Going to the movies should be an experience from start to finish. One way to ensure a pleasant trip to the theater is by ensuring your location follows basic guidelines for achieving the best lighting for movie theaters. This is a location that requires careful planning to achieve the right balance of visibility and comfort. Here are three tips for choosing the best lighting for movie theaters which may help make the process a little easier.
1. Mix the temperature and lumen output based on area.
Layering in light is important in every location, but it takes on a whole new meaning in a movie theater setting. Lighting shouldn’t be the same throughout the entire location. While you may want bright lighting in the restrooms or food concession counter, dimmer lights are needed in hallways and the auditorium. This helps eyes to adjust to the changing light levels when the lighting dims in increments instead of going from super bright to super dim. Differing light levels also influence the impressions a customer will form. While having dimmer lighting in the lobby or over the sinks in the restroom is acceptable, brighter lights in the restroom stalls and any food prepping areas are required for creating a clean, professorial environment.
2. Opt for wall sconces or can recessed lighting.
While troffer lighting was once the standard in pretty much any commercial location, there are other alternatives which offer more style and create a less direct source of lighting. With wall sconces, you get a good mix of uplight and downlight to create a gentle lighting level perfect for hallways or seating areas. Recessed cans offer a more directed light source than wall sconces, but is still a gentler option than traditional tube lighting. Of course, with recessed cans, the lumen output and temperature will play a role in whether or not the lighting is perceived as gentle. For areas needing a more vibrant illumination, choose LED lamped recessed cans in cooler colors. There are also dimmable cans which allow you to adjust the lighting level as needed.
3. Use rope lighting to illuminate harder areas.
Movie theater lighting can be tricky. With rope lighting, you can light a range of harder to light areas with ease. From walkways and stairs to under cabinets displaying snacks, rope lighting is easy to work with and can provide lighting without harsh shadows the way other fixtures would in hard to illuminate spots. Best of all, rope lighting can be adjusted to the size you need by combining two or more strands together or end capping it to your desired length.
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