Bright Ideas

If you've ever been to a company Christmas party where there's lots of money to spend, you've seen the power of lighting at its finest. Strobes, spotlights, special effects—they all come together for a night of wonder and excitement.

Utilizing all the different types of lighting applications really is the best way to transform a meeting or gala into an exciting, elegant environment.

So, what are lighting steps you can take to ensure a successful corporate or special event?

To be an effective lighting designer, it takes a lot of knowledge, understanding and practical experience. There are many good designers out there, making a decent living. But, there are only a few great ones. So, what makes them great? The first question of course is: what are you trying to light? What's the goal? The designer must have a good idea about the specific characteristics of the different lighting fixtures that are available so they can select the appropriate fixture for the task at hand. Have you taken classes on the physics of light? Have you studied along side a veteran pro? These are both good ideas if you want to take your craft to the very highest level.

An automated light is designed to replace multiple stationary lights. Depending on the venue and application, automated luminaires can be a great addition to traditional lights. When programmed effectively, they can alter the “personality” of the light. In fact, these lights can be pre-programmed and played back whenever needed. In addition, they can be controlled live if the operator has been well trained. Intelligent lights are used mostly in theatres, concerts and nightclubs, and are grouped into two categories: “active” and “passive”

A stage light refers to a complete lighting kit, which consists of a housing, lamp (bulb), socket, reflector, electrical cord, and connector. Occasionally, it includes a lens, mounting clamp and color frame. Luminaires used for stage, television and film lighting applications are either Spotlights or Floodlights. You can also have Projectors and special lighting effects. How are fixtures mounted? Usually from overhead pipes, vertical pipes or from floor stands. In addition, all fixtures are fitted with color frame clips to accept a square metal color frame, which can be used with other accessories including barn doors, top hats, donuts and color wheels. Stage lighting fixtures range in wattage from 300 watts to over 10,000 watts in size and capacity.

The larger the wattage, the larger the fixture. To get a better idea, consider the following: In the display lighting field, miniature fixtures range from 50 to 300 watts. Fixtures used for theatre lighting usually range from 500 to 2000 watts, and television and film lighting frequently employs fixtures of 1000 to 10,000 watts.