Lighting an Orchestra for High-Quality TV Broadcast

Balancing the Camera and the Musicians

— In simple terms, what is the main task of lighting when filming an orchestra?

The most important thing is finding the balance between acceptable brightness for the camera and comfort for the musicians. Musicians need their scores to be evenly and sufficiently illuminated, but without glare. From the camera’s perspective, however, I actually want as little light as possible. This allows me to open the aperture, reduce depth of field, soften the background, and achieve a more cinematic image rather than a flat “television look”.

In addition, a camera does not have the same dynamic range as the human eye. We have to keep contrast under control; otherwise faces clip or shadows collapse. These are the same challenges we face every time we shoot an orchestra.

On Common Mistakes, Visual Adaptation, and the “Psychological Dimmer”

— What mistakes or challenges most often interfere with achieving a high-quality image?

Often the issue is not the lighting itself, but visual adaptation. Musicians walk in from bright daylight into the hall, and it feels dark to them—even if the lighting level is exactly the same as the previous evening’s concert.

This leads to complaints and requests to increase light levels. In reality, the eyes simply need time to adapt. Sometimes you have to use a “psychological dimmer”: you say, “Yes, we’ll adjust it,” pretend to tweak something, come back, talk again—and after a few minutes, everyone is comfortable.

“I’m Not Afraid of Reflections—A Beautiful Instrument Enhances the Image”

— How important is it to avoid reflections on instruments, especially brass?

I’m not afraid of reflections, especially on brass instruments. A well-played instrument with lively highlights enhances the image rather than harming it.

The real challenge is different. At Dubai Opera we have a hybrid setup: a warm halogen acoustic shell from above. If this were replaced by cooler LED fixtures, the TV image would benefit significantly. The cooler the light, the more “crisp” and clean the image appears in color reproduction.

When you have warm light on faces and a warm wooden background behind them—very close to skin tones—it becomes difficult to separate planes. You have to be creative: for example, introduce a cooler top light and keep a warmer fill from below. This way shadows remain warm, but faces become slightly cooler, which adds depth and prevents them from looking flat.

LED vs. Halogen: “We Don’t Need to Copy—We Need to Be Close Enough”

— Modern Ayrton LED fixtures integrate well with halogen. What do you value most in this?

It’s important to understand that the goal is not to perfectly replicate halogen. The goal is to be close enough in perception. Modern Ayrton LED fixtures handle this very well.

When you can control color temperature, add or remove green, and shape the quality of light, you are in a completely different league compared to older static fixtures. You can tune LED to match halogen, or intentionally make the image cooler—depending on the artistic and technical requirements.

What Matters for the Camera: From Dimming to PWM Frequency

— Which lighting fixture parameters are critical specifically for broadcast cameras?

For me, several things are essential:

• Quality of light and color rendering index (CRI)
• Dimming behavior—smoothness and absence of stepping
• Stable color temperature
• And, of course, flicker-free operation

Fixture frequency must match camera parameters. Older fixtures not designed for broadcast can appear fine at full intensity, but once you dim them, flicker becomes visible. The human eye may not detect it, but the camera certainly does.

Modern Ayrton fixtures are well adapted for broadcast environments, and these issues simply do not arise.

— What did you notice first about Ayrton fixtures?

Light quality, CRI, spectral consistency, dimming performance, color control, and mobility.

How Ayrton LED Fixtures Change Working with an Orchestra

— How do you assess Ayrton LED fixtures compared to traditional sources for orchestral filming?

LED fixtures are becoming more powerful every year, which is great. Sometimes you genuinely need a lot of light, and Ayrton delivers without compromise. At the same time, you get a powerful source with full control over color, intensity, saturation, and character.

Mobility and flexibility are also key advantages—the ability to quickly reprogram scenes for different sections of the program, different parts of the hall, or individual soloists. With halogen, that level of agility simply wasn’t possible.

Rehearsal: “Recording the Light Together with the Feeling”

— What do you always focus on during rehearsals?

During rehearsals, we check light direction—faces and hands must be visible, and there should be no direct glare into the eyes. We also talk to the musicians; if something is uncomfortable, it’s best to address it before the concert.

After that, all positions and light levels are recorded. During the performance, we reproduce not just the visual look, but the feeling that everyone agreed on during rehearsal.

Camera Operator’s Checklist: Preparing to Film an Orchestra

— Do you have a standard lighting checklist before shooting?

It always depends on the venue and available lighting inventory. Some venues have modern systems with fixtures like Ayrton and ETC; others are very limited. First, I evaluate what the venue can offer, and then I design the best possible solution for that specific hall and orchestra.

For this project, Dubai Opera provided the following lighting package:
46 × Ayrton Khamsin S
38 × Ayrton Bora S
18 × Ayrton Huracan LT
20 × Ayrton Domino Wash
12 × Ayrton Domino Profile
40 × ETC Lustr Series 3 X8
12 × ETC Halcyon Silent
36 × ETC Source Four PARnel

“The Soloist and Conductor Must Stand Apart”

— Is there a visual element you always emphasize in an orchestra?

First and foremost, the soloist and the conductor. I separate them with backlight: as soon as a strong backlight appears, they visually step forward from the mass of the orchestra and gain clear definition. In this setup, we used front light from Ayrton Huracan LT and backlight from Ayrton Domino Wash.

Then we can make them slightly brighter or subtly different in color using Ayrton Khamsin S and Bora S, ensuring they do not merge with the orchestra or background. This immediately guides the viewer’s attention—even in a frame filled with people and detail.

Conclusion

Modern Ayrton LED fixtures enable the resolution of complex tasks such as precise control of color and intensity, rapid scene adaptation, and reliable flicker-free dimming. This combination of light quality, flexibility, and high technical performance allows lighting designers and camera operators to achieve the critical balance between musician comfort and broadcast requirements—creating a vivid, dynamic image that fully conveys the nuance of the music and the energy of the performance.