How can we NEGLECT LIGHTING during a Halloween event? Even though Halloween events, decor, and parties normally occur in dark or nighttime environments, this means it becomes even more critical to have the proper lighting for your Halloween extravaganzas! Read below for some helpful tips that can really make your next Halloween event stand out and create a social media buzz fest!
USE HAZE!
Haze and fog machines will almost be a necessity for your Halloween event. It creates a whole other dimension to the space, highlighting the beams of the lights as well as "masking" areas of the event space and making an "eerie feeling". If you had your event in a plain ballroom (although the floral wallpaper from 1997 can be nice, well sometimes), the haze and lights will for sure change the feel of that environment instantly. Turn off those bright house lights and let the haze and lighting effects set it so you can hide everything NOT Halloween!
Remember you can even add another dimension to the haze effect with scent! We offer several spooky scents to add a little extra to the theming including "chainsaw exhaust" "charred corpse" "gothic" "forest" "swampy marsh" "slaughter house" "sulfur" among other standards like "vanilla" and "cherry".
MAKE A GLOWING IMPRESSION!
UV or "blacklights" are used almost exclusively during this time of year. There are some events that use blacklights for glow parties and putt-putt night time events, but Halloween time calls for the majority of blacklight orders, and for good reason. Blacklights have the power to bring materials and select items "back to life". By not having your traditional house lighting on, or other ambient sources of light, blacklights use their majority invisible spectrum to illuminate glow in the dark materials and paints, which can exist on any particular item suck as table centerpieces, hanging decor, costumes, face paint, and even your guests dinnerware and napkins! Blacklight or UV paint and products are easy to find and use, and are relatively inexpensive. You can even add the idea to your guests' invitations, advising them to use blacklight or UV paints on their own costumes, so when they come to your event, they will glow and shine!
USE PATTERNS!
Gobos or patterns are a very efficient way to add so much theming to your event, without breaking the bank! Without having to actually create a brick wall or paint a faux brick pattern on wooden flats, you can simply project a gobo (lighting pattern) on a flat or semi flat surface (event a ballroom airwall or regular ballroom wall). The photo on the right is an image of one of our stock brick patterns we use in our lights (a leko or ellipsoidal as they are called) to make a brick pattern projected up to 50' away! We have many patterns to chose from in all shapes and sizes, such as the flame/fire scene pictured here and the joker gobo (a VERY CREEPY JOKER!).
We used a "breakup" pattern as they are called, which is a term used to describe a gobo or pattern that has a simple texture on the ceiling of the Dr. P. Phillips Performing Arts Center in the photo here, and added a touch of pink and purple uplighting to the ceiling. This created such a deep and dynamic effect that it took this venue from what it typically is (a beautifully designed venue nonetheless) to a frightfully scary Halloween Party with minimal costs! No painting required! Add in some haze, and you are off to another level of production!
Our patterns can be what we call "static" or "dynamic". Patterns such as the brick one featured here probably would do best in a static or still fixture, simply projected on to the wall or surface, but, maybe you want the Joker gobo to spin, and we can do that, from slow to fast. This adds a lot of artistic capabilities to your Halloween Party! In addition to these patterns, our moving lights also have a variety of awesome patterns, textures, and beams that can wave through the air, making movement and an eye catching scene.
So to create a dreadful, scary scene at your next Halloween get-together, call us today! We would be most happy to help even if it is only a few lights or one pattern on the wall or ceiling, to hundreds of lights and patterns all over! We cannot wait to hear from you!