What kind of party, first and foremost?
If you’re planning to host a house party, try to picture it in your head first. Do you want the place to be in the kitchen where the fridge is, or do you want to turn your entire house into a mini-club? It goes without saying that all you need for a dinner party is a big fridge full of the good stuff.
THE NEIGHBORS TIP: If you’re planning a mini-club and don’t want to fight the next day, consider a Silent Disco (see illustration below) as a super-fun way to get people dancing without making a noise. Use a sizable stereo sound system and rent a karaoke machine if you insist on making (excessive) noise. My trick to be as little of a nuisance as possible is to create a welcome and positive vibe, play good music and invite the neighbours.
party light projector: Do’s and Don’ts
ATHEROSPHERE THOUGHT: LEDS OR NOT?
No matter how you chose to decorate up your party, you have to produce pleasant feelings. This can be accomplished by providing “warmth” to the space and designating places for people to hang out, relax, or lounge (and no, I’m not talking about a circle of chairs here). Also, you can employ lighting to evoke a feeling of intimacy, but avoid using white light at all costs. I have to admit that my feelings towards LED lighting are mixed. The disadvantage of LED lighting is that, despite being more power-efficient, less expensive, and simpler to set up in terms of colour, I believe that it lacks some of the ambience that conventional light bulbs do. As a result, I frequently use both at events: warm light for direct illumination and LED light for the backdrop or to highlight specific elements of the stage or décor.
TRADITIONAL PAR CANS
I use warm-lighting lights for the lighting that is directly in front of me. Old-fashioned PAR cans like this one paired with coloured filters such as these are my particular favourite. In fact, you can achieve a similar effect at home simply swapping out any large fittings with bulbs for coloured lamps like this one. Or, depending on the lamp, you can opt to fit a light filter.
LED LIGHTS \sLED lighting is an easy technique to produce a dazzling assortment of effects. If I were you, I’d choose some flood lights or up-lights like this one rather than keep things simple by setting up a few rope lights. They’re typically wireless and can be given pride of place in poorly lit places or placed to the ceiling to offer a beautiful, warm glow. Up-lights are very pricy but renting gear is a simple answer if you’re on a budget. Remember that you’ll need several of these wired flood lights since they’re more cost-effective. One simply isn’t enough to light up a wall that’s a couple of metres wide.
Party Lighting: Do’s and Don’ts
LIGHT IN MOTION = MORE ACTION
If you want to really get a party going, you might want to consider moving lights. When clients use my lighting equipment to hold a party, they frequently choose a scanner, a moving head, or sun-strips. The American DJ StarBurst LED, for instance, fills the entire room with moving light, shaping a brilliant beam effect. If the plans are confined to a small house party, I recommend going with a few smaller effects rather than one big one. The possibilities here include scanners and movable heads. I also give consumers a switcher panel so they’re able to flip between effects and keep things new. Finally, for the finishing touch, I advise a smoke machine. Not just because it has the ability to create atmosphere, but also because it greatly increases the visibility of any light beams you may have shooting around the room. Success guaranteed!