This study examined simple approaches for combining the enhanced internal efficiency, photon-solid interaction volume, and extraction efficiency concepts that affect the photoluminescent (PL) brightness of sol-gel-coated Y2O3:Eu3+ film phosphors (FPs). The overall aim was to improve the PL brightness of FPs over commercial and sol-gel synthesized screened-powder phosphors. The normally directed PL brightness in the sol-gel-derived, 5% Li-doped, 80 coating (similar to 5.7 mu m) Y2O3:Eu3+ thick films with two-dimensional (2D) triangular-lattice SiNx air-hole photonic crystal layers, was 1.30 and 1.67 times higher than that of sedimented commercial and sol-gel synthesized Y2O3:Eu3+ powder samples, respectively.