Effects of Stage Lighting Color Combinations and Placement on Audience Spatial Perception and Emotional Responses

This study examined the effects of stage lighting color combinations and placement on audience spatial perception and emotional responses. A virtual stage was constructed based on an existing musical theater, and four lighting colors—red, yellow, green, and blue—were combined into six two-color combinations. Each combination was arranged by varying the placement of the two colors as key light and back light, resulting in twelve lighting conditions. A total of 100 participants experienced six randomly assigned lighting conditions in the virtual stage environment. Spatial perception, emotional responses, and electrocardiogram data were collected, and the results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and independent-samples t-tests. The results showed significant differences in spatial perception and emotional responses according to lighting color combination and placement. Yellow showed the most consistent placement effects: yellow as key light increased perceived potency, whereas yellow as back light increased perceived activity. Green as key light consistently enhanced evaluative impressions of the stage space, and blue as key light tended to increase perceived activity. The red–blue combination produced high scores for both positive and negative emotions, suggesting a complex emotional response that could not be interpreted in a single affective direction. No significant differences were found in ECG indicators. These findings suggest that stage lighting should be designed by considering color combinations and placement as an integrated design unit rather than as separate elements. This study provides quantitative evidence for how stage lighting conditions shape audience spatial perception and emotional responses, offering practical implications for emotionally informed stage lighting design.