DisneyMatt10 Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Okay, I know I have asked a few times, but I can't seem to get a good/decent answer. . . I am going to be adding moving light heads to my show in the next 1-2 years, but I can't seem to get a clear answer on which type to use. I've seen some videos where people have used some DMX heads, but they are not nearly what I am wanting. The light heads/effect that I am wanting are what Tom BetGeorge uses (as seen in the video below.) Not sure if anyone knows excatly what light heads he uses, or if anyone has any really good guesses. When I ask, I usually get answers like "Oh, those are expensive." That I am aware of, I'm not worried about the cost of them. I just want to make sure I am getting the right ones, so I can get the right effect during the show. So, if anyone knows what type, or at least a really, really good DMX head to use to get this: effect, I'd be forever thankful if you could point me in the right direction. Please, and thank you! ~Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Blatt Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 With advances in technology, pretty much any moving head light from any reputable company will do what you want. It comes down to doing your research to find the price point and features you're looking for. I'm currently using Chauvets at a theatre that I really like, but I use Mac Entours for other lighting projects. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Id recommend looking at a company that handles dj grade gear. At that level, you'll get the build quality you need without breaking the bank. It's the pro grade gear that will start to get pricy. ADJ, Chauvet, Elation are all fine DJ quality brands (at least with my experience). Hope this helps! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Blue Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 (edited) I saw a post over on Facebook LOR Users of another display with lights. The comments identified the lights as "Clay Paky Sharpys and Martin Mac IIIs " - I googled prices, holy cow, that's a "need to win the lottery" investment for me. Post link: Pic link: Edited December 22, 2016 by Stephen Blue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 You will need fog or mist to be able to see the beams as they show in the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisneyMatt10 Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 (edited) 14 hours ago, PhilMassey said: You will need fog or mist to be able to see the beams as they show in the photos. Is there not a way to get bright enough beams that fog/mist are not needed?? I can't imagine trying to add in fog to our light show every night all night. ~Matt Edited December 23, 2016 by DisneyMatt10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 14 hours ago, PhilMassey said: You will need fog or mist to be able to see the beams as they show in the photos. This is not true. There is enough particles/moisture/smog in the air to get a beam from a bright light. It just has to be bright!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 4 minutes ago, DisneyMatt10 said: Is there not a way to get bright enough beams that fog/mist are not needed?? I can't imagine trying to add in fog to our light show every night all night. ~Matt I promise you, there was not a machine that created any fog/mist. It's mother nature being shown with bright lights. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manitoutheos Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I WAS IN THE STAGE LIGHTING BUSINESS FOR 30 YEARS. FOR WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR (NOT KNOWNLY WHERE YOUR FROM TO KNOW YOUR WEATHER) YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT A FEW PLACES TO EVEN SEE IF YOU CAN'T RENT THEM, THE ONES THAT ARE TEALLY GOING TO PROJECT A BEAM ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE AGAIN (NOT KNOWING WHERE YOU LIVE). YOU MIGHT REACH OUT TO SOME OF THESE PLACES, USED STAGELIGHTS.COM / STAGEAPE.COM OR ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS GOING TO BE UPSTAGING IN SYCAMORE, IL. YOULL NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION YOUR WEATHER TO PROTECT THE HEADS FOR RAIN/SNOW & MOISTER. MANY LARGER CITIES LOOK FOR STAGE LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR RENT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John2571 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Apparently my pictures migrated from Facebook to here. For our show, no haze or other atmospheric effects were used, there are enough particles in the air for the light to reflect off of. For our fixtures, we only used them on weekends where there was no snow or rain, bring them in each night. For next year, we are currently planning on keeping them out all season using the Clay Paky Igloo Domes. Elation, Showtec, Tempest, and other brands make similar water resistant enclosures. As for which light to use, we demoed the following fixtures before deciding on the Clay Paky Sharpy (which uses a 189watt 5r lamp): High End Systems Showgun, Clay Paky Sharpy, Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700, Elation Platinum Beam 5r, High End Systems Shapeshifter, GLP Impression 240xl, Martin Mac III Profile, Martin Mac 2000 Wash (with beam kit), and the Martin MH3 Beam. Out of all of them, the Sharpy performed the best while using the least amount of power. It easily outperformed the Elation Platinum Beam and was a bit brighter than the MH3. I have paired up Sharpys against Chinese knockoffs in the past and there really is no comparison, you would need at least a 15r lamp if not a 35r lamp in the Chinese knockoff to compare against the Sharpy. Also, at least with the Chinese knockoffs I used, having the light go to the same position after a decent amount of use seems to be impossible, as they loose their positioning quite quickly. For using beams outside, also be aware that very saturated colors such as deep magenta, deep blue, or red will not show very well, stick to lighter shades of color and straight white. The prism effects also do not show very well. For those of you looking to rent fixtures, here are my recommendations to rent both Sharpys (or equivalent) and waterproof domes to go with them (varying location throughout the country). Remember that when renting lights, not only does it get very expensive very fast (average of 175$ per week per Sharpy and 200-250$ per week per water resistant dome), but liability insurance is almost always required. http://www.prg.com/https://www.mainlight.com http://www.vls.com/ http://www.banditlites.com/ http://www.ag.tc/ https://starlite.com/ I hope this helps those of you looking to purchase or rent moving head fixtures in the future for your shows. Feel free to ask me any questions you have! Happy Holidays! -John Strycharz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisneyMatt10 Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) ^ Thanks for the feedback John!! Your display looks absolutely amazing. It's jaw droppingly beautiful!!! I have a few questions for you that I'll message you after Christmas! ~Matt Edited December 25, 2016 by DisneyMatt10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debtoews Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 If you are on Facebook- Tom got those from Jeffrey Holmes- they have a special weatherproof cover on the them. I believe they were around $900 a pair. One note- if you live near an airport or in a traffic pattern, we have to get permission to use them. If you have trouble contacting Jeff- send me a message with your contact info and I can forward to him- Merry Christmas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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