Whether you are a lighting designer or a movie theater owner, movie theater lights are a part of your business, and the right movie lighting information is sure to help your business to succeed. From movie theater floor lighting to decorative light for movie theater walls you will be able to install, repair and maintain lights with the right education and training.

There are many different types of movie lighting fixtures. After all, there are indoor and outdoor theaters. Whether you will be working with movie premier lighting or movie theater indoor lighting it is important to know the latest information that is available. Movie premiers, home theaters and public theaters are all illuminated in different ways. When searching for movie theater lighting educational materials remember to:

1. Read tips and tricks for lighting for movie theaters that are public and home based.

2. Attended movie lighting training classes and read educational materials.

3. Join a professional movie lighting association or attend a trade show.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn the tricks for public movie theater lighting

Lighting can be a tricky business. There are different voltages and types of lighting fixtures. These varieties coupled with uses and different situations make movie theater lighting education and training essential for any business owner that may find themselves installing sconces in a public movie house or movie theater floor lighting in a commercial theater.

I recommend: All Cinema Sales and Services offers a large amount of information about installing and maintaining movie theater safety lighting. For general theater lighting training materials, check out the page at Princeton University.

Ask about training opportunities when you purchase movie lighting supplies

The right movie lighting supplies are important for high quality results. Whether you are lighting a Hollywood Premier or a show at a local theater, the best lights offer movie goers the best experience.

I recommend: Leviton offers a library of information about entertainment lighting. Check out its database of manuals to find information on your theater lights. For training on Color Kinetics check out Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions, it also offers certification classes and on-site training opportunities.

Join your industry peers to discuss movie lighting information

In any field or industry networking can be one of the best educational tools. Networking offers training and educational experiences that cannot be found anywhere else. In the movie lighting industry trade shows and professional associations are the best places to start for education and training events and classes.

I recommend: Learn from other movie theater professionals at Showeast. It is annual trade show specifically for people in the commercial movie industry. The show offers seminars, podcasts and webinars. For training opportunities with other movie lighting professionals check out The American Lighting Association annual conference.

Movie theater lighting is not only a safety factor, but it can also be a fun, entertaining and aesthetic component to your movie theater. You generally think of dimmers in a movie theater setting when the lights go down before the flick, but movie theater lighting also includes movie theater floor lighting, wall sconces, reader board lighting, outdoor lighting, concession lighting, general lighting and even movie premier lighting for big events.

How you combine your movie theater lights creates the atmosphere of your establishment, and pulling off a cohesive presentation will appeal to your patrons.

To determine the right movie lighting for your facility.

1. Scope out other theaters for movie lighting ideas for your facility. Look for examples of what works and what doesn't in your mind. Jot down notes for future reference.

2. At theaters that are out of your competition area, consider even speaking to the owner or manager as to where they purchased their movie theater lights.

3. Review your architectural plans or do a walk through of your facility to do a need count on light fixtures. Use those numbers to determine your budget.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for movie lighting suppliers

You can easily find movie lighting suppliers to fill your general lighting needs. Suppliers can help you with lights for your bathrooms, your concession stands, your entryways and more.

I recommend: Look at the popular theatrical, studio, DJ, and special event lighting that Premier Lighting & Production Company has to offer. Find a comprehensive list of lighting suppliers at The Lighting Resource.

Find custom installers of movie theater lights

If you have no clue about how movie theater lights apply to the atmosphere of your theater consider hiring a movie theater light consultant to guide you through the process. They may be expensive, but often times they receive discounts from their suppliers, so the discount you receive may actually cover the cost of the consultant. The added value of their expertise is also a key factor.

I recommend: Tivoli has nearly 40 years experience and offers linear accent lighting. The can give you a complete line of architectural, signage and auditorium linear LED based lighting products. Their movie theater indoor lighting includes seat and rail lighting, guide lighting, wall lighting and step lighting. Find out the trade show schedule of and visit David Tyson, Inc.

Find specialty movie theater lighting

For added customer value, consider adding specialty movie theater lighting such as rope lighting for displays and digital movie and time listing boards. You can also find specialty wall sconces to fit your theater atmosphere.

I recommend: The multi-line message displays from Adaptive Micro Systems LLC are great lighting in movie theaters options for show listings and time display. The CinemaShop offers a wide variety of wall sconces.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Movie theater floor lighting and theater end chair lighting are critical safety additions to your establishment. You should also consider stop lighting as well. Keep your liability risks down by investing in preventative measures for safety, including proper low, easy maneuverability lighting for movie theaters.

When it's time to outfit a commercial movie theater or "movie house" with lighting, there are a lot of options from which to choose. Cinema houses or movie theaters and multiplexes tend to use a lot of different types of lighting for a variety of purposes. From the lobby to the projection area, lighting plays a large role. Find out about some of the basic terms in movie theater lighting to understand what builders generally use.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Dimmers

One key part of movie theater lighting is the dimmer controls that let lights gradually 'fade' before a show. Commercial dimmers are used in many cinema theaters across the country.

I recommend: Find out about dimmer history, use and more at ePanorama.net.

Wall sconces

Another common part of theater lighting is the fixtures called wall sconces, which provide decorative lighting along a wall area. Wall sconces are more for general lighting, but they are often part of the overall setup.

I recommend: Get a complete guide to lighting with wall sconces at My Sconces. For more, try this page at Allabouthardware.

Recessed lighting

Movie theaters also use recessed lighting to allow light fixtures to 'blend in' to their surroundings. Recessed lighting can be difficult to install, but commercial spaces generally hire skilled contractors to implement these kinds of lighting styles.

I recommend: Find out about how recessed lighting and other movie theater lighting styles are adapted for home use at DIY Home Theater Design.

Reader board lighting

Another kind of movie theater lighting is the 'reader board,' the LED or digital marquee that theater builders use to outfit the lobby to show guests what shows are playing and when. Reader board technology changes, but its general use is still popular inside movie theater lobby areas.

I recommend: Get educated about reader board lighting technologies at TMCNet.

In-floor lighting

Movie theaters also often use in-floor lighting, in which a 'rope' or strand of light, or a linear piece installed at the edge of carpeting or aisles, use a lot of small lights to provide a 'path' for walkers. These in-floor lights often utilize fiber optic design for efficient lighting.

I recommend: Check out details on fiber optic rope lighting, a good candidate for movie theater in-floor lighting solutions, at Guide 4 Home.

Floodlights

These large lights are often used for new movie theater opening nights and promotions. Floodlights can 'sweep' an area for an impressive look and get the attention of viewers.

I recommend: Find the stage definition of a floodlight in the British Theater Guide. Also see EnergyVortex for information on energy-saving LED floodlights.

Movie theater lights can add to style to movie premier lighting, they can bring drama to the premiere of the next big flick and they can give a sense of value to a home theater system. Installing them properly and maintaining them are the keys to success, though, but any lighting should be handled by a licensed lighting professional. You don't want to risk lawsuit or the canceling of your business insurance by cutting corners, so leave the installation to the professionals.

What role you can play in the movie theater lights installation process, though, is in the selection process of your installation provider, what you install and what steps you take to improve your installation. Maintenance is another key factor in how you decide to take care of your lights. Are you going to clean and change them out yourself, or are you going to make arrangements to hire out the service to an outside company?

To find out more about movie theater lighting installation and maintenance:

1. Find out about installation of movie theater indoor lighting.

2. Discover more about home and movie theater lights.

3. Learn about vendors to assist you with maintenance of your movie lighting.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out about the basics of the installation of movie theater lighting

Learn how installation of movie lighting can impact your home or business. Discover how you can make further improvements to your set-up by taking extra enhancement and lightproofing steps.

I recommend: Find out from Home Theater magazine about the basics of home theater lighting and how its installation can affect the aesthetics of your room. Take a look of the gallery of movie theaters lighting installation projects from Cinema Lighting Corporation. Practical-Home-Theater-Guide.com offers helpful information on how to improve your movie theater light set-up by decreasing the ambient light in the room.

Discover more about how the installation of movie theater lights can impact your business or home

Find out how movie lighting can play a role in your building setting, and how the installation will impact your home, business or office.

I recommend: Learn more about movie lighting information from SMARTHOME, and find out what kind of installation solutions they offer for your home or office. Request installation from California Accent Lighting for their wall, step or aisle lighting. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America addresses the topic of movie theater floor lighting.

Find vendors to help you with the maintenance of your movie theater lights

When its best to leave it to the professionals, find the help that you need maintaining your movie theater lighting.

I recommend: Consider working with a company like Spectrum Business Services. Their theater cleaning / custodial services include lighting maintenance. The Theater Services Guide gives you a directory listing to help you find additional lighting maintenance as well as installation resources.