What are moving stage lights?
Moving lights are a remarkable way to add a new dimension to a light show, or in fact to make a show out of nothing but light and atmosphere. As the name suggests, they move in a variety of ways, either under the control of an operator, in time with music, or even completely by themselves.
In general terms stage lighting can be broken down into a few categories. The most fundamental of these is called static lighting. This is lighting which doesn't change - for example a venue might be lit by fixed white lights in the ceiling. This is also the type of lighting you might have at home, on a dimmer switch. It does change, but it changes simply by getting brighter or darker. Higher up the complexity scale are LED or halogen uplights. These can change colour and some have a few settings for moving the light around, but generally they are fairly simple.
The next level of complexity is where you start getting into the realms of *control* - when the light in the room is able to move around - and do so stylishly. Companies will have varying definitions, but in general your 'moving lights' should have a few basic attributes:
- Pan and Tilt: This is where the light fixture is able to point in different directions. Pan is left-right and tilt is up-down - just like your head does
- Focus: The ability to sharpen or soften the beam
- Gobos: A gobo is a 'template' which can be put in front of a light to give it a pattern. These patterns could be anything from a simple circle to a detailed architectural pattern, to your company logo!
All PYTCH's moving lights have these features at a minimum. We love using moving lights wherever possible to bring life to an event space. They are not just for big budget gigs - in fact they can be used wonderfully in a small setting to totally turn around the atmosphere.
