Lighting a Stage: Front, Back and Side Light, and Why Each One Is There

In this guide:Front light · Back light · Side light · Colour · Planning · Picks · FAQ

Most small rigs have plenty of fixtures and no design. Everything is pointed at the stage from the front, the result is flat and washed out, and the answer is assumed to be more fixtures. It is not. It is fixtures in different places.

Stage lighting is built from three positions doing three different jobs, and understanding them is worth more than doubling the rig.

Front light: so faces can be seen

Front light is what makes people visible. It comes from in front of the performers and above them, conventionally at around 45 degrees both horizontally and vertically.

That angle is not arbitrary. Light from straight ahead flattens the face and kills every contour. Light from directly above puts the eyes in shadow and hollows the cheeks. Two sources at roughly 45 degrees either side give a face shape without heavy shadow.

• Use controllable fixtures here. Profiles or fresnels, so the light lands on people and not on the projection screen.
• Prefer white or a warm white for anything where faces matter. Heavy colour on faces looks like a nightclub, which is fine if that is the intention.
• This is the layer to get right first. Everything else is decoration if the audience cannot see the performers.

Back light: the one that is always missing

Back light comes from behind and above the performers, pointing towards the audience. It puts a rim of light on heads and shoulders and separates people from whatever is behind them.

It is the single biggest difference between a stage that looks professional and one that does not, and it is the layer amateur rigs almost always lack. Without it, performers merge into the background regardless of how much front light there is.

• Colour works well here in a way it does not on faces.
• It reads strongly in haze, which is why touring rigs use it so heavily.
• On a small stage a bar of PARs behind the band, pointing down and forwards, transforms the look for very little money.

Side light: shape and movement

Side light comes from the wings, at or near head height, and it sculpts the body rather than the face. Dance uses it heavily because it shows the shape of a moving body in a way that front light cannot.

On a small stage there is often nowhere to put it, and it is the layer to sacrifice first. Where there is space, booms in the wings with a couple of fixtures each add a great deal.

Colour and the wash layer

On top of the three positions sits the colour wash: the layer that sets the mood, usually from PARs or wash fixtures, usually pointing at the stage generally rather than at anyone specifically.

This is where the LED PARs in a small rig earn their money. It is also the layer people build first and the one that matters least, which is why so many rigs are colourful and flat at the same time. The fixture families are covered in fixture types explained.

Building a rig in the right order

For a school hall, function room or small venue, add in this order.

• Front light for the acting area, enough fixtures to cover it evenly.
• Back light across the same area.
• Colour wash from PARs.
• A batten or wash on the backdrop or cyclorama if there is one.
• Side light if there is somewhere to hang it.
• Effects fixtures last, and fewer than you think.

Even coverage matters more than fixture count. Two fixtures covering an area properly beat four covering it in patches, which is a question of beam angle and throw distance rather than of buying more.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my stage look flat?

Almost certainly no back light. Front light alone gives no separation between performers and background, so everything reads as one plane. Adding light from behind and above fixes it immediately.

What angle should front light be at?

Roughly 45 degrees above and 45 degrees to each side is the convention, because it shows facial contours without heavy shadow. Straight-on light flattens, and steep overhead light shadows the eyes.

Can I use coloured light on faces?

You can, and it is a deliberate look, but strong colour on faces makes people look unwell and washes out expression. Keep faces in white or warm white and put the colour in the back and wash layers.

How many fixtures do I need for a school hall?

As a starting point, six front-light fixtures, four to six back-light positions and six to eight PARs for colour. Throw distance and beam angle change the count, which is worth working out before buying.