The Dramatic Impact of LED Streetlights on Celluloid

Los Angeles recently completed a comprehensive installation of LED streetlights—and New York City is not far behind. Among the unintended consequences of the new technology? Cities will now look completely different on film.

1 minute read

February 4, 2014, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Dave Kendricken provides a fascinating examination of a pervasive change that might have gone unnoticed to the untrained eye—the new light spectrum emitted by LED streetlights. Taking Los Angeles as the most commonly filmed example (the city also recently completed a comprehensive LED retrofit of its streetlights), Kendricksen does a great job of balancing scientific explanations with the aesthetic descriptions of phenomena that will become more and more common as cities switch to LED lighting. The crux of the issue, from a filmmaking standpoint: “The interesting thing about non-tungsten artificial light sources is that they often produce a non-continuous or incomplete spectral output. This can affect the appearance of certain colors under that output.”

In case you’re wondering whether that’s a good thing for filmmakers: “The LEDs should very well prove a benefit to existing-light photography — better for the environment, and in nearly every case, better for cinematography.” (That news should come as a relief to urban designer, who have increasingly run afoul of the interests of Los Angeles filmmakers in recent years.)

To see the effect before your very eyes, Curbed LA has a display which allows you to swipe between before and after images to do a side by side comparison of the effect of the LED lights on the nighttime streetscape.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 in No Film School

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight