Bay Stage Lighting: Event Lighting Basics: Spots & Washes

What kind of lighting should a client consider when designing their event?

Here are simple explanations of some fixtures commonly used for event design. Keep in mind, that most lighting designers will know what to use to best accomplish a client’s desires.

If you want the room to change colors throughout the event, consider LEDs as they can be pre-programmed to automatically change. LEDs are great for up-lighting a room, don’t use much energy and generate little/to no heat. They are also small and compact making them easy to hide.

Lekos and Parnels are static lights, meaning they don’t move and can only change colors by placing gel sheets over the lamp. So if you want to project an image in the same spot, Lekos are the way to go. If a single color is desired for the event space, Parnels can accomplish such.

Lekos (spots) can be used to project a static image, like a logo or pattern on a wall. A metal or glass Gobo (stencil) is made to create the image that will be projected and is placed inside a Leko fixture.

Parnels (washes) create a solid “wash” of color on a surface. This is another way to up-light or down-light a room; however, they are larger than LEDs and cannot change color.

Here you see Lekos projecting a static pattern. LEDs are up-lighting the area.

Venue: St. Pete Museum of Fine Art
Wedding Design: Sandy Rule
Photo: Lockwood Studios
There are also moving fixtures (called moving-heads) spots and washes.

Moving-Head Spots also use Gobos to project an image but has the ability to move it around the room. They can also interchange between different images, patterns, etc. with a click of a button. This fixture can produce many different kinds of special effects; all of which can be programmed to synch with music.

Moving-Head Washes do the same thing as Parnels but are able to change the wash color and control the movement of the wash, with a click of a button. These fixtures are mostly used for stage design (the moving beams of light).

Here is an example of the effects moving-head spots and washes can create.