What is Showlight and why should I go?

It’s not often you can learn all under one roof how the costumes for the Paris summer Olympics were created or how the Grand Palais was blacked out with fabric and lit for the fencing event, see the magic of Disneyland Paris’ nighttime laser and drone show at Snow White’s Castle, examine blueprints, then see the built stages with embedded lighting on outdoor sets of a Danish summer theatre festival, 

find out how lighting consoles on those mega U2 concerts were installed and controlled, watch action sequences from French blockbuster movies being broken down into a few of their, (not only) Fifth  Element”…..  

Showlight is an international conference and networking event that brings together professional lighting designers and operators, visual artists, manufacturers, cinematographers, technicians, video designers, exhibitors, software engineers and programmers, students and those beginning their careers to celebrate and embrace the art and technology of “illumination” across the broad spectrum of lighting disciplines including the entertainment industy. 

It welcomes professionals from the Theatre, Dance, Film, Television, Ballet, Music and Live concerts, Architectural projects, Art installations, Touring Performances, and Theme Park Event worlds, and includes anyone and everyone who is involved in lighting creation and design. Showlight’s principle mission is to support and nurture upcoming generations of lighting specialists at every stage in their careers through education and networking.    

Every 4 years Showlight convenes in a city of art, history, and culture. This year’s Showlight 2025 was greatly anticipated as the last gathering took place in 2017 in Florence Italy, the 2021 event having been postponed due to covid. In mid May, Showlight 2025 assembled at the Parc des Expositions conference centre in the heart of Dijon, Capital of the Burgundy, in the eastern central region of France. Over 500 participants attended the Opening Night ceremonial reception where they were officially welcomed at the magnificent 17th century Salle des Etats in the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, by Dijon’s Deputy Mayor Nadjoua Belhadef, hosted by this year’s headline sponsor, Francois Juliat, Managing Director of Robert Juliat.  

Showlight dates back to 1981 when the organizing committee gathered at London’s Barbican center,  representing the National Illumination Committee, the Chartered Institute of Building Services Lighting Division, The Royal Television Society, The British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society, ABTT, The British Society of Cinematographers and the STLD- Society of  Television Lighting and Design. In 2002, Showlight became an independent organization, and since then, has assembled in New York City, Amsterdam, Ghent, Edinburgh, Munich, Glasgow, Český Krumlov, and most recently, Florence.   

Delegates gather early each morning to listen to technical presentations and research papers by industry professionals and experts followed by Q & A’s and lively discussion. During the periodic breaks between sessions, at lunchtime, during the afternoon visits to the displays and demonstrations in the Exhibition area, and especially at the evening dinners at Dijon’s restaurants, renown for their outstanding gastronomy, delegates meet informally and socialize in relaxed environments to exchange not only ideas but their business cards.    

The inaugural programme of Workshops, sponsored by Claypaky, took place on Wednesday afternoon, May 21 covering topics like colour mixing with LEDs, new methods for measuring LED lighting, DIY lighting fixtures, redefining “success”, and mental wellness. Newly introduced this year, Showlight’s Emerging Professionals Programme sponsored by Ayrton, selected 20 promising young lighting designers from around the world and provided them with accreditation and conference access, accommodation and a travel allowance. The Student Programme sponsored by MA Lighting also provided lodging and travel allowances to 28 students who were invited into the new young professionals program. All in all, almost 50 students benefited from these initiatives to could meet and network with experienced lighting professionals, manufacturers, and suppliers to further develop their skills, their contacts, and promote their future careers.  

To accommodate this truly international event with participants from the 4 corners of the globe speaking different languages, a simultaneous AI translation system App, Interprefy, was provided that allowed the audience to listen on their headphones in English, French, Italian and Spanish, or follow the written text on their smartphones or iPads. By making all the presentations and discussions available and easily understandable to everyone, the Q & A sessions were particularly interesting and immersive as delegates could freely ask their questions or make their comments without inhibition or fear they did not interpret the technical terms correctly. (Even if you are bi or tri-lingual, listening to detailed scientific or technical papers can be challenging; it is more gratifying and beneficial and less stressful in one’s native tongue).  

Why is Showlight  relevant and important for the cinematographers and camera department members? 

These days there are not (m)any places, (apart from film festivals and enormous trades shows where the emphasis is on marketing products and equipment displays), where professionals and craftspeople from all sectors of the film and entertainment industry can get together to actually ‘talk shop’. In a seminar like atmosphere, they can present their latest creation, innovation, or invention, break down the mechanics of a lighting set up or an action sequence on a film or tv series, learn how a certain look was made and the challenges that had to be overcome to achieve a mood or an effect in order to provoke a certain feeling or emotion. Discussing ‘lighting philosophy’ might sound pretentious in certain forums, but it didn’t here- speakers from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, U.K.Canada, Brazil, Australia and the USA delved deep into their past work and experiences to explain what motivated them and what inspires them to do what they do. Absorbing, sharing, exchanging, being exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking, and learning the DIY method to solve problems with LESS equipment, lower budgets, smaller crews- in such a relaxed environment was fun and a rewarding experience. Watching how others work and learning how they do it, having direct and personal contact with some of the most prominent lighting designers and artistic talent in the worldwide arena, and listening to their tricks and trade secrets, (secret sauces) was exciting. It builds confidence.. It’s empowering.  

Et voila, Showlight is full of wonderful memories  –  (and I’m not just thinking about the champagne)  

The list of speakers at Showlight 2025 included : Thierry Arbogast, AFC, who is one of France’s most respected and prolific cinematographers. Thierry selected sequences with complicated camera movements on a few of his action movies (The Fifth Element, Leon, The Horseman on the Roof, The Crimson Rivers with directors Luc Besson, Jean Pierre Rappeneau and Mathieu Kassovitz) to demonstrate the inherent “challenges” of the sequence and sometimes the director. 

David Mullen ASC illustrated where and how he placed the lights to achieve his 1950’s period lighting in the award winning TV series ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’. He showed the interior and exterior locations from the Upper West Side to mid-town Manhattan to Greenwich Village, each having a distinctive look, including a Cuban nightclub scene with lighting inspired the 1964 film “I Am Cuba.”  

Roger Simonsz BSC discussed his transition from working in European theatre production to television and film production. The theme of his presentation was “Showing how to achieve theatrical style lighting changes in film by controlling the uncontrollable” and showed clips from the dramatic horror film “The Piper” filmed in Latvia where he did just that (control the uncontrollable!).  

Simonsz moderated the sessions that focused on the Art of Cinematography that commenced with France’s King of DIY, Thierry Goron, who sparked up the room with his unique work methodology and philosophy. Goron, who often shoots in Africa, presented his backpack full of equipment made up of household gadgets, steel poles, toys, Christmas lights, plastic pipes and skateboard wheels – and a handmade replica of an Easyrig st held together with Velcro straps. The very animated Goron says he leaves his equipment with the local filmmakers so they can continue making their films.     

Director, Producer, Cinematographer Peter Macdonald shared moments from his long varied career with DP and film historian David Mullen, and Roger Simonsz BSC fielding questions about specific lighting setups on his most celebrated films. As it was Showlight’s final session, Macdonald’s closing advice to the students and younger generations of camera people was to “Be bold, be courageous” and to “follow your beliefs and instincts. Don’t be pressured into compromising your work”.   

Other speakers were: Aldo Fayard who shared images of his moving light and laser installation for the New Year’s Eve show in downtown Dubai at Burj Khalifa. 

In her presentation “Rhythm is a Dancer- So is Light”,  Lucy Carter explained that she sees light as another dancer or performer in the theatre, ballet, dance, musical theatre and opera productions or installations she designs.  

Creative director Tim Lutkin and lighting designer Adrien Mourey discussed the 22 minute nighttime spectacle, “Tales Of Magic” at Disneyland Paris that includes 11 minutes of drones, laser beams, fireworks, and video mapping on Main Street and on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.  

Olympic Broadcasting Lighting Services’  Alba Abad Carretero and Anne Serieges, lighting project manager for the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee, spoke about the challenges of lighting the historic landmark Grand Palais in Paris as a sports venue for the fencing events during the 2024 summer Olympics Games highlighting the architectural elements of Paris’ most iconic structures. John Dudley promoted the International Day of Light, and Eric Wurtz discussed the synergy between French Union of Lighting Designers and the Union of Scenographers. 

Anne Militello, from California Institute of the Arts, who works in theatre, opera, and touring music concert productions presented a talk on “The Power of Light” combining history, myth, science, control & power.  

Netherlands-based visual artist and researcher Dr. Yaron Abulafia discussed “Working Light: Realizing Light Spaces in the Spectators’ Minds”. Abulafia uses light to stimulate the mind’s eye and the mental processing of light and is the author of The Art of Light on Stage: Lighting in Contemporary Theatre. 

From the UK, Willie Williams designs & directs live events and concert tours. In his talk,  “The Future Of Live Entertainment” he spoke about his 40 year career working with U2, Kronos Quartet, Robbie Williams, Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, George Michael among others.  

Greece’s Christina Thanasoula spoke about her lighting designs on more than 270 opera, theatre, and dance performances around the world, and is author of “Lighting design” painting on stage in four dimensions”. 

Australia’s Nick Schlieper explored the balancing act of film lighting versus theatre lighting and showed excerpts of his Tony nominated (for Best Lighting Design) “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” where video was integrated into the theatrical piece with choreography of moving screens.  

Irish-British Welsh speaking Elanor Higgins expressed her theory that “lighting design is about creating the right visual language for the story where shadow is more important than light to support a character’s emotional journey- it’s more about creating the emotional environment in which they inhabit.” 

French born (but raised in California’s Silicon Valley), Clare Daguin combines lighting into her haute couture fashion items. She explained how she collaborated with the House of Dior for the opening ceremonies costumes of the Paris summer Olympics 2024, and the illuminated costumes in the closing scene, with a burning piano for John Lennon’s “Imagine” on a barge in the Seine at night- one of the most memorable  visual images during the Paris Olympics.    

David Gray discussed his designs for theme park projects based on such films as “Kung Fu Panda”, while Ezequiel Nobili ,Vibrant Light Artist from Argentina, spoke about his TriChro Tone project. “Color and sound are information, each color has its distinctive “quale“ that corresponds to a tonal sound vibration, generating the ability to awaken different emotions and impressions in human beings”. 

The theme of Phil Stuppe’s talk was “Embracing The Blue Hour” and working with outdoor lighting under an open sky, while Saffran Popile discussed Dijon’s architectural heritage.  

Italy’s Marco Miglioli who specializes in architectural lighting design says…“Lighting is an element that affects our psyche by arousing sensations, emotions, and feelings…” He discussed illuminating an architecture and trying to interpret it to tell a story to suggest emotion by deciding what to put in light and what to put in shadow.    

Sophya Acosta from Buenos Aires discussed working in small spaces with her talk “Small Venues, Gigantic Ideas”, Clifton Taylor spoke about  “Color and Light,” Sherry Coenen’s presentation was “Lighting Loopholes”,  Traci Klainer spoke about  “Redefining Success”. 

Mig Walsh, Brant Thomas Murray, Keili Camille Murray, and Grace Halton presented a panel on Health and Wellbeing.  The panel on the SceALED project on the visual appearance of scenic objects under LED lighting featuring Véronique Perruchon, Noël Richard, and Ludwig Lepage.    

Phew – so many presentations over 3 days, but strong coffee & tea breaks with French patisserie kept sugar levels high enough to concentrate during the day, while the late afternoon cheese and wine receptions were anxiously awaited and greatly appreciated by all.