AMPS Issues Call for Quiet on Set

London, U.K. (March 11, 2026)—The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has issued a statement expressing the craft guild’s concern about the noise generated by LED lighting on film and TV shoots.

“AMPS is increasingly concerned that some high-output LED lighting fixtures introduce audible mechanical noise directly into the performance space,” the statement reads. “In dialogue-critical scenes, this noise competes with the actor’s voice, masking subtle dynamics and compromising the truthful capture of performance. When such noise is cumulative, performance integrity is routinely lost.”

AMPS observes that an actor’s performance is inseparable from the conditions in which it is delivered. “The human voice carries emotion, intention and nuance that must be captured live, in the moment, and without avoidable interference,” says the statement.

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Post-production tools can reduce noise, but cannot restore performance detail that was never cleanly recorded, the statement continues. “Dialogue replacement is not a creative preference; it is often a consequence of avoidable on-set noise.”

The statement goes on, “Actors deserve an environment that supports concentration, vocal control and emotional truth. Protecting that environment is a shared responsibility across all departments.”

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AMPS is calling on manufacturers and productions to “treat acoustic neutrality as a fundamental requirement of lighting design and deployment. Silent or genuinely quiet operation is essential to respecting performance and preserving the artistic intent of the work.”

Founded in 1989 and based in the U.K., AMPS boasts a membership of more than 600 film, TV and game sound professionals.