Stage Lighting Supplies

Stage lighting supplies help set the mood for any performance. There are several ways to do this, but it all comes down to how the lights highlight your subjects and props.

Cyc lights, for example, cast a wash over a cyc backdrop to simulate skies or other backgrounds. They also allow you to mix colors.

Conventional Lights

Lighting is a crucial element in creating a compelling theatrical production or live music performance. At BulbAmerica, we offer a wide selection of conventional lights used on stage that can enhance your performances and help you achieve the look you want. We carry a variety of fresnel, PAR, ellipsoidal, cyc light and strip light fixtures to suit all your staging needs.

Front lights are the most visible type of stage lighting. These fixtures point toward the performers, illuminating their faces and making them appear three-dimensional. You may also use backlights stage lighting supplies to highlight specific aspects of the performance or create a sense of eeriness. Backlighting can make an actor appear ghostly or accentuate the movement of their body, and PAR can fixtures work well for this purpose.

Conventional lights come in many different forms, including LEDs, which are revolutionizing the industry by providing brighter, saturated colors than tungsten halogen bulbs. They require no heat sinks and can be cooled without fans, which reduces maintenance costs.

Regardless of their type, all conventional lights are connected to a control system called a dimmer racks. The dimmer racks are plugged into industrial-type power sockets that supply the necessary power for the lights and to a DMX512 connection from the lighting board (also known as a “lighting console” in Europe). Each individual lantern is attached to an internally wired bar using a set of hook clamps. The bars are then hung from the patch panel or a truss and connected to the dimmer racks.

Moving Lights

Whether your stage production is a play, musical, concert or dance recital, it requires proper lighting to bring it to life. Modern stage lights are highly versatile, allowing you to create dynamic effects using a wide variety of colors, textures and movements. These automated fixtures also offer the ability to change color at a touch of a button – taking your show’s visual appeal to a whole new level.

Moving head lights are a versatile type of stage lantern that can be used to enhance any production. These are often used to replace a number of conventional fixtures in a stage lighting rig or to add an extra dimension to your stage light show. They come in a range of different models, including a beam, wash or hybrid. The different types differ in their beam angle range, effects offered and surface coverage.

Beam and wash lights feature a lens known as a Fresnel lens, named after French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. The lenses create a soft and wide beam of light, making them ideal for washing a large area of the stage. Alternatively, a spot light features a narrower beam of light, perfect for spotlighting a specific subject or object.

Many moving lights also include various effects in their bodies such as prisms, gobos and color wheels. These allow you to produce stunning visual effects which would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional lighting fixtures.

Followspots

Follow spotlights are powerful stage lighting instruments used to track a performer’s movements throughout a performance. They can also be used to create dynamic lighting effects that make a dramatic impact on audience members. These specialized lights are operated by an experienced lighting technician, known as a followspot operator. They manually control the movements and intensity of the spotlight to illuminate specific areas or objects on stage.

A good followspot requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and a steady mind, as the operator will be quite high up in a specialized booth or even on the floor. This type of position can be very uncomfortable for long periods, particularly in hot conditions, and it’s important to have excellent teamwork skills. The ability to quickly react to cues is critical, as any missed spots can be very obvious from the audience’s point of view.

The size and intensity of the beam are also variables that can be adjusted by a followspot operator. Professional-quality followspots feature a variety of lens options that can be used stage lighting supply to shape the beam. They may also come with iris adjustment, blackouts (dousers), and a color boomerang that can be used to add or change the color of the beam.

The operator will typically work from a booth on the floor level, but it is possible to have an automated system that removes the operator entirely. This allows the followspot to be controlled from a lower platform backstage, which can be more comfortable for an operator.

LED Lights

LED (Light Emitting Diode) stage lighting ushers in a new era for event lighting, enabling designers to take their sets to the next level. Unlike traditional tungsten lights that generate significant heat and require frequent replacements, LED lighting uses a direct light-producing process that eliminates wasted energy and significantly reduces the risk of fire. They also generate less heat and operate at a lower temperature, reducing maintenance costs and increasing safety.

Today’s LED fixtures can produce a wide array of color options with minimal power consumption. This makes them ideal for creating a diverse spectrum of effects that will align with your event’s theme and tone. From soft, atmospheric hues for a wedding reception to vibrant, pulsating colors for a high-energy concert, they can transform any space into a mesmerizing visual spectacle.

In addition to their extensive color mixing capabilities, many LED fixtures also feature other features like strobe and zoom functions. Additionally, they can be synchronized with music or other sound sources for dynamic light shows that align with the performance.

Most LED stage lighting fixtures have a built-in dimmer, making it easy to control them directly without the need for an external dimmer desk. They also support DMX, which allows you to centrally control them in multiple special-effect modes. This streamlines your workflow and makes it easier to create a custom effect that will impress your audience.