Creating Light Shows for Music Festivals.

An essential part of every music festival that runs into the night is the lighting shows that accompany all acts. Meticulous planning is required to specify requirements, installation and the software programming that controls the light show. A well-executed light show can bring a festival to life, what do organisers need to know about planning a stunning light show for their event. 

A lot of work goes into creating a great light show usually managed by a lighting designer, but the software used also plays a crucial role in bringing it to life. The creation of a light show often involves a combination of creativity, technical skill, and understanding of both programming and lighting design. 

Defining Requirements and Budgeting. 
The genre of music played at a festival can help to define the type of light show to be produced. Slow tempo and acoustic music genres often require simple light shows whereas high tempo EDM music will usually require more complex solutions. The typical cost for designing a light show can run to about $20k per stage but will be driven by the complexity and the number of lights and rigging installed. 

Lighting Designer Software. 
All lighting designers use software to help automate a light show with the most essential being the lighting control software. This software runs during live performances and connects the lighting console used by operators to all light fixtures. In addition, a good lighting designer studio or agency will use some kind of pre-visualisation software which helps them to test their light show in a virtual environment in advance. This software requires accurate plans of the stage layouts, lighting installation and artist’s requirements. 

Planning Light Shows and Outsourcing. 
It is highly unlikely that a music festival organisation will have their own in-house lighting designer and this work is usually outsourced to a specialist agency or studio. They have the expertise and experience to produce light shows to meet most requirements and already have invested in sophisticated pre-visualisation software. This software enables the creation of special effects like chases, fades, colour changes and beam movements. In addition, they can programme timing, light intensity and colour palette for example. 

Creating Timing Cues and Syncing. 
Festival organisers will need to produce a brief for lighting designers which will include some kind of lighting plot, a diagram that indicates stage layout and light fixtures. The designer’s software can help to create timing cues for specific parts of a music performance. The cue is a pre-defined instruction that tells the lighting fixtures to preform something at a specific part of a show. A cue is usually synched with the music being played using timecodes, usually a MIDI interface that allows communication between electronic music, instruments and lighting consoles. 

Operational Logistics. 
During the load in period before the start of a music festival there is often a period of time allocated for the lighting designer to set up and ensure that their lighting software is communicating with the lighting console (usually using a protocol called Digital Multiplex). On site set up will include fine tuning parameters when the artist is performing their rehearsal. During the live show the lighting designer usually operates the lighting console and can make adjustments in real-time to closer match the light show to the artist's live performance. 

Light shows are a key element of any music festival and well-designed and executed lighting can really enhance the experience for festival-goers. A combination of complex software and experienced lighting designers are an essential part of this process. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Jonathan Cooper via Pexels

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