Why are arenas so brightly lit nowadays?

[Burst]

It's not just WWE, TNA is just as guilty of this too. Compared to back in the day, the crowd in televised shows is lit up like a Christmas tree. I know in WWE they have the different colored mood lighting (of which I felt that Smackdown always tended to look better myself) but in the Impact Zone they don't even go that far.

Is it an attempt to show off how big the crowd is? To make sure everyone can see their signs? I mean, even the Attitude Era seemed to get the level of lighting right; just enough to see the signs but not enough to distract from the ring. I don't feel that a complete return to only the ring being illuminated is in place, and actually I wonder how much of the lighting is for safety reasons, which makes sense until you consider that the majority of house shows seem to use the old style of lighting, or at least they did.

[chazraps]

I think it has to do with taking full advantage of HD.

[thecrusherwi]

Aug 3, 2012 15:37:31 GMT -5 chazraps said:

I think it has to do with taking full advantage of HD.

I think its mostly this. It just looks better on TV if it's brighter. The crowds used to be dark at NBA and NHL games too, but now they are lit much brighter. No one wants to watch an event that looks like it's taking place in an empty warehouse.

[Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill]

Aug 3, 2012 15:37:31 GMT -5 chazraps said:

I think it has to do with taking full advantage of HD.

It was just as bright pre-HD, i think the lighting stuff came around in the year 2000 or so.

[Milk Toast Face]

I actually noticed this when watching Impact earlier. My eye kept being drawn to the crowd, which never happens. I'd rather the lights on the crowd were dimmer, personally...

[DJ Maniak]

To draw attention away from Sin Cara's botches. Even in the WWE '12 game, I can't stand having a match with him in it due to the mood lighting.

[DJ Maniak]

Sorry, thought it said "badly lit" in the title of this thread.

[crowwreak was WRONG]

Fun fact: the floodlights WWE use to colour the crowd are bright as crap when you're sat under them. It's seriously hard to see.

[Dave at the Movies]

Didn't WCW always have real lit up arenas?

[Deleted]

Brightness doesn't bother me, but the red crowd lighting for Raw and blue for SD do. Even on PPVs, Raw matches are Red SD are blue.

[Orange]

Looking back at old Attitude Era footage, and even current day ROH - there is a certain "edge" to lower lit arenas. However, I think the modern brightly lit arenas make wrestling look more "big time", if that makes any sense.

I prefer brightly lit.

[BigJerichool222]

Because AJ said so.

[Some Guy]

HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO BE WRESTLIN WHEN IT'S DARK?

[xCompackx]

Aug 3, 2012 19:06:41 GMT -5 Orange said:

Looking back at old Attitude Era footage, and even current day ROH - there is a certain "edge" to lower lit arenas. However, I think the modern brightly lit arenas make wrestling look more "big time", if that makes any sense.

I prefer brightly lit.

Yeah, there's definitely a certain feeling of grit to the Attitude Era crowds because of the lighting. Personally I think it's pretty proportional to how big WWE has gotten and how it's more than a wrestling show these days. Sometimes I kinda wish it was less bright though.