Creating a uniform wash of tunable white light across a large platform that is accurately repeatable is very important for focusing attention on the platform in houses of worship. Tunable white light helps to ensure that skin tones and set pieces are rendered naturally regardless of the complexion of the subject(s) or the colors of the set. White light can range in color temperature, color rendering index (CRI), R9 value (an extended measure of color rendering), TM-30 value (an even more extended measure of color rendering), and in its television lighting consistency index (TLCI), which is a measure of how faithfully a light source renders colors and skin tones on video. White light with low color temperature, which is what is produced by tungsten lamps, ranges from about 3000 Kelvin (K) to about 3200 K. White light with high color temperature can range from about 5600 K to about 8000 K, which is what daylight looks like with a clear blue sky when the sun is at its highest point in the daylight sky. Tunable white light can be adjusted to match the desired color temperature.

Lighting designers might choose to light a subject with a lower color temperature for front light to bring out the red in skin tones and a higher color temperature for backlight to create a contrast that emphasizes the depth or modeling of a subject. At times, a lighting designer might use a value in between tungsten and daylight, or around 4500 K, for front light, especially if there is a mix of light sources with different color temperatures in the same lighting rig.

Luminaires with a high color rendering index (CRI), TM-30, and a high TLCI are great tools for lighting a subject for the camera because they make colors look “right” on camera. Another important consideration is that the white light produced by a fixture is balanced between green and magenta so that skin tones look natural. Some fixtures have a +/- green shift setting in the menuing structure, which allows you to compensate for an uncalibrated camera or another light source that might be polluting the subject. One such fixture is the PROLIGHTS EclPanel TWC. It is also useful for creating a uniform wash because it has a wide field angle of 159ᴼ, which is especially important for video. After all, the camera is much more sensitive to hot spots and cold spots than the human eye.

Fixtures like the EclProfile CT+ from PROLIGHTS that can output high CRI, high R9, and high TLCI are great for front lighting a subject while also allowing the designer or operator to add dramatic color. For lighting the sanctuary with white light or colored light, consider the Chroma-Q Inspire, Mini, and XT.

You can learn all about this yourself here: https://marketing.aclighting.com/5-Benefits-Color