Thread: Lightning effect using powerful strobes? Huge "wow" factor

Tweet

Somewhere on YouTube last year I saw an amazing lightning effect using really powerful strobe lights. Wish I'd saved the link. The strobes may have been plugged into flood light sockets on both sides of a garage. Can anyone recommend a tutorial on this? Little thunder and lightning machines you can buy at a place like Target are cute but not very effective. The one I saw blew me away completely and utterly. Huge "wow!" factor.

How much $$$ would it cost to set something like that up? Hope it doesn't require electrician skills. Has to be dead simple if it's an effect I'm going to be able to build myself.

Most likely they were either large strobes and / or halogen flood lamps plugged into a lightening controller like I-Zombie or Firefly.......
I use a combo of Halogen floods & a couple of large-ish strobes & a couple of blue tint flash bulbs, as a combined effect.The controller I use is one of the simple FX lightening box ( plan on stepping up to a I-Zombie or FF thought )

The light organ / controller can be the biggest cost, the lights you plug in can be optional as to size & needs of lightening outside haunt......

I use the i-zombie MC 2401 machine with 4 - 250 watt halogen bulbs which can be set to turn the lights on in numerous sequences and brigtness. It is a phenomenal effect. It actual minics lighting so close it is hard to tell the difference, Here is a link where you can check them out
http://www.i-zombie.com/

Thanks Wrasse and Dark Lord. Will check them out. Do you have any YouTube videos of your lightning rigs in action?

I like the wow factor but that's what I said when I saw the prices of these units, "wow!" Are there any other cheaper, er, I mean inexpensive alternatives?

Originally Posted by mikeerdas

Thanks Wrasse and Dark Lord. Will check them out. Do you have any YouTube videos of your lightning rigs in action?

Unfortunately I don't have any vids of mine, yes they are $$$$, but well worth it if you can. I use the FX light boxes ( light organ ) that you can still find for $35-$50 or use a kit & solder one up !. For now I have been content, but the pro unites are something I want to step up to next year....

Originally Posted by SpringChicken

I like the wow factor but that's what I said when I saw the prices of these units, "wow!" Are there any other cheaper, er, I mean inexpensive alternatives?

I wonder of i-Zombie has any competitors. Competition typically drives prices down. If i-Zombie is #1 in lightning controllers, who is #2?

I assume Lights Alive with their FireFly would be #1 or #2. I received my FireFly last month. Monday I set up some speakers and tested out the sound. Tonight I set up some simple flood lights for a test run. I noticed the need for some tweaking. Getting the Threshold and Level just right is going to take more time than I thought. I hope when I get all the lights and speakers set up for the final show that it doesn't take to long to get optimized.

I am also a user of the I-zombie box, and couldnt wait to get it out of the box and try it when it came in the mail (I think my wife thought i was nuts). My excitement did not dissipate when I tested it either! I was very impressed by the unit, I got the cheapest of the boxes, and the only thing i was disappointed in was my choice of lighting. which I still haven't figured out for the "wow" factor you speak of.

Just my two cents....

Personally, I think this is pretty good. However, he used a Light-O-Rama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Dw8...eature=related