Equip your students with industry-standard lighting tools
LightCalc gives cinematography and film students access to the same photometric planning tool used by working DPs and gaffers on professional sets — at an academic rate designed for institutional licensing.
The challenge
The gap between classroom and set
Film education excels at teaching theory. What it struggles to provide is the bridge between photometric principles and applied production decisions.
Theory without application
Photometric principles are taught from textbooks — but students rarely get to verify calculations against real fixture data in real time. The gap between knowing the inverse square law and applying it on set remains wide.
Limited set time, steep learning curve
Equipment is expensive and set time is scarce. Students spend their first shoots troubleshooting exposure rather than developing creative instincts. Pre-visualisation tools change this — but only if students have access to them.
Graduating without industry tools
Working DPs, gaffers and cinematographers plan shoots with photometric data. Students who graduate without this skill enter the industry behind the curve — a gap institutions can close before students leave campus.
What LightCalc is
A professional lighting calculator built for the real world
LightCalc applies the inverse square law to manufacturer photometric data — lux-at-1m values from spec sheets — to calculate exact lux output, T-stop equivalent and power draw for any fixture, modifier and diffusion combination at any distance. In seconds.
LightCalc does not replace the light meter
On set, incident metering remains the ground truth. LightCalc is a pre-production planning tool — it gives students a way to predict what the meter will read before they walk on set and to understand why. The meter confirms; LightCalc prepares.
Curriculum fit
Direct support for your learning outcomes
LightCalc maps directly to the technical competencies required across film, audio and entertainment business programs.
Learning outcomes supported
Apply the inverse square law to real-world fixture selection
ISL calculations with 200+ photometric fixturesUnderstand the relationship between ISO, T-stop, shutter and illuminance
Live camera ↔ light exposure chainPlan lighting setups before equipment is on location
Pre-production scenario modeEvaluate fixture-modifier-diffusion combinations for a target exposure
1,000+ modifier and diffusion combinationsDevelop professional pre-production documentation habits
PDF Shoot Plan export for crew distributionLive output
Student voices
What filmmakers say
LightCalc is already used by individual students and early-career cinematographers at film schools across the world.
“The Scenario Mode is a game-changer. I use it to dial in ND, ISO and T-stop, then audition lights to see what can punch through the sun. Starting with an M90 and working down lets me find the most efficient setup fast.”
Kurt Collins
@kurtcollins
“With LightCalc, I can plan my lighting setups with pinpoint accuracy — even calculating the exact dimming percentage of an LED fixture before I ever set foot on set.”
Vincent Eckert
@vincent_eckert_dp
“LightCalc is an immensely valuable tool and helps me make informed decisions when dealing with unfamiliar circumstances or last-minute requests on set.”
Philip Schwanke
@philipschwanke
“LightCalc has become a key part of my pre-production workflow. The insights I've been able to share with the production team have been incredibly valuable.”
Eric Kuritz
@erickuritz_camera
Already in circulation
Students at leading film schools already rely on LightCalc
Without any institutional outreach, students from these institutions have independently discovered and adopted LightCalc as part of their personal workflow. An institutional license brings this to your entire program — at a fraction of the individual cost.
The opportunity
Your students are likely already using tools like this. A formal license ensures every student has equal access — and that it's integrated into your curriculum rather than discovered by chance.
Students from these institutions use LightCalc independently
Student outcomes
What students take to their first job
Beyond technical knowledge, LightCalc builds the professional habits that distinguish graduates who are immediately productive on a paid set.
Photometric literacy
Students graduate understanding the full chain from light source to camera sensor — lux, T-stop, the inverse square law and stop delta all become intuitive through repeated, hands-on interaction rather than abstract formula memorisation.
Pre-production confidence
The ability to commit to a gear list before arriving on set is a professional skill that takes years to develop through trial and error. LightCalc compresses that curve significantly — students learn to trust numbers, not instinct alone.
Data-driven decision making
Rather than booking extra gear 'just in case', students learn to justify every item in their tech list with a calculation. This is precisely how working DPs and gaffers operate — and it translates directly to budget efficiency on professional productions.
Professional documentation
LightCalc's Shoot Plan PDF is the same format a gaffer expects to receive from a DP on a professional set. Students practise producing — and reading — this document before they ever work with a professional crew.
Cross-department communication
Lighting decisions affect camera, production design and schedule. Students who can articulate their lighting choices in numbers — rather than descriptions — communicate more effectively with directors, producers and ADs.
Industry-standard workflow
LightCalc is used by working cinematographers across 20+ countries. Students who graduate familiar with it enter the industry with a workflow already aligned to professional practice — no relearning required.
Licensing models
Flexible options for every institution
All academic licensing is offered at a minimum 50% discount versus standard pricing. Exact figures are provided in the formal proposal tailored to your program.
Per-Student
FlexibleIndividual annual licenses for each enrolled student — billed to the institution at the academic rate.
~50% off
vs. standard Pro pricing
- Full Pro feature access per student
- Annual renewal per cohort
- Works on any device, including iOS and Android
- Offline access included
Best for: smaller cohorts or pilot programs
Cohort License
Most PopularA flat-fee license covering an entire class or cohort — one invoice, all students covered for the academic year.
Flat rate
per class, per year
- Up to 30 students per cohort
- Managed onboarding for your cohort
- Curriculum integration guide included
- Dedicated education contact
Best for: single courses or workshops
Department License
ComprehensiveUnlimited student access across one or more departments for the full academic year.
Custom
based on department size
- Unlimited student seats
- Faculty access included
- Custom onboarding session
- Priority support for educators
Best for: full-program integration
Pricing is negotiated per institution. Exact figures provided in the formal proposal. Subscription-based, one-time and hybrid models all available.
The proposal
What the formal proposal includes
Upon request, we provide a complete written proposal tailored to your institution — addressing program fit, pricing and implementation in the format required for institutional review.
Formal pricing breakdown for your specific program size
Curriculum integration suggestions aligned to your course outcomes
Sample student onboarding flow and faculty guide
Reference contacts at institutions where students already use LightCalc
Implementation timeline and support commitment
For educators
Common concerns, answered honestly
These are the questions we hear most often from lecturers and program directors — answered directly.
The opposite tends to happen. When students see the inverse square law produce a real number that matches what happens on set, the theory clicks in a way that worked examples on a whiteboard cannot achieve. LightCalc is most effective as a tool that makes fundamentals tangible — not one that circumvents them. We recommend introducing it alongside photometric theory, not instead of it.
No — and this is important. LightCalc is a pre-production planning tool. On set, the incident light meter remains the ground truth. What LightCalc does is extend the meter: students can predict what a meter will read before they set a single light, understand why their reading differs from the plan and iterate in pre-production rather than on a ticking clock. The two tools are complementary.
Most students are productive within a single session. The core workflow — select a fixture, set a distance, read the T-stop — takes under five minutes to understand. The deeper features (circuit planning, multi-fixture rigs, looks and scenario comparison) reward continued use. There is no steep learning curve to overcome before a student gets value.
LightCalc works as a standalone tool or as a companion to existing practical exercises. Many educators use it during pre-production assignments, lighting design classes or location scouts. We provide a curriculum integration guide as part of the institutional proposal, with suggested exercise structures mapped to your existing course outcomes.
LightCalc runs as a web app in any browser — no installation required. It is also available as an installable PWA on iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, with full offline functionality. Students can use it on their own devices without any IT configuration on your end.
LightCalc is updated continuously. New fixtures are added regularly and feature development is informed directly by user feedback — including from educators. Institutional licensees are welcome to submit fixture requests and curriculum suggestions. Your program's needs shape the product roadmap.
Next steps
Ready to bring precision to your program?
Send us a message with your institution name and program details. We'll prepare a formal proposal within 48 hours — no commitment required.
Request a Formal ProposalOr write directly to support@lightcalc.io