Uplighting Essentials for Your Event
There was a time when having a live band, or orchestra, or DJ, was all you needed to make your wedding, Mitzvah, class reunion, festival or corporate event a big success. Now, party planners who want to set their events apart from the crowd, have an exciting new option - uplighting.
Yes, uplighting has been around for years. You've seen those stunning columns of light at theaters, in museums, on the outsides of 5-star hotels, and at grand affairs everywhere. But advancements in technology have made dramatic uplighting available to almost everyone who plans a big party. Let's hit some of the highlights (pun intended):
LED - Once, an uplight essentially consisted of a giant can with a red-hot light bulb inside. The can was mounted on a holder that allowed it to be tilted in any direction. A colored sheet of clear heat-resistant plastic (known as a gel) was placed in a flat holding tray over the light, so the light could be projected in a chosen color.
But now, thanks to LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology, the old bulb has been replaced by dozens or even hundreds of light dots. By digitally adjusting and balancing the colors of those dots, the resulting beam of light can now be projected in practically any color, and even changed from moment to moment, without having to change that sheet of colored plastic.
Another advantage of LED lights is that they emit Virtual tasting events no heat; so a curious child can't burn himself on an LED light, or tip it over and set the room on fire.
DMX - In nerd talk, DMX is short for DMX512-A, an industry standard for remotely controlling multiple lighting fixtures. Let's say you want a dozen columns of light lining your ballroom. Each of your digital LED lights can be "addressed" to respond differently to a central controller. That allows the light fixtures to be connected in a single chain, instead of each fixture requiring a separate connection to the controller.
Static Uplighting - The DMX controller can be programmed to leave the color of each light fixture the same for the entire evening, if all you want is a romantic ambience. No flashing, no dimming, no chasing, just a static color all night.
Animated Uplighting - Here's where it gets fun. The DMX controller can also be programmed with any number of special effects. By programming the color of each light separately, the operator can create a series of "scenes" than can then be run in sequence to animate your room lights and generate excitement for dancing. Here are some of the possibilities: