The judging is carried out by three panels of industry experts in conjunction with prestigious industry organisations the ALD and the STLD.
Television Judges
Stuart Gain
Chair and Lighting Director, Struck by Lighting
After completing a successful 20 year career with Thames Television, Stuart moved into the freelance world. He has since worked for every major UK broadcaster and all over the globe on a wide array of programmes. Stuart chaired the STLD from 2007-2018, has been on the judging panel of the RTS Awards and, since 2009, has chaired the KOI Awards TV judges.
“Lighting in television has become more important as technology has evolved. Gone are the days of lighting just to get a picture. Mood and style is now hugely influenced by contemporary Lighting Designers. The Television Lighting Director is routinely immersed in a project from it’s early stages as the role is critical to how any production will look and feel.”
Suzi Feay
Television Critic, FT Weekend
Suzi is a London-based literary journalist with a particular interest in fiction and poetry, writing regularly for The Guardian and The Financial Times, among others.
She is the TV and radio critic for FT Weekend and has stories and poems published in The London Magazine, Magma and Poetry Review.
James Jackson
Television Editor, The Times
James Jackson is the TV editor of The Times, watching an unhealthy amount of television on the readership’s behalf before advising on what’s worth watching.
Having previously edited the paper’s Saturday entertainment supplement, he also writes regular TV reviews and moonlights as an occasional gig reviewer.
“If today’s prestige dramas use lighting to reflect mood and give a classy sensibility, so too must factual and reality shows in their own ways. And as we hit “peak-TV”, viewers are not just watching on plasma screens at home, but on tablets and phones while on the go. Suffice to say, good lighting is more important than ever.”
Fleur Whitlock
Art Director & Production Designer
With over thirty years’ experience in the film and TV industry, Fleur’s television credits includes: Inspector Morse The Lakes The Ruth Rendall Mysteries and Poirot.
Her feature film experience includes Churchill: The Hollywood Years, Love and Death on Long Island, 10,000BC, The Libertine. She also designed Butterfly Kisses, an independent feature that won the ‘Crystal Bear – Best Film 14 Plus’ at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
Recent projects include a feature-length drama for BBC, ‘THE Eichmann Show’ and the adaptation of US indie comic The End of The F***ing World for Netflix.
“No matter how good the production design is, if the set is not lit and photographed well then the art department’s work is in vain! Lighting gives life to the scenery and enhances the created environments, whether in a studio or on location. After the director, a designer’s closest relationship is with the lighting camera person.”
Fleur regularly runs Production Design modules at the London Film School.
John O’ Brien
Lighting Director
John trained and worked as a Photographer/ Cameraman in Educational TV and then as a Studio Camera Operator and Lighting Director at Thames Television before going freelance. As well as working in studios, he’s worked on outside broadcasts, events, light entertainment, sports and drama. Accolades include an R.T.S. award for Technique and the KOI for Drama in 2009.
“In a lighting design, I’m looking for excellence and subtlety. A lighting design that has been carefully considered.”
Ross Williams
Lighting Designer and Programmer
Winner of the 2017 ‘Contribution to Television Lighting’ Award, Ross first transferred from the world of theatre over twenty years ago.
He has subsequently worked on some of the largest events in the world including: Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, Sports Personality of the Year and The Voice. His advanced the use of graphics in TV soon carved out a reputation as the ‘go-to’ person for programming graphics on television shows.
“Lighting for television today is less about an absolute requirement for specific levels of illumination. Modern cameras are so more forgiving, working far better in low light levels than ever before. What hasn’t changed though is the value lighting brings to a production. Through the skill and craft of lighting design for both single and multi-camera shoots, this remains as relevant today as ever. “Good” lighting often goes unnoticed by the viewer, but is a skill I admire greatly.
Lighting plays such a huge part in telling the story, transforming the performance space, creating the mood and setting the scene. In these days of reduced budgets and time, the skills we observe, perfected over many years, that perhaps look at times to be too easy, are all too often overlooked. Without them however, our viewing pleasure would be vastly diminished.”
Nigel Catmur
Lighting Designer/Director
Four time winner in the Knight of Illumination Awards’ Television category and shortlisted an additional two times, Nigel has joined the judging panel for the 2020 Awards. Nigel has many years experience in lighting, including television, theatre, touring, and live events, having transitioned from console operate to Lighting Designer/Director. In television he has lit productions ranging from small and large scale live events.
“As a former winner in this category I am absolutely delighted to be judging in this year’s television category. The key elements that I will be looking for are technical quality, style, and relevance.”
