A Comprehensive Guide to Moving Head Lights
When it comes to showcasing a performance, a Moving Head Light can play a major role. It is vital to find the best movable head lights to make a lasting impression and showcasing the performance in its best form. Although, it is easy to install a Moving Head Light, finding the right one can be a very complicated and intensive task.
Installing a Moving Head Light can add an energetic vibe to the crowd. It can amalgamate with the music and aesthetic visuals and create an attractive combo. Many production houses hire special lighting teams and technicians to install these lights in a place that has the most advantageous placement. By doing this you can create a memorable experience for the audience. There are many companies out there in the market that are manufacturing different variations of a Moving Head Light.
Introduction
Before investing in them, you need to make a comparison between the different moving head light that is available in the market. There are some important things that you need to consider before finding the moving head lights most ideal for your setting because of the space for installing these lights matter a lot.
Some of the most important features include its fittings that categorize into three main branches. These three main branches include beam, spot, and wash. Moreover, it is important to deliberate about the quality and flexibility of moving head lights that pay off their money value since they are expensive to their powerful light quality.
The Shape of a Moving Head Light
The name moving head light exactly represents what it is. This light is movable at various angles. It can even handle rotation, expansion, and contraction. Moreover, these lights are so versatile that they can even demonstrate different colors and even designs. You can even use it to project your logos and symbols that match the performance on the stage.
In most cases, moving headlights have a circular head that consists of the basic lightning source. The head has different installations of the color wheel, customized symbols and designs, and a number of bulbs. The circular head attaches with a static platform which helps the head to spin around in different directions without hindering its movement. The best part is that you can install these moving lights in different places of the performance area such that it creates a vibe needed for the mood amongst the audiences.
It has shown to bring visible improvement in the audiences’ disposition by presenting an enthusiastic coverage of the stage and the crowd with vibrant and changing colors. Moreover, research shows that moving headlights have the power to control the color and intensity of lighting along with the movement which helps in promoting an electric energetic ambiance to the entire environment. They even help in adding highlighting and focusing on certain areas of the stage.
Applications of a Moving Head Light
They are even useful for educational reasons because this way they can help in spotlighting someone from the audience if they want to ask questions later on. As for many concerts, different colored lighting adds vibrancy and excitement to the whole performance taking place on the stage. You can even flood the stage with intense wash lighting to add dramatic-ness and keep the crowd attentive and focused.
Furthermore, moving head lights are a great way to influence the ambiance and mood of the whole crowd. You can easily use perfect lighting to change the mood requirement as per your performance. We can think of a billion uses and advantages of using a moving head light and why they are a good investment. The following is an in-depth guide for spots, beams, and wash moving head lights.
There are several applications of different types of moving head lights. They are not only restricted to stage performances only. It is applicable in any kind of setting despite its weight. You can spot them in weddings, school functions, churches, and many other diverse choices. Nowadays, many contemporary architects like to add it to homely environments because it adds an artistic touch.
Meaning of ‘Beam’ in Moving Head Light
We already know that the moving head lights categorize into three main categories. They include spot, beam, and wash. Their most eminent feature is its illuminating surface area. The area that encases the lighting area determines the amount of lighting coming off the angles of the beams.
In order to understand what a beam angle is, it is important to know what a beam of a moving head light means. A beam is the amount of light projection that comes out of an opening in the head of the light. Moving head light can have hundreds of beams in a single head. They can create an effect as diverse as laser beams and collective lighting effects.
They can project short lines like laser beams to create different lighting effects. Usually, these beams have very small angles. The reason for such small angles is that the head light does not disperse the light at larger angles. Moreover, this allows the light to stay stable and provides very sharp and pointed light settings. This way when the light travels it remains focused and bright.
The projection of the beams requires fog/haze in order to enhance the aesthetic effects of the light because it allows the light to travel through different mediums for example air, water, fog, etc. It gives a very vibrant visual experience for the viewers.
Meaning of ‘Spot’ in Moving Head Light
The meaning of spot in a moving head light means spotlight. It is just like a beam light in very small angles. But the major difference is that it lights very specific areas for illuminating purposes. The spot is much wider than the beam.
Hence, it is an ideal solution for the go-between optics (GOBO). You can also think of it as a template or a stencil that has a design pattern over it. So when the light shines through the hollows of the pattern it creates the design on the desired surface. Spots are wider in size therefore they take up larger surface area and throws light at very large distances with sharp and crisp edges.
In most areas, that require moving head lights, production houses prefer spotlighting because of their tight spot coverage. Moreover, they have versatility when it comes to zooming and focusing something on the stage. It is much similar to a beam light while it has its own functionalities.
Meaning of ‘Wash’ in Moving Head Light
When compared, a wash light is a much wider than the beam and spotlighting angles. Basically, it’s light that can illuminate very large areas. Most commonly wash light is ideal in areas that require well-lit spaces.
For that reason, wash lights are most commonly having a placement in open-spaced areas. They even come in different colors and levels of lighting intensity. They have dual functionality which can serve at different locations whether it’s a concert or a wedding. It is the most versatile moving headlight available in the market that it is usable for different applications.
What to look for when searching the Right Moving Head Light
There are many variations of a moving head light that are available in the market. Each one serves its own purpose and functionality. It is important to consider some factors before choosing and settling on the right kind of moving head light that is suitable for your lighting arrangement.
There are many things to think about regarding a moving headlight like its accessories, pan and tilting, focus and zoom, brightness, and even noise. Here is an in-depth analysis of its variants and features.
Accessories of a Moving Head Light
The most important factor when choosing accessories for a moving head light totally depends on your requirement. It’s better to consider a lighting system that suits best with your needs and pick up a light that matches with it. Almost, all of the moving head lights come in various ranges of color palette and the go-between optics (GOBO) effects.
The GOBO effect enhances the complexity of the light by providing sharp edging with optical visuals. It allows you the freedom to mix and matching the colors with the design therefore it is a good option to look for a color palette that is abundant in variety.
Pan and Tilt of a Moving Head Light
When it comes to different moving head lights there are many variations in the amount of movement allowed by them. You already know that a moving head light has rotation at different angles. Therefore, when looking for the head light accessories that suit your need, it is important to look for the range spectrum in which the light pans.
Likewise, the tilt of the moving head light shows the extent to which the light can sway from one side to another. The tilting angle is very important to look for when choosing a customized light setting.
Focus and Zoom of a Moving Head Light
In most cases, the focus and zooming capacity is the reason behind using a movie head light. They add texture to the lighting capacity of any space. The focusing power of a moving head light helps in projecting sharp images and even has the ability to facilitate a blurring effect for a softer look.
In addition to this, the zooming capability of the moving head light can help in altering the beaming angle for different sized spaces. This way you can use it both; outdoors and indoors. Some head lights are even equipped with automatic focus and zooming options. They usually cost more than the generic versions of moving head lights available in the market.
Brightness of a Moving Head Light
Moving head lights are usually very bright which the main motive behind installing them. So, it is important to choose the light that has a brightness range that fits the size of the venue accurately.
When the space for installing moving head lights is large in size then it must make use of high wattage. And it requires a low wattage for small spaces. The more you think about it, the more you get to experience its accessories to the fullest.
Plus, you can even make use of moving head lights that allow features for brightness when needed. This way you don’t have to invest in two separate headlights for different sized areas.
The Noise of a Moving Head Light
It is common knowledge amongst the users of moving head lights that it takes a lot of power to run. They have to make a lot of movements of spinning, rotating, and spiraling. They have in-house cooling systems too. All of this working accumulates to create a lot of noise in real-time.
This can be a cause of great hindrance during a performance. High-level noises coming out of the head lights can distract the crowd and move the focus from the main function towards the noise of the light. Hence, it is important to place and engineer the lights in such a way that they remain at a safe distance from the main audience as well as the performance area.
Although this is not such a big problem in larger areas, it is important to test the moving light in a small space in order to detect its noise level. This will help you to equip with a better idea for the placement of these lights.
Improved Setup with Moving Head Lights
When working in the performing industry, lighting plays a crucial part. There are many production houses that hire and even form special lighting teams that consist of light technicians, a lighting effects team and much more. This shows the importance of lighting in a show.
Substantially, they can bring improvement to the entire performance area. Properly placed moving head lights can indulge the audiences by attracting their senses of sight and sound at the same time. It is therefore an aesthetically pleasing experience for the viewer.
You may feel that this is an important accessory; rather it has become a necessity for many kinds of stage performances. The availability of different kinds of options in these lights makes out a unique viewer experience. They have color-coordinated movements that attract the crowd by pumping energy. It is becoming very important for projecting quality lighting with a sharp and professional touch.
Maximizing the Light from a Moving Head Light
It is important to look for major improvements in order to maximize the light coming from a moving head light. It is of great significance to bring into consideration the ideas for maximizing the lighting effects. Some major points include the space, watts, and GOBO apt placements. The shape of the area that requires lighting needs to Balance with the lights.
When the pace is very large you can use the fogging light effect available in the moving head lights for maximizing purposes. The fog feature can help in capturing and accentuating the movements made by the light giving it a 3D effect.
On the other hand, wash and spotlighting have their own advantage as they can magnify the lighting when coupled with fog properly. However, the beam lights complement most with a fog a haze. They are almost non-existent without them. Although they can travel farther distances, they can only light a very small surface area. So, in order to maximize its lighting benefits, you can make use of the fog effect and turn the lighting in your favor.
Mount the Moving Head Lights
After considering all of its accessories and features, we can say that moving head lights are very important for different kinds of performances. Their placement matters a lot for maximizing its reach. There are two ways to mount a moving head light. One way is to tether it to a spot with the help of external accessories and another way is to use lighting stands.
When considering the installation of moving head lights and deciding on either of the above-mentioned ways, the most important factor to consider is the venue. It all depends on the venue for the right placement of these lights.
The tethering way of installing these lights works best in venues that have very large overhead spaces example auditoriums and churches. While on the other hand, lighting stands are much more generic in nature because they are usable for all kinds of locations. Lighting stands are often equipped with size and design alterations. This is of great help in accommodating different types of moving head lights.
And the placement does not end here. For choosing the one or the other option, there is a requirement for different types of fittings and fasteners to keep the light in place. You can easily find these fixtures from the same vendor who is selling the moving head light. Moving head lights weigh a lot; therefore their fittings should be apt in handling all the weight. After all, inappropriate and loose fittings are prone to accidents hence; there is no capacity for carelessness.
Finding the Best Moving Head Light
Many companies and brands boast about their high-quality moving head lights. In reality, there are very few renowned brands that have first-rate lighting solutions for moving head lights. One such company is www.vltglight.com. You can easily go to their website and check out different kinds of moving headlights.
Conclusion
When making performance in a large or a small area, the right lighting is an absolute essential. This article shows an in-depth study of moving head lights. It focuses on all the fine details to keep in check when installing these lights. The beam, wash, and spot are some of its major types that can help you in presenting aesthetically pleasing lighting effects.
Moreover, it is important to find the right kinds of accessories that are most suitable for your space requirement. It is even more important to safely place the lighting with proper fixtures and sound fittings. This way you can be assured that there will be no untoward mishaps. In addition to this, you need to comprehend some tips and tricks that will help you in getting the most out of these lights. They are a great tool for advantageous lighting in different-sized areas.
