How to Design a TV Studio with Litepanels: Gemini, Astra IP and Studio X

A television studio asks more of its lighting than a photo studio does: multiple cameras, presenters who move, a set with depth, a lighting grid overhead, and a director who needs every scene to be repeatable to the frame. The strongest Litepanels answer is not one product but three working together, the soft Gemini RGBWW panels for presenter key and colour, the weatherproof Astra IP bi-color panels for dependable fill and set light, and the Studio X LED Fresnels for backlight, hair light and long throw from the grid. This guide shows how to combine them, what accessories you need, an example grid layout, and real broadcast examples.

Why a TV studio needs three light types, not one

Broadcast lighting is a layered job. You need a large, soft, flattering source on the presenter's face; you need clean, matched fill and set lighting that never shifts colour across a long day; and you need hard, controllable, focusable light from the grid for hair, backlight, set accents and anything that has to throw a distance and hit a precise spot. No single fixture type does all three well. Panels are brilliant for soft frontal light but poor at long, controlled throw. Fresnels are brilliant at focusable throw but are not the softest choice for a beauty key. That is why broadcast studios combine soft panels and Fresnels, and it is exactly the gap the Litepanels line-up fills.

A note on pricing: the figures below are indicative Australian recommended retail prices at the time of writing, provided to help you scope a budget. Prices and stock change, so confirm current pricing with your nearest stockist. Specifications are drawn from Litepanels' published data.

The three layers of a Litepanels TV studio

Layer 1: Gemini soft panels for the presenter key and colour

The Gemini 2x1 Soft is the natural presenter key: a large, even, flattering soft source with a huge colour temperature range and full RGBWW colour for set and backdrop accents. In a news or current-affairs studio it lights the desk and the standing presenter; in an entertainment set it also paints the background in brand colour.

Source: Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Soft. The Gemini 1x1 Soft shares the same engine for tighter spaces and self-operated studios.

Layer 2: Astra IP bi-color panels for fill and set light

The Astra IP range is the studio's dependable backbone: accurate bi-color white light that holds its colour as it dims, in a tough IP65 weatherproof body that survives haze, dust and years of duty. Use them as fill, as set and wall wash, and as reliable everyday lighting in secondary studios.

Source: Litepanels Astra IP. 

Layer 3: Studio X LED Fresnels for backlight, hair and throw

The Studio X series is the piece a panel-only studio is missing: true LED Fresnels that focus from flood to spot, throw a controlled beam across the studio, and hang cleanly from a grid. They are the right tool for hair and backlight, set accents, and any light that has to reach and shape from a distance. The range steps up in size and power so you can match the fixture to the throw.

Source: Litepanels Studio X LED Fresnels. Bi-color models are 2,700K to 6,500K with CRI 97 and TLCI 97, DMX and RDM control and 16-bit dimming. Daylight-only versions such as the Studio X4 Daylight and Studio X6 Daylight are also available where you want maximum efficiency at a fixed daylight colour.

Putting the grid together: an example TV studio layout

A layout for a two-presenter news or current-affairs set with a desk and a standing position, lit for three or four cameras:

• Presenter key: a Gemini 2x1 Soft in a softbox, high and slightly to camera side, as the main flattering key on the desk.
• Fill: an Astra IP 2x1 as a broad, low-level soft fill to lift shadows and keep multi-camera coverage even.
• Backlight and hair: two Studio X4 Fresnels from the grid behind the presenters, focused to rim the hair and shoulders and lift the talent off the background.
• Set and wall wash: Astra IP 1x1 panels grazing the set walls, plus a Gemini 1x1 Soft or two set to RGBWW colour for branded accent panels and depth.
• Background accents: a Studio X3 or two to pick out set pieces or throw a controlled pool of light where you need it.

For a grid, specify the pole-operated yoke versions of the Fresnels, such as the pole-operated Studio X4 and Studio X6, so an operator can pan, tilt and focus from the floor with a pole rather than a ladder. Put the whole rig on a DMX console using the Gemini wireless DMX module and Astra IP DMX modules, and every scene becomes a saved, recallable state.

Accessories for a broadcast rig

• Softboxes for the key: the Gemini Snapbag and Astra IP Snapbag deliver the soft, wrapping presenter key.
• Eggcrates and grids: Gemini and Astra IP snapgrids keep soft light off the cameras and background.
• Barn doors: included on the Studio X Fresnels and available for the Gemini and Astra IP panels for precise flagging.
• Gels and diffusion for the Fresnels: the Studio X models take gel frames, so keep LEE diffusion and LEE colour packs on hand for classic Fresnel control.
• Grid control: pole-operated yokes on the Fresnels for floor-level focusing.
• Console control: wireless DMX and Astra IP DMX modules for repeatable, saved lighting states across every camera setup.

Cost savings: LED versus traditional studio lighting

A broadcast studio runs its lighting for hours every day, so running cost is not a small line item. Traditional tungsten and HMI studio lights draw a lot of power, throw off a lot of heat that then loads your air-conditioning, and burn through replacement lamps. Modern LED fixtures like the Gemini and Astra IP ranges do the same lighting job for a fraction of the power and with almost no lamp-replacement cost, which adds up quickly in a room that runs every day.

A published Litepanels case study puts real numbers on it. The production company Plaid Turtle replaced more than 70 traditional lighting fixtures with just 20 Gemini 1x1 Hard panels, and in doing so cut the power their shoots drew from more than 70,000 watts to about 4,000 watts. That is roughly a 94 percent reduction in power draw, calculated from the wattage figures Litepanels publishes, and the company reports its operating costs dropped sharply as a result. The team described the panels as "so bright and yet feel so comfortable" to work under. Read the full Plaid Turtle case study.

A note on the figures: Litepanels describes the operating-cost saving as significant but does not publish a dollar amount. The 94 percent figure is derived from the published before-and-after wattage. Your own saving depends on your electricity tariff, how many hours you shoot, and what you are replacing, so treat this as an indicative example rather than a promise.

Real-world proof: broadcast studios on Litepanels

CNN London

CNN's London bureau lights its main studio and video walls with Gemini 2x1 Soft panels, and runs a set of smaller self-operated studios on compact Gemini 1x1 fixtures where there is no dedicated lighting crew. It is a working example of soft panels carrying both the flagship set and the everyday studios in a major broadcast facility. Read the full CNN London case study.

Industry coverage of the Studio X Fresnels

The Studio X broadcast Fresnel range was covered in detail by the trade press when it launched, including CineD and Newsshooter, both of which walk through the range and its broadcast focus. These are independent third-party articles rather than Litepanels marketing, so they are a useful sanity check on the range.

See them in action

Litepanels publishes fixture demos and studio walkthroughs on its official YouTube channel, a good place to see the Gemini soft panels and Studio X Fresnels running on real sets before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

Why mix panels and Fresnels in a TV studio?

Panels give you the large, soft, flattering front light a presenter needs, while Fresnels give you the hard, focusable, long-throw light that backlight, hair light and set accents require from a grid. Using both means every layer of the lighting is done with the right tool, rather than compromising with one fixture type.

Should I choose bi-color or daylight Studio X Fresnels?

Bi-color models let you dial the colour temperature to match the panels and the rest of the set, which is the flexible choice for most studios. Daylight-only models are more efficient and put out more light at a fixed daylight colour, which suits studios that work at a set colour temperature and want maximum punch for the wattage.

Do I need DMX in a TV studio?

For a multi-camera studio, yes in most cases. DMX lets you control every fixture from one console and save each scene as a recallable state, so the studio looks identical shot to shot and day to day. The Gemini and Astra IP fixtures accept DMX modules, and the Studio X Fresnels support DMX and RDM.

Do LED studio lights save money on running costs?

Yes, in most cases. LED fixtures like the Gemini and Astra IP draw a fraction of the power of traditional tungsten or HMI lighting, which cuts both your electricity bill and the air-conditioning load from the heat they would otherwise produce. As a real example, when Plaid Turtle switched to 20 Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard panels they replaced more than 70 traditional fixtures and cut power draw from over 70,000 watts to about 4,000 watts. Actual savings depend on your tariff and how much you shoot, so treat it as an indicative example rather than a guarantee.

Where to buy Litepanels in Australia

Black Flag Distribution is the official Australian distributor of Litepanels. To plan a studio around the Gemini, Astra IP and Studio X ranges, or to see them in person, find your nearest authorised retailer using our stockist and store finder page. Search by suburb or postcode to find a Litepanels stockist near you.