The ABCs of Lighting Some Helpful Tips to Consider
By Tad Wilkes
With any aspect of club operation, it never hurts to revisit
the fundamentals occasionally. When it comes to lighting, even those
fundamentals are ever-changing. Going back to basics in thinking about
lighting systems can involve refreshing oneself with universal truths
as well as completely new paradigms. Everything continues to morph, but
for now, here are a few ABCs of lighting to consider for the time
being.
Awareness
“Everybody wants a brighter laser, but in the United States there are
regulations governing the use of lasers,” says Daniel Cohn, president
of Technological Artisans, a New York-based company specializing in
laser lighting. “I’m not sure nightclub owners are aware of the
regulations.
“What we’re seeing is that there are a whole bunch of high-powered
lasers now appearing on eBay and other sources. Technically (these
lasers) are not legal in the United States,” Cohn says, adding, with a
note of sarcasm, “But eBay sort of circumvents all. You just kind of
call China and have it shipped in a box. That’s one caution I’ve given
to people –– to be wary.”
Self-preservation is as good a motivator as any, especially in the
nightclub industry where liabilities must be anticipated and avoided
with a keen eye.
“As a club owner, there are two exposures there,” Cohn says. “One is
the safety exposure, because a lot of people aren’t aware of the
dangers of super-bright lasers. The other is the liability to the club
owner. If they’re using a laser like that, and somebody is to get hurt,
they effectively have shown their negligence by putting this system in
without having (meeting regulations). A lot of folks will get a
low-powered laser and send it somewhere to have it ‘upgraded.’”
Benefits
For many operators, lighting rigs are another big expense, the return
on which is intangible and difficult to measure. Those operators not
already using lighting to promote brands and events directly may be
feeling around in the dark for profits instead of letting the lighting
be an active moneymaker.
“The other thing I see is that a lot of people are buying lasers as a
fixture, so they’re looking for a DMX-type fixture, which often can be
pretty expensive,” Cohn says. “But they really don’t make any money in
the club, because those fixtures have no capability for doing graphics
or customization or any of those elements.
“There’s now a tier above those DMX fixtures where people can get
graphic engines, animation engines and animated fixtures instead. The
reason I recommend that to club owners is because, as opposed to being
just another lighting gimmick and expense, if they spend a little bit
more money and get the programmable fixtures, then they can turn the
laser into a moneymaker.
Then they’re able to write out logos and party names and special events
and promotions and use the laser as more of a centerpiece, as opposed
to sort of just dumb beams shooting around the room. A system like that
might have run you $30,000 a few years back, but now $5,000 gets you a
powerful, flexible system.”
Creativity
Using lighting systems to full atmospheric effect requires more than a
monkey randomly flipping switches and showing off every single thing
the lights can do. In fact, effective use of lighting to drive the mood
of the room is an art, says Vincent Conigliaro, president of Salvin
Design, based in Kingston, N.Y.
“(Club owners) need to hire creative people to operate the lighting,”
says Conigilaro, who has handled many lighting system installations
over the years. “We consider it giving birth to a new child and then
giving it to the club owner to raise. And most of the time, they don’t
raise it correctly.
They’re too anxious to show the entire show. In other words, they blow
their wad at the beginning. They throw everything at the client at one
time, instead of using the lighting creatively, so it ends up looking
like an explosion in a light and sound factory.
“The owners need to hire the correct people,” he says. “Most of them
are on a budget and end up putting a lot of money into a great lighting
system with the finest equipment and then hiring the guy who does the
maintenance in the place to run the lights at night. We’ve found that
we get most of our good lighting people from colleges, out of the
theater departments. We put ads in the local papers. Talk to the
colleges and the theater departments to get students that are in
lighting to run your light shows. It’s very important, because you give
these guys all of this power. When you do see a good light show, it
makes a lot of sense. When you walk into a club, there’s just something
about it. And a lot of that is on the head of the lighting tech. The
way he operates those lights really enhances music.” NCB
With any aspect of club operation, it never hurts to revisit
the fundamentals occasionally. When it comes to lighting, even those
fundamentals are ever-changing. Going back to basics in thinking about
lighting systems can involve refreshing oneself with universal truths
as well as completely new paradigms. Everything continues to morph, but
for now, here are a few ABCs of lighting to consider for the time
being.
