How We Now Write Lighting Plans and Cue Guidance for Studio Sets
A note on how our Stage Lighting Design Advice is delivered: written plans for studio sets and live stages, with cue guidance that a crew can follow without us in the room.
What the written plan now contains
Over these mid-autumn weeks we have settled the format of the written deliverable for our Stage Lighting Design Advice, and it seemed worth setting out for anyone considering it. Each plan starts with a short description of the set or stage as we understand it: dimensions, ceiling height, the positions cameras will occupy and the style of programme being made. From that we draw the fixture layout, list what is hung where, and note the intended purpose of every light.
We keep the document readable by a person who was not part of our discussions. A gaffer arriving on the first day should be able to rig from it, and a director should be able to see why a particular area is lit the way it is. Daniel Whitcombe prepares the drawings; I review them against the camera plan before anything is sent.
Where a studio already owns a rig, the plan works with that stock. We do not assume new purchases, and where a fixture is plainly unsuited to a job we say so and offer a workable alternative from what you have.
- Fixture layout with positions and purposes
- Notes on camera sightlines and shadow risks
- Suggested colour temperature and levels per area
- Rigging notes for the crew
Cue guidance that a crew can follow
The second half of the deliverable covers cues. For a studio set this usually means a small number of looks: a wide establishing state, a presenter-led state, and whatever the format demands for inserts or guests. For a live media stage the list is longer, and we tie each cue to a moment in the running order rather than to a vague description of mood.
Each cue entry says what changes, what stays, and how quickly the change should happen. We also record who calls it and on what verbal trigger, because many lighting problems turn out to be communication problems between the gallery and the person at the desk.
We write the cues so that an operator who has never seen the show could run a rehearsal from them. That is the test we apply before a document leaves us, and it has caught a good many ambiguities that seemed obvious while drafting.
- Named looks with start and end states
- Transition timings in plain seconds
- Who calls each cue and the trigger phrase
How a typical engagement runs
An engagement begins with an enquiry through the contact page, followed by a conversation about the space and the programme. We ask for floor plans if they exist, photographs of the set, a list of available fixtures and the camera configuration. If some of that is missing, we work from what we have and mark our assumptions clearly in the draft so you can correct them.
Daniel then prepares a first version of the plan and cue guidance. We send it in writing, and you return comments, usually after a walk round the studio with your own technicians. A second version incorporates those comments. Most small studio projects are settled in two rounds.
We do not attend the first rehearsal unless that has been agreed separately in the quotation. The aim of the written work is that your crew can proceed independently, and our time is better spent making the document precise than standing beside the rig.
What the work does not cover
It is useful to be plain about limits. Our advice is a design and guidance service: we do not supply or hire fixtures, we do not rig, and we do not programme consoles on site. If your show file needs building, that stays with your operator or a lighting contractor, and our cue notes give them a clear brief to work from.
We also do not certify structural safety. Where a plan places weight on a grid or truss, we flag the load as a figure to be checked by whoever is responsible for the rigging, and we leave that judgement to them. Nothing in a plan should be read as an inspection of the building or its fittings.
Keeping these boundaries clear has made the work easier for everyone. Clients know what they are receiving, contractors know what they are being handed, and our time stays on the part we do well, which is turning a set and a running order into lighting decisions that can be written down.
Matching the plan to the camera setup
Lighting is judged through the lens, so the plan is only as good as its fit with the cameras. We ask which sensors and lenses are in use, what aperture the operators prefer to work at, and how much headroom the picture needs for skin tones and for any graphics keyed over the set. A key light level that looks pleasant in the room can leave a small-sensor camera noisy and a large-sensor one with little depth of field to work with.
For that reason we suggest levels as a range rather than a single number, and we explain which end of the range suits which camera. If you have also asked us for a camera configuration review, the two documents are written to agree. If you have not, we make our assumptions about the cameras explicit so your engineer can test them.
This is also where practical compromises appear. A low ceiling may rule out the ideal backlight angle, so we offer a second-best position and describe what it costs in the image.
- Levels given as ranges per camera type
- Backlight alternatives for low ceilings
- Notes for keyed graphics and presenter skin tones
Seasonal points for studios in these weeks
Mid autumn brings a few predictable matters to studios and venues. Daylight through windows or open doors changes quickly and can upset a balance that held in summer, so we note where blackout or controlled fill is worth considering. Heating returns after months off, and fixtures that have sat idle sometimes show their age once they are warm, so a check of lamps and fans before the busy winter schedule saves trouble.
Many teams are also planning seasonal programming, with darker colour palettes and more atmospheric looks. We encourage writing those looks into the cue list now, with their levels, rather than improvising at the desk on the day.
If a refresh of your lighting plan is on your list before the year closes, the conversation is best started early, as a careful written plan takes a little time to draft and then to review with your own crew.
A lighting plan earns its keep when a crew can pick it up cold and get the same result twice. That is the standard behind our written plans and cue guidance for studio sets and live media stages. If you are preparing a new set or reworking an existing rig, you can tell us about the space through the contact page, and we will reply with how we would approach it and what the written work would involve.
Get in touch
- Phone
- 01522 390417
- [email protected]