# Theater lighting manufacturers



## 220wire (Aug 18, 2008)

Need some opinions on the best brand of stage/theater lighting and sound for a small stage with 3500sqft of seating?

Specific to annual maintenance 
Proprietary systems 
Length of life
Quality
Ease of installation and operations
Popular and easy to teach a student


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

If they can, go LED. Its lighter, last longer, and can provide many more functions over other lights


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

popular in the dj/club scene


http://www.chauvetlighting.com/


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

The last choice for theater lighting would be LED unless its some small operation or some huge budget less venue.

Avoid Chauvet and American DJ like the plague. Chauvet has been getting better but still not theater worthy. Check out ControlBooth.com

LED technology can work for theater but it's super expensive and you won't get anything with the cheap technology. In theater we're not just looking for white light or RGB. The lighting required is very color specific.

ETC lighting is by far the leader in both LED and conventional.

Also, avoid intelligent lighting or anything with fancy bells and whistles. High School theater is there to teach the basics. Also if there's too much technology the kids will either never see it again or use it. I've been in this situation. 

I HIGHLY recommend if you've never done a theater or lighting you bring in a consultant I've seen far too many systems screwed up by people who didn't know a thing about theater.


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

What kind of installation? Permanent with a rack mounted dimmer system and circuits run in conduit? Or all portable? 

Are you looking for an entire system (dimming, control, luminaires) or just some lights? 

Are there preexisting positions to hang the lights?

ETC is the most popular / best for reliability.


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## 220wire (Aug 18, 2008)

rack/wall mount dimmer, permanent installation, old bldg tore down to framing, on a shoestring budget


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

Get some smartpacks:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/238684.html

Some wall plates like this:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/335889.html

Some source four's:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/233760.html

A cheap console:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/238652.html



*This is NOT *a be-all end-all list, just trying to help you get started. All of this equipment will last the longest. It is not the cheapest, but three years from now it wont be melting, cracking, smoking etc like the other junk out there. A lot of times places buy crappy dimmers, then I have to come in 4 years later and spend all day replacing burned out SCR's. The Smartpacks will do you well for a long time if you keep the dust out of them.

You'll also need DMX data cable for the console to talk to the dimmer packs, and some lengths of 12/3 SOOW stage pin extensions to get from the wall plates to the fixtures.


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

Also I should reiterate what Edrick said and seek out a consultant for the finer details. 

Hell even calling ETC for free might help you figure out everything you need for your situation


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Edrick said:


> Also, avoid intelligent lighting or anything with fancy bells and whistles. High School theater is there to teach the basics. Also if there's too much technology the kids will either never see it again or use it. I've been in this situation.


I have to highly disagree here.
I am heavily involved in theater at my daughter's small private HS. We have three intelligent lights now and they are great. They can do things the conventional lights cannot and are extremely flexible.
One kid learns the program and sticks with it for as long as he/she can. I am actually grooming my 12yo son to take over the intelligent lights in two years.
IMO this "technology" is important and is very mainstream.


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

Speedy Petey said:


> I have to highly disagree here.
> I am heavily involved in theater at my daughter's small private HS. We have three intelligent lights now and they are great. They can do things the conventional lights cannot and are extremely flexible.
> One kid learns the program and sticks with it for as long as he/she can. I am actually grooming my 12yo son to take over the intelligent lights in two years.
> IMO this "technology" is important and is very mainstream.



They are great, but Id say for a school setting its more economical to rent them in leu of high price tag, expensive lamps, a lot of maintenance etc

Anything that moves around a lot, has spinning crap in it and gets really hot is gonna need maintenance


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

Speedy Petey said:


> I have to highly disagree here.
> I am heavily involved in theater at my daughter's small private HS. We have three intelligent lights now and they are great. They can do things the conventional lights cannot and are extremely flexible.
> One kid learns the program and sticks with it for as long as he/she can. I am actually grooming my 12yo son to take over the intelligent lights in two years.
> IMO this "technology" is important and is very mainstream.


I'll still have to disagree my background is in entertainment and I'm heavily involved in multiple theaters and discussions. In some cases they do have their space. However 99.9% of the time a High School is not one of them. It's very mainstream if you're on Broadway or a Touring Concert. However 99% of the kids who do theater aren't in that mindset. 

You will almost and I can safely say as far as community theater goes never see intelligent lighting. Sure it's cool (Glee makes everything look cool). However for the amount they'll be used in most schools, the cost associated with them, and the speed kids go through the school system and by the time you find someone who has an interest in the intelligent lighting and learns how to use it they've now graduated. 

It happens far too often in schools, now if your school has a full time Theater Department or Technical Director or someone who actually cares it's another story. However I would highly recommend against going with intelligent lighting unless your school is one of those rare ones that do focus on the performing arts.

Also they're still not very useful for theatrical lighting and don't teach kids anything about basic lighting fundamentals, which is what they should be focused on in High School. Lighting with conventional instruments. Again not to say that intelligent lighting should not be in that environment but it should not be the main focus nor be the only source.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Edrick said:


> I'll still have to disagree my background is in entertainment and I'm heavily involved in multiple theaters and discussions. In some cases they do have their space. However 99.9% of the time a High School is not one of them. It's very mainstream if you're on Broadway or a Touring Concert. However 99% of the kids who do theater aren't in that mindset.


I guess we are in the 1% then. :thumbsup:




Edrick said:


> You will almost and I can safely say as far as community theater goes never see intelligent lighting. Sure it's cool (Glee makes everything look cool).


We've had them LONG before Glee was even a concept on a story board. 





Edrick said:


> However for the amount they'll be used in most schools, the cost associated with them, and the speed kids go through the school system and by the time you find someone who has an interest in the intelligent lighting and learns how to use it they've now graduated.


I have to say, in the short time I have personally been involved (3 years) there has been NO maintenance or added cost with them. Not even lamps. 





Edrick said:


> It happens far too often in schools, now if your school has a full time Theater Department or Technical Director or someone who actually cares it's another story. However I would highly recommend against going with intelligent lighting unless your school is one of those rare ones that do focus on the performing arts.


Well, we are not by any means a performing arts school but the theater department IS a pretty big deal. 





Edrick said:


> Also they're still not very useful for theatrical lighting and don't teach kids anything about basic lighting fundamentals, which is what they should be focused on in High School. Lighting with conventional instruments. Again not to say that intelligent lighting should not be in that environment but it should not be the main focus nor be the only source.


We use them quite a bit as replacements for follow spots. Also to set scenes where the light can be tailored to a specific blocking or weird layouts where conventional lights just don't cut it. 

I am not at all advocating that any and all schools need or should have intelligent lights. I am only saying we make VERY good use of them. I am also not a trained in theatrical lighting so my opinions are not based on any professional experiences.

I also will admit, the lights were donated by a benefactor so the initial cost was not much, but the fact is that that money would have gone for something else if not for these lights. I for one am glad they did. :thumbsup:
All I am saying is if someone wants to buy your school three intelligent lights don't turn them down.


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

Well yeah if someone wants to purchase them for the school as in here ya go here are three Martin Intelligent Lights go at it! Then I'd jump in a heartbeat, however I've been asked multiple times before if intelligent lighting was a good option for certain schools in the area. The way they treat and run their facilities it was hard to not laugh and say hell to the **** no. First fix all your exposed electrical junctions sticking out under the seats, and the curtains you're burning with your conventional lighting cause you let the gymnastics people use the stage and the busted audio system and the other money pits.

That's the problem I see far too often is someone specs the intelligent lighting selling it as the holy grail (look ma we have fancy lighting now lets show it off) then it gets damaged and miss used. My city spent 88 million on a new highschool a few mill of which they got for the performing arts venue which is being destroyed. I've discussed this and fought it tooth and nail with them but they have other priorities (funding the sports flat out was told this) over some performing arts program that doesn't bring in the viewership that the sports do. 

Anywho as you said if someone wants to give them to you go for it! I love intelligent lighting.


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