Blinded By The Light

It still amazes me, even to this day, that the topic of lighting does not come up more in AV projects. I look at every project from a viewpoint as if I am walking from the parking lot into the front door and to the specific area where a solution might be needed. This viewpoint approach helps place me at the property, so I can better envision the needs, potential pain-points, and ultimately what the customer might experience. This is exactly where lighting comes in and how I see the conversation going!

While the pandemic certainly caused havoc over the live sound/production audio space due to the Broadway shutdowns, etc., we are seeing a bigger turnaround ever since. The typical project might require line arrays, powerful amplifiers, microphones, a mixing console, and more depending on the size of the production. However, what I normally do not see on a typical BOM is lighting – stage lighting, back of house, front of house, exterior illumination, and more. None of which can be overlooked!

Martin Lighting, which is a Harman Brand, remains one of the premier lighting manufacturers in the world, and I am proud to say that they are a part of the Exertis Almo line card of product offerings. In a past case study featuring the live production of Music Man on Broadway, the Harman team spoke about the need to emphasize the natural quality of the existing lighting while also bringing in modern features such as automated effects and color changes. All of this is made achievable via Martin. This project ran the gamut of Martin fixtures, including the MAC Ultra Performance for their brightness and vast features, and the MAC Encore for their traditional incandescent appearance according to the Harman team.

Exterior Lighting

While I could take the time to start discussing the specific items, like Wash fixtures, MAC Encore, and others which were used in this application, I’d rather take the time to suggest how to even start the conversation and that leads right back to the qualifying questions. Earlier, I mentioned how I look at a given property by observing the inside, outside, and trying to envision the customer needs. Lighting normally becomes one of the first items I check off. When standing outside any office building, hotel, or concert call, what is the first thing you might notice? For me, I’d normally say the lighting.

Can I see the building and the sign out front?
Do they have bright colors illuminating the exterior to add a personalized touch?
Maybe there is a marquee, and they want to highlight the acts that are playing?

Interior Lighting

I then walk through the front door and possibly find illuminated signage in the lobby. Anyone can place a pop-up banner next to a desk, but using one of Martin’s many fixtures to make that signage stand out will take things to another level. For projects such as a Broadway play or any other live production, that is where Martin’s MAC Aura’s will come in, as well as the ELP’s, and others. There are many to list and choose from, but they all serve a specific purpose depending on factors such as type of production, customer need, room type, and more. The key is to not be intimidated by this possibly new realm of business, but rather tweak the traditional questions you are already asking to uncover further customer needs. Asking your client about the lighting is even easier now thanks to the level of training and support from Martin, and the effort to make it an area of comfort for all of our partners to achieve greater long-term success!

On a recent visit to Tampa, I met with several integrators, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that a few did offer lighting solutions already. My hope is that more will begin to ask the question of “How do you plan to illuminate this area?” This is no different than asking what a customer is using for the audio or what source are they using to display an image. Asking about the lighting goes hand-in-hand with the audio and video.