Fun
FAQs & Helpful Hints
Paul's
Top 10 Strobe Tips
The
strobe light is one of our most popular devices for special lighting
effects. Strobe lights are a staple of nightclubs and dance companies,
and are frequently used in musicals and plays. I've discussed how
the stroboscopic effect works in a previous article, so this week
I'd like to focus more on getting the most out of your strobe light.
The Top Ten theme is really more for my own amusement; tips are
not really presented in any order of importance or usefulness. If
it helps, imagine me behind a desk with some blue cards, a gap in
my teeth and a bad haircut.
Anton, a drumroll if you please...
10) Most strobe lights are speed-adjustable, meaning that you can
vary the number of flashes per second that the light emits. The
fastest setting is not always the best for every situation! Play
with the speed until you get the look you want.
9) If you're planning to use multiple strobe heads you should consider
buying a system that is linkable. This allows you to have all the
strobes flashing synchronistically. If two strobes are flashing
out of phase with each other, they will cancel out the "slow
motion" effect.
8) Try to position your strobes so that the effect is achieved without
blinding your audience. In a nightclub, use high placement with
steep angles. You may need to use more units, but your crowd will
appreciate it. In stage productions, try to position the strobes
so that they illuminate the stage and not the audience. One exception
to this is when you're using strobes to momentarily "blind"
the audience (e.g., to cover a disappearance or appearance).
7) When using strobes in any venue that is open to the general public
(theatre, Halloween walk-through, nightclub) it is advisable to
post a warning at the entrances. There has been some debate over
whether theatrical strobe lights will actually bring on seizures
in persons with epilepsy. There has been almost as much debate over
whether or not posting a disclaimer will absolve the venue of any
liability in the event of an incident. Regardless, I feel that it's
just polite to let people know what they're in for, especially if
it's something that could cause them discomfort.
6) Strobe lights are a special effect. The word 'special' implies
something that is not commonplace. When you use something too much
it becomes commonplace. Do you see where I'm heading? Use your strobes
sparingly, or you risk boring your audience. If you're using a strobe
effect for every other scene (or dance number, or song) perhaps
you should consider investing in a few additional effects. Could
a similar effect be achieved with a police beacon or rope light?
5) Special effects lights work best by themselves. By this, I mean
that your strobes will give the best effect when they're not competing
with lots of ambient (room) light. Try to dim any other lights as
much as possible when using the strobe, and you'll notice a huge
improvement in the look of the effect.
4) Strobes do not have to be an all-white effect! The Techno Strobe
in particular has colored lenses available that allow you to create
a cool blue, hot yellow or creepy red strobe effect. Consider the
mood that you're trying to create with the strobe effect and choose
the lens color accordingly.
3) Remote control can make your life much easier. Using a strobe
in a club or DJ setting can be a royal pain if you have to plug
in the fixture every time you want to use it. Pick up a remote control
for your strobe and keep it next to your mixer to "punch up"
a fast dance. If you're using strobes on stage, you can run your
strobes from a non-dim circuit on your lighting controller. While
this is a convenient solution for most applications, running from
the light board will not allow you to adjust the speed of the strobe
during performance.
2) On stage, try backlighting your performers or dancers with a
strobe. Too many times, I've seen a so-so effect and disoriented
performers as the result of placing the strobes along the front
of the stage. Try mounting the strobes behind the performers and
somewhat high up to avoid blinding the audience. The result should
be the slow-motion effect with the performers mostly in silhouette.
If you need more light on the performers' faces, mount the strobes
as sidelights.
And the number one tip for getting the most out of your strobe....
1) If you replace your car's headlights with strobe lights it will
look like you're the only one who's getting anywhere!
Goodnight everybody!
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