Basics of Video Lighting, 2nd Edition

4 Types of luminaires

Whilst sources that produce light are often called ‘lights’, the preferred names are lanterns or luminaires.

A luminaire will consist of (Figure 4.1) a metal case enclosing the light source, a reflector, to direct the light from the source forwards, and it may have a lens, to focus the light into a beam. There should always be some form of safety glass or wire mesh to prevent injury to performers should the light source explode. This metal casing will have some form of support, to allow the luminaire to be tilted or panned, fitted to a stand or hung from a light bar, and there will have to be adequate ventilation, so that the source does not overheat. This may take the form of forced cooling or rely on slots in the casing ...