Light Budget Tips For Smart Lighting Effects With Limited Funds
By Tad Wilkes
Without a doubt, developing an extensive, high-energy lighting system
on-premise is no simple feat. To be sure, lighting a club once was one
of the most costly endeavors an operator could attempt. But
cost-effective alternatives do exist. And trends toward architectural
lighting to create a club’s vibe are encouraging, because owners with
limited funds can tap into club-goers’ need for new environments lit in
funky ways –– without spending a ton on wall sconces and other items
currently finding their way into clubs with more resources.
By being creative and exploiting a few simple principles, operators can
change completely the feel of a bar or club and re-energize a patron
base.
Color Me Packed
One of the simplest ways to change the mood of a space is by changing
its color, says Vincent Conigliaro, president of Salvin Design, based
in Kingston, N.Y., which designs club interiors for operators across
the nation. “Operators can change the feel of a club by changing the
color of it,” he says. “We look at a club as a canvas, and what you
paint on it is the light that you put there.
“You need a wall color that will accept color. Battleship Grey is very
popular for us, because it can become any color. It will reflect any
color light and become that color. So, with creative placement of some
flood lamps and some gels, you can change the entire look of the room.
One weekend, it could be red, and the next weekend it could be blue.
“The new LED lighting is very popular, but it’s not quite
cost-effective yet for the guy who is trying to do it on a budget,”
Conigliaro says. “The guy on a budget is going to stay with gels or
dichroic gels and acetate filters. That gives a club a whole new look.”
But, Derek Iorfida, show designer with East Coast Lighting &
Production Services Inc. (ECLPS) in Warwick, R.I., offers another
perspective for how to stretch lighting dollars where the goal is
setting the mood with color and argues in favor of LEDs.
“My biggest thing is I tell club owners to spend it once and not twice
–– do it right the first time,” Iorfida says. “Don’t try to spend the
short dollar to make your club look good, because if you spend the long
dollar, you can actually get something out of that later.”
Does this sound, in fact, like a suggestion for someone with a bigger
budget? Not really, when considering the maintenance cost of replacing
expensive bulbs in traditional fixtures, Iorfida says.
“Gels get pretty expensive, if you’re buying a whole lot of it,”
Iorfida says. “If you want to do things like that and keep your club
fresh, stick with things like LEDs, and you can always change the
color. Anything LED is expensive, but beneficial to saving money in the
long run, because you never have to replace a bulb. They last forever.
The color possibilities are unlimited.
“I’m trying to push a lot of the clubs toward the LED if they’re
looking for mood lighting, just because they’ll never change a bulb.
There are clubs out there that buy 50 pin spots, and pin spot bulbs
don’t last very long. They get expensive. You’re buying 10-20 at a time
at $6 to $7 apiece,” he says.
‘Operators can change the feel of a club by changing the color of it.’
— Vincent Conigliaro, president, Salvin Design, Kingston, N.Y.
Old School Rules
“Nothing replaces a mirror ball,” Conigliaro says. “It’s very
cost-effective, with large output in a small area. You can do a lot of
things with them, and you can get the mirror ball effect for less than
$50. I like to do mirror balls not in the middle of areas, but in the
corner of a room, shot from the side with a pin beam, or a 4515 as it’s
commonly known ... Also, I believe the mirror ball should be very
slowly rotating. It creates a more dramatic effect than something
that’s moving very fast.”
And for those operators wary of biting the bullet and ponying up the
cash up front for long-term, maintenance-free LED fixtures, pin spots
and other old school items still offer a savings over more expensive
rigs, Iorfida says.
“A lot of the clubs around my area are leaning back toward the old
school stuff to begin with, and the old school stuff is inexpensive.
Obviously, the mirror balls and pin spots are good effects. People
always like it. Then you’ve got your inexpensive mood lighting now,
like spinning gobos on the floor. It’s pretty cheap to do these days.
Martin makes a couple fixtures that are inexpensive, and the gobos are
anywhere from $80 to $120.
“I’ve got a club around here with more than 350 pin spots in it, and
it’s packed every night. So, it’s not always the expensive lights.”
Tricks of the Trade
Some lighting enhancements may not even require expenditures.
Well-thought-out manipulation of existing fixtures sometimes does the
trick.
“Operators can relocate existing lighting, because customers get
accustomed to where things are,” Conigiaro says. “In other words, if
you have a light that’s been on the ceiling for a year and a half, move
it. We also find that lights moved to walls –– actually placed on walls
instead of the ceilings –– make a big difference in the way a club
looks. It creates all new shadows. New shadows are thrown, and the club
takes on a whole new look.” NCB
Without a doubt, developing an extensive, high-energy lighting system
on-premise is no simple feat. To be sure, lighting a club once was one
of the most costly endeavors an operator could attempt. But
cost-effective alternatives do exist. And trends toward architectural
lighting to create a club’s vibe are encouraging, because owners with
limited funds can tap into club-goers’ need for new environments lit in
funky ways –– without spending a ton on wall sconces and other items
currently finding their way into clubs with more resources.
