighting system.

Inevitably, we can only work in suitable installations equipped with lighting systems that have been designed for such use and, therefore, having in place all the necessary electrical protection equipment and measures in regard to the electrical power for which it has been designed; for example, a TV set with 16,000 watts of power dedicated to lighting.

The power supply or connection is where the electricity we work with comes from, the one that allows to switch everything on, from a complex installation to a simple lamp.

We establish two types of power sources: stationary dependent sources, such as distribution networks and LV link facilities, and portable autonomous sources, that is, fuel-based generators and electrical generators.

Based on the electrical knowledge when it comes to lighting, here we are going to find some variables that we must be acquainted with: type of single-phase or three-phase current, alternating or direct current, electrical circuits in series or in parallel and the type of wiring and connectors pertaining to the type of power supply and electrical installation concerned.

It is highly recommended, whatever the lighting needs of the TV set are, that the entire electrical installation is independent of other installations, uses, buildings and needs. In case of having lots of power, with stationary dependent sources, it is convenient to have an own link installation from the HV/MV to LV reducer transformation center and, in case of lower amounts of power, an own, adequate electrical circuit set up from the general control and protection panel (DGMP), separate from other uses.

The purpose of any electrical installation, according to correct wiring being compliant with the regulations in force, is to achieve a connection between the equipment and the projector/lighting device, what we call the power outlet. That is, the element that, in an electrical installation, has slots for the insertion of jacks and provided with electric current.

The most common of these is the plug (professionally referred to as the base/connector). It can be on surface, recessed, indoor, outdoor with IP protection and watertight, with or without grounding. It depends on the number of pins or poles, the voltage and current supported.

The solutions achieving the most professional results and the highest performance are schuko inputs/outputs, quick-connect terminals, Harting modular connectors, with powerCon and/or electrified bars.

• Light emission technologies or systems: These are the various ways of generating light, always based on some kind of principle or phenomenon. The three main ones are: thermoradiation, luminescence and electrical radiation. Therefore, in a practical way, we are referring to the type of artificial light production under what we all identify as lamp types (careful, lamps, not bulbs):

• • Incandescent lamps. Based on thermo-radiation. The passage of an electric current through a resistor (filament) in a vacuum or in a medium filled with inert gas reaches incandescence and, as a result, heat and light are generated. The filament used is tungsten or wolfram, which is why they are also called tungsten lamps in the audiovisual sector. There are regular/conventional incandescent, halogen (lamps that have a halogen component – iodine, chlorine, bromine, fluorine – added to the filling gas increases the useful life of the filament) and IRC (Infra Red Coating –which have a special infrared reflective layer inside the lamp).
  • Fluorescent lamps. They work under the phenomenon of electric radiation and luminescence. They involve excitation, by means of short-wave ultraviolet, of luminescent substances, thus obtaining the visible spectrum of light. They are low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamps.

This type of emission system is fully implemented in the audiovisual sector, after a period of constant innovations that improved the characteristics of the typical ‘office’ fluorescent tube; thus, they provide greater light intensity, a reduction in greenish color, no flickering, high color reproduction level, wide ranges in terms of color temperature, ability to regulate intensity, low consumption (which leads to savings in the cost of the electricity bill).

Another quality is that it hardly generates heat, thus achieving an improved luminic performance and greater comfort when illuminating both in the operation of techniciana and for the actor/presenter, who does not receive as much heat.

 

 

In professional slang, we talk about fluorescent tubes (swords) or screens (several tubes) of different lengths and diameters as compared to the compact, energy-efficient lamps used in our daily lives (substitutes for incandescent bulbs in our homes).

• • High Pressure Discharge Lamps (HID – High Intensity Discharge Lamp). Based on the principle of electrical radiation, they emit light through a discharge between two electrodes within a gas in gaseous form. We can find high-pressure sodium, high-pressure mercury vapor, mixing lamps, halogenated mercury or metal halides (MH, HMI-MSR), ceramic burner lamps (CDM-HCI) and xenon short-arc lamps (MSR).

We should clarify that the renowned HMI lamp (Hydrargyrum Medium Arc-length lodide) is a brand of OSRAM, as MSR (Medium Source Rare Earth Lamps) is Philips’ own brand. They have achieved so much recognition among professionals in the audiovisual sector because they are capable of emitting a very intense light of a color temperature identical to the sun’s (5,600ºK/6,000ºK), an excellent color rendering index and a very complete spectral distribution curve, even when we make variations in intensity.

We can point out the need for a high-voltage power source for ignition and demanding ventilation in the lamp.

• • LED (Lighting Emitting Diode). This light production system is an electronic device made of semiconductor materials that emits light when crossed by a current. 1962 saw the first commercially usable LED (GaAsP – Red Led); 1990s: the birth and expansion of the Blue Led (InGaN). This technology is the latest development and is reaching ever-increasing market shares, both in homes and professionally in the field of lighting.

Its improvements and innovations have made it possible to move from a conventional/generic LED (depending on the construction of the lamp: SMD, COB, Microled) to high power, Tunable Color or RPT (Remote Phosphorus) LEDs, where performance levels of and quality are much higher in terms of color reproduction (including white), luminous performance, color temperature control, long useful life and energy efficiency.

In addition, it shows versatility in the design and manufacture of different lamps, so it presents very diverse shapes, sizes and finishes for immediate application (panels, tubes, curtains, drapes, bars, downlights, rigid, malleable, flexible, cuttable…) and adapts to the most professional needs and demands with the possibility of intensity regulation, color changes and absence of heat emission.

• • LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Based on luminescence. Its use is very exclusive and restricted to very specific applications and environments, especially in the world of entertainment.

• Type of appliances (projectors, luminaires, lighting fixtures, panels and/or screens as the case may be): Let us take the opportunity in this article to advocate among professionals the use of these terms when naming them and not the now expired term of ‘floodlight’.

There is a wide range of solutions, innovations and designs in manufacturing, as well as types of light fixtures that include a range of very diverse optical, mechanical and electrical solutions.

Each type of light fixture/projector is a concrete response to the operation, control and distribution of the light emitted by the lamp, taking into account the internal and external resistance of a work environment, aesthetics, weight, size and economic cost of manufacture and maintenance.

It is, in short, a set of elements around the lamp: the box/housing/chassis/body, the lamp holder (sometimes a ballast or a transformer), the optical system composed of the reflector, depending on the case mirrors, louvers or diffusers to control the light beam, and the electrical system, including the type of connector.

We can classify them into those featuring a fixed or variable beam, with an open or focused design through a lens (PC, Fresnel and/or a combination of lenses); those that incorporate external reflectors (spherical, circular, parabolic, ellipsoidal, smooth, dichroic or metallic); those that are symmetrical or asymmetrical, or generating concentrated or omnidirectional light; those that have internal and/or external regulation, and conventional or mobile lighting.

Even the design, shape and treatment of the lamp bulb (drop, fungus, linear, tubular, mirrored reflective surface, matte finish, opalinization, coloration…) are decisive to evaluate a projector or a luminaire. A characteristic example of the implantation of a type of lamp causing us to refer to (not accurately) a type of projector is the case of the PAR lamp (38, 56,… the number simply indicates the diameter of the front glass in eighths of an inch and is made of pressed glass).

It is true that many of these devices are sometimes named after the model or brand of the relevant manufacturer such as, for example, Kinofloo or Cotelux, or the Bambinos; other times, because of the original color of the casing/chassis/box -for example, “the butanes”, for their orange color-, or for their shape: “the cans”; the lamp they sometimes have is what they are called: the famous “quartz” suitcase or the aforementioned PAIR and Fresnel, or HMI; their intended purpose: the trimmings, the cycloramas or the blinding machines. Thus, we can find a variety of names depending on the country, the tradition among technicians, and the presence of lighting equipment manufacturers.

• Installation of placement stand, suspension and fastening: We are referring to the physical location where the different devices will be located. This entails different possible solutions, structures and supports depending on the budget, the complexity of the work to be illuminated and the space chosen (width, depth and, above all, height) of the TV set. This is known as the lighting grid.

As a general rule, in a professional TV set we will hang the devices, so we can find a lighting grid, which can be from the most complex to the simplest: comb system, weft grids, tensioned interlaced steel surface, hanging walkways, truss structures, electrified rails, fixed and sliding rail kits (tracks), and fixed iron or aluminum bars/tubes. The design of the grid (shape, placement, load resistance…) is always limited by the safety of the building, roof and floor, in terms of resistance to weight and production needs and specific content.

Now, we can hang the lighting fixtures by means several solutions: hoist (self-climbing barrel), manual pantographs, spring pantographs, motorized pantographs, telescopic pantographs, extension bars or with simply hooks, claws and/or clamps always with their corresponding slings, ratchets and anchoring accessories.

• Handling and operation solutions: Since we normally work with lighting that is suspended several meters high, it is necessary to have equipment, solutions and accessories that allow us to hold, handle, direct and/or position the lighting devices. Thus, telescopic poles, ladders, elevators, platforms, scaffolding equipment are used and, at present, some TV sets use robotization and remote control systems, especially with mobile lighting.
• Control and regulation system: Once we have placed, directed and correctly positioned the light fixtures, both conventional and mobile lighting, and always under the guidelines of the illuminator, we must have the possibility of giving orders to each of the fixtures individually or be able to work by making groupings and/or implementing temporary programming. It is necessary, therefore, from a simple regulation of intensity (from 0% to 100%) through dimmers (integrated in the light fixture or through external modules), to work with communication protocols such as the DMX 512 (Digital Multiplex or DMX512) either with control consoles (lighting tables) or with direct DMX distributors.

The DMX512 protocol was developed by the USITT engineering committee in 1986 under a GNU license, thus achieving standardization between the lighting fixture and the control table. At present, the audiovisual scene and, above all, live shows, demand more; thus, ESTA (The Entertainment Services & Technology Association) has developed a set of applications known as ACN (Advanced Control Network) for this purpose. Other protocols being used are Artnet, Pathport, etc… as well as proprietary protocols from various manufacturers (for example, GrandMA’s MA-NET). What is already a reality is the use of IP standards, under Ethernet communication and exchange systems.

Audiovisual content is very diverse, but it is highly recommended to adjust the size of the TV set to the relevant features and, in the case of lighting, it is also essential in terms of height, number of devices based on what must be illuminated; and consider whther under a suspension system or hung for better operation and greater use of space when placing sets, artistic and technical equipment. This television production mode makes a series of accessories, implements and devices that facilitate working with light inevitable: cutting blades or visors, grids, filters and jellies, flags, gobos, windows or light boxes, reflective surfaces, grids, glass holders…

Each of the aspects discussed above can be grouped into three main areas of work such as engineering and stage mechanics, stage lighting, and professional control and TV/cinema lighting; and there are numerous companies specialising in the design, construction and commissioning of a TV set.

Likewise, the lighting system on a TV set entails a clear separation of skills and professional profiles such as the illuminator, the technical coordinator or head of lighting, the lighting and luminotechnics department, the lighting technology operator, the operator or table/console control technician, and the lighting assistant.

The illuminator, after getting acquainted the content, is responsible for generating the environment and the visual atmosphere through light, which is an essential narrative element, in addition to showing each element of the scenography. Determines the lighting equipment to be used and the place where they have to be placed on the grid, makes the scheme and design of lights and makes all decisions on issues related to light exposure and measurement.

The technical coordinator, or head of lighting of the Lighting and Luminotechnics department, is the professional who puts into operation the technical configuration of the TV set, the distribution of loads and the dimmer and DMX512 communication protocols. Therefore, this professional also determines the resources to be used and the maintenance planning. Acts as a liaison between the illuminator and the TV set installation itself.

The lighting operator (not electrician) has an operator profile for the placement, handling, steering, mobility and maintenance of each light fixture on the TV grid. Makes changes according to the illuminator’s approach and decisions.

The table/console control technician is a very specific professional profile around the management and operation of the lighting tables; therefore, this professional is a specialist in the individual operation of each device, in the grouping modes, in the inclusion of effects and timings according to the decisions made and with the content of the TV program.

Finally, the lighting assistant is an operator with less responsibility since he only attends to issues of maintenance, transport of lighting equipment and management of power lines and their distribution.

Given the risk of working with electricity, especially with high-power installations, it is essential to stress training in the prevention of electrical risks amongs the human team, which must always have individual protection equipment and approved materials and measuring instruments.

The TV lighting system has been modified over time in relation to the changes that have also occurred mainly in image capture devices and playback displays; to innovations such as virtual sets and augmented reality, but also according to the content proposed by professionals and the preferences of viewers. Always without limits but within a framework of social development in favour of quality, sustainable and more environmentally friendly production models.

 

Source: www.tmbroadcast.com