“Life is all about good seating and lighting.” —Graydon Carter Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair from 1992-2017, once said this. And, as someone who likely attended his share of posh events over those 25 years, we think he knows what he’s talking about! At One Way Event Productions, we know the right lighting can make or break an event, so here’s a look at a variety of lighting types you may want to consider renting for your next function.
20 Types of Event Lighting
LED Pixel Tube Lights
Once used mainly for television and film lighting, LED pixel tube lights have taken the event planning industry by storm not only because of their unique look but also because they’re so easy to use and implement. These wireless baton-shaped LED tubes can be mounted just about anywhere to light up an environment, add a creative element to a keynote stage, and create a plethora of lighting effects. You can lay them on tables, you can hang them, you can stand them up, just about anything is possible. At experiential events and installations they’ve even been joined together in interesting ways to create three dimensional shapes and sculptures. They really come to life when you control their individual LEDs or pixels to create cool effects making for some serious eye candy. That’s not all; many of them are also waterproof, making them a perfect rental option perfect for outdoor events.
LED Uplights
There’s nothing fun about your plain-Jane basic four walls, and they can make even the largest event space feel a bit claustrophobic. So, liven things up with LED uplighting. Uplights have become a staple rental option in the event lighting industry and although you may be used to seeing them everywhere they cant be ignored or dismissed because of the impact they bring to any room or venue. When placed along the length of walls, Uplights create columns of light on your walls and give the illusion of higher ceilings and wider spaces. Whether you want to project fun, elegance, or corporate success, colorful uplighting adds depth and creates visual interest to any space. Because most if not all Uplights now use LED chips you can let your corporate colors shine at your next function.
LED Batten / Wall Washer
While technically a type of Uplight this light deserves to be in its own category because instead of illuminating walls with “columns” of light it gives you a linear uniform wash of light. This effect is best seen when you line many of these fixtures side by side and completely “wash” your wall with light. Originally used on theater shows and photo studios to evenly light up the “CYC”(Cyclorama), lighting designers have adopted this style of lighting fixture and adapted it to the lighting rental market for use at events and venues. This type of light provides a clean and attractive wash of light making it perfect to light up long set pieces and backdrops, step and repeats as well as drape lines.
Ellipsoidal spotlights
Affectionately known as Lekos among the lighting techs in the industry, Ellipsoidal lights are a common staple in theaters and other entertainment venues around the globe. The reason being that Lekos can basically be used for any type of lighting need making them a perfect rental option but they’re primarily used as a spotlight because of its ability to emit a very sharp circle of light onto a surface. Because of the lensing options it allows you to throw a concentrated light beam on a particular spot or area from distances of 25-75 feet and beyond, making them ideal for overhead, side positions, or stage washes. The highly specialized and crafted lens also allows you to focus the light and make it sharper or softer transforming the light from a spot to a very even wash light. Arguably the “Pièce De Résistance” of the Leko light is its framing shutters allowing you to shape the light and “cut off” light from spilling onto a specific area on stage or a set piece. Many lekos can also accept gobo discs; see below for more on these.
Gobos
While technically not a light fixture but more of a lighting effect we had to include this option on the list because of how often this lighting effect gets used. Short for “GOes Between Optics,” a gobo is a small stenciled disc made out of metal, plastic or glass that can be placed within a Ellipsoidal (LEKO) lighting fixture to create a sharp projected pattern on stage backdrops, walls, and floors. Originally used in theater where for example it may have been too expensive to build a intricate forest set so to sell the illusion that a scene took place in a forest the lighting designer used a gobo that was cutout to represent tree branches or if the scene was an interior room the gobo was cutout to be a window. Now lighting designers and event planners love gobos for events because it gives them the same ability to inexpensively project any image or company logo onto any surface. Gobos come in steel to withstand the heat of incandescent ellipsoidal lights, and now plastic because its cheaper and LED ellipsoidal fixtures don’t put out enough heat to burn the plastic and lastly glass which gives you the ability to print colors and complex images onto it and they show up beautifully on the surface you project to. Not content to just be used in static fixtures? gobos can also be installed in moving lighting to project a moving pattern or logo across the room.
PAR Light
You cant have a lighting fixture list without mentioning the mighty PAR Light. Until Phil Collins and Genesis had the first tour that utilized moving head lighting, the only type of light used for rock and roll shows was the PAR light, it did one thing and one thing well; It outputted a whole lot of light. For this reason it is why many lighting rental companies stocked hundreds and even thousands of these units for the next rock and roll tour. They were so durable that they’re still around and used today to provide a bit of nostalgia as well as provide their signature warm wash of light. The original wash light was once made of silver aluminum and used a PAR headlight borrowed from the car industry to wash a stage with light. It has since evolved to be more compact and graduated from a PAR lamp to an array of LEDs making it brighter as well as allowing for a plethora of color mixing options. The LED Par light is a staple for washing any area with bright light.
Moving “Intelligent” Lights
Arguably the grandaddy of them all. When someone says event lighting the image that most likely pops into their head is of a moving head light. Popular for any type of event, Moving lights, sometimes called intelligent or Moving Head lights, are flexible and versatile fixtures that feature a movable head on a rotating yoke to create a moving beam of light. Most moving lights also have internal gobo wheels to project patterns of light, color wheels and flags to mix custom colors, crystal prisms to modify the light, zoom lenses, iris’s, shutters, and frost to create dynamic effects. Moving lights come in three forms, wash, spot, and beams. A wash fixture is ideal for washing large areas with light color, while spot fixtures are better for lighting up a performer or presenter, or for creating creative aerial and wall effects and a beam fixture is great at creating a almost laser like column beam of light. Quick Tip: Venue permitting, Using a light haze will create more dynamic and areal effects showing beams of light shooting through the air.
Follow-spot
A Follow-spot is a very bright lighting instrument that projects a concentrated beam of light usually onto a performer or keynote presenter. Usually seen in theater and arena shows the follow spot can also be adapted to the event environment. The difference between this lighting instrument and the others in this post is that this light is manually operated by a follow-spot operator to “follow” the presenter or performer as they walk about the stage.
Kinetic Lights
What do you get when you merge lighting technology with mechanical technology? Its called Kinetic lighting. The most popular way we’ve seen these done is to have an array of LED orbs or LED Pixel tubes attached to chain motors drop down from the ceiling, operating on a motor to maintain movement over a certain space or object. Today, kinetic lights are all the rave, making a big impact at conferences, concerts, and even pop-up events. Some great examples are the Adidas Kinetic Lights Fashion Show activation, the Red Hot Chili Peppers Getaway tour, and the Deep web Kinetic Laser Instalation
Lasers Lights
Found at many music venues, concerts, and nightclubs, colored lasers can usually produce hundreds of patterns, flashing and rotating on walls, ceilings, floors, and more. Lasers come in a variety of colors, and most can be programmed via lighting consoles and software to change to the beat of the music, bounce around the room and even project images and lettering on walls. There is a very important safety element to be aware of. Because of the focused energy nature of lasers they can be harmful to the human eye. therefore there is regulation in place in the united states that when lasers are in use in a performance venue there needs to be a licensed laser safety officer in the venue at all times and they dictate where the lasers can and cannot be used.
LED String Lights
Remember when rustic events and weddings were all the rage? Wooden spoons, long tables, Doily patterns, and of course string lights hung from the rafters with that nice warm glow. Now imagine if those lights were able to change colors and be individually controlled (pixel mapping) thats what LED string lights are all about. With LED string lights you can create curtains of light, a Maypole style activation and just about anything else you could have done with the original string lights but now since theyre programable with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED chips; the skys the limit with your color options.
Pin-Spot Lighting
A staple in the wedding and gala dinner world. If you want to create very narrow beams of light focused on specific areas or elements within the venue you may choose pin-spot lighting. Usually hung from overhead, It’s a great way to highlight centerpieces, place cards, a guestbook, bar areas, a cake, or a dessert table.
Balloon Lighting
While balloons themselves may be passé, balloon lighting is blowing up! These air-inflated fixtures can be used indoors or outdoors, and can be suspended or ground-supported. They’re available with warm halogen lighting for elegant affairs, or LED lighting for bolder, more colorful events. In addition, the balloons can often be customized, highlighting a company logo or event theme.
Wristband and Lanyard Lighting
Chances are you’ve seen this technology at the Super bowl halftime show and concerts, but did you know you can bring this tech to your next meeting or event? The technology is pretty simple; everyone gets a wristband or lanyard at registration and during key moments of the event you can have your lighting operator trigger the wristbands or lanyards to illuminate in certain colors. Imagine the surprise of your guests because they weren’t expecting it. To spice things up even more if you have assigned seating at your events you can have your programer light up each table or section in a different color and even turn the entire room into a low-fi display screen via a technology called pixel mapping.
Projection Lighting / Mapping (3-D)
Did you know you can turn your projector into a lighting instrument by utilizing projection mapping technology. This technology projects onto any surface and turns it into an engaging display for imagery or video. NYC event planners have been known to use projection mapping on everything from buildings to stage props, but you can use it to add texture to boring walls or change their entire look. Projection map your tables, centerpieces, stage floor, pretty much and surface is game.
Centerpiece Lighting
While this type of lighting is pretty low-tech, requiring nothing more than battery-powered light discs placed beneath items like centerpieces, flowers, buffet displays, and photos, they do make an impression. By projecting light from beneath these objects, they add warmth and color to any event and go above and beyond traditional candles.
High-Lit Tables
Add some stretchy fabric and some uplighting underneath to illuminate your guests’ tables. High-lit tables can be employed to create a mood or just make the seating arrangement more appealing. While this type of lighting has been around for a while its all about having the right lighting designer/programer to blend these in well with the rest fo your environment. You can even sync the lights to the music and have the tables dance during the party.
Illuminated Bar
At the end of a long day, most attendees will be hankering for a cocktail (hanging out near the bar is also the most popular place to be at networking events). So, give the bar the attention it deserves by placing the bottle lineup upon LED glass. The glow from the bottles will attract people like a moth to a flame.
Illuminated Beverages
Once the bar is illuminated how about we have your guest take some of that light with them by illuminating their drinks. Light up ice cubes or cups don’t only have to be used in bars and clubs. it can be tastefully done as well without looking like a frat party.
Architectural Lighting
To light up a building or a space, architectural lighting focuses on three factors: aesthetic appeal (what to light up and what to keep in the dark), ergonomics (the relationship between light sources and individuals), and energy efficiency (ensuring light is not wasted due to over-illumination or by wasting light by illuminating vacant areas). Proper lighting of entrances and pathways is always key for first impressions, while bold swathes of light onto tree canopies, putting patterns in a pool, or using other uplighting techniques to illuminate a landscape or building exterior can really set the scene.
Light the Way with One Way Event Productions
These are just twenty two ways to make your event a splash—and give them a splash of color. Have something else in mind, or want to talk about other rental options we have? Give us a call and drop us a line. We’re here to ensure your event looks good—in any light.
