A checklist to work through before you commit to a lighting plan

Most lighting decisions that go wrong were made before anyone measured the space. Before you look at a single fixture, write down the ceiling height, the grid or truss position, the floor finish and the distance from the set to the nearest wall. A low ceiling limits how far back a key light can sit and still reach the presenter at a flattering angle, and it decides whether you can hang fixtures at all or must use stands.

Walk the room at the hour the programme will actually air. Daylight through a window or a rooflight changes the colour balance on camera, and a studio that looks dark at noon can be badly mixed by early evening. Note every source you cannot control and decide now whether you will block it, work with it or schedule around it.

Check the room's power and its heat as well. A rig that fits on paper can trip a circuit once the dimmers and an air handling unit share a supply, so ask who owns the electrical distribution and what spare capacity it has.

• Ceiling height and any obstruction to hanging points
• Windows, rooflights and doors that leak daylight
• Available circuits and spare capacity
• Floor colour and wall finish, which bounce light back

A news desk, an interview pair of chairs and a standing presenter area each ask different things of light. Decide how many positions the programme really uses, and how many people sit or stand in each. A two-person interview needs even, matched light on both faces, while a desk may need a stronger key because the presenter moves less and the camera holds a tighter frame.

Think about the background as its own job. A backdrop, a screen or a textured wall needs separate light so the presenter does not flatten against it, and a graphic wall that is lit unevenly will show bands on camera. Agree early what sits behind the talent and how far it is from them.

List the camera positions too, since a rig that looks right from the lens in the centre can throw shadows or reflections onto a side camera. If a camera moves on a pedestal or a robotic head, walk its full path under the planned light before anything is bought.

• Number of seating or standing positions
• Backdrop material, distance and whether it is a screen
• Camera positions and any moving shots

LED fixtures dominate news and interview sets because they run cool and draw little power, but they are not all alike. Ask for the colour rendering of any panel you plan to use, since poor rendering makes skin tones look grey or green under broadcast cameras. Check also that the colour temperature is adjustable, so you can match a window or a second set without changing fixtures.

Look at how each fixture is controlled. Dimming over a lighting desk, over a network or by a simple local knob each suits a different crew, and a rig that only one person understands is a risk on a live day. Choose a control method your operators can use and fault-find without a manual.

Consider noise as well. Fans in some fixtures are audible in a quiet interview, and that is a question for the acoustics as much as the lighting, so test a sample in the room with a microphone open before you order a full set.

• Colour rendering and adjustable colour temperature
• Control method: desk, network or local
• Fan noise with a microphone open
• Spares and replacement lead times

Fixtures that cannot be reached safely will not be adjusted, and a light left in the wrong place for months quietly degrades the picture. Decide whether the rig sits on a fixed grid, a motorised bar, a pantograph or floor stands, and how a technician gets up to change a lamp or a lens. Working at height has its own rules, so confirm who is trained and what access equipment the building allows.

Check the loading of every hanging point against the weight of the fixtures, cabling and any safety bonds. A structure that is sound for six fixtures may not be for twelve, and this is the point at which a qualified rigger or structural check is worth paying for, rather than relying on a guess.

Think about cable routes too. Power and control lines that cross the floor are a trip hazard and a source of interference with audio, so plan runs along the grid or the wall and leave a service loop at each fixture.

• Fixed grid, motorised bar or floor stands
• Rated load of each hanging point
• Safe access for lamp and lens changes
• Cable routes away from audio lines

A lighting plan is only as good as the people using it under pressure. Settle who sets the looks before a programme, who can change them during it, and who is called if a fixture fails mid-show. Write the standard looks down as numbered presets, with a photograph of each, so a stand-in operator can recreate them without guessing.

Rehearse with the real talent where you can. Faces, clothing and skin tone all change how a look reads on camera, and a plan that was approved on an empty set may need a small shift once someone sits in the chair. Allow a short line-up before each programme and keep it in the schedule rather than treating it as spare time.

Decide what happens when something goes wrong. A simple fallback look that uses only a few fixtures lets the programme continue while a fault is traced, and it is far cheaper to define in advance than to invent in the gallery.

• Named person for presets and for live changes
• Photographed, numbered looks
• Short line-up time in every schedule
• A fallback look using few fixtures

Fixtures are the visible cost, but they are rarely the largest part of the job. Add the rigging, the dimming and control equipment, the cabling, the electrical work, the installation and the training for operators, then add a margin for adjustment once the lights are on camera. A quote that covers only the fixtures leaves the real expense to appear afterwards.

Ask what is included in any price you receive and what would change it, such as a higher ceiling, an extra set, or work outside normal hours. Ask also what ongoing cost the rig carries, including replacement parts and the time needed to maintain it.

Finally, compare a phased approach with a single install. Lighting one set well and extending later can spread the spend, provided the first stage is planned so the next one does not need to undo it.

• Rigging, control, cabling and electrical work
• Installation, line-up and operator training
• Ongoing maintenance and spare parts
• What would change the quoted price