Thread: Last Years Lighting Need IMPROVEMENTS

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I'm looking for lighting experts to recommend some improvements to my haunt this year. I'd like to order my lights now which is the reason for this post.

A few thoughts:

- I like the 36 LED (RED) that shines on the skulls cuz it creates a shadow on the house. How can I light up the actual skull heads tho? Use a 18 LED SPOT (green) maybe?

- This year I'm switching the 120 PAR 38 RED to a 72 LED RED, & I'm switching the 72 LED BLUE to a 120 LED BLUE

- The x2 36 LED DUO UV that shine on the web on the boarded up windows, doesnt really shine bright enough. Should I do a 72 LED DUO UV?

- Any lighting on my haunted rocking chair?

- There's a med size tree to the right of the cranks flying ghost. Should I light that up somehow? Maybe put a hanging prop in the tree?

- Any other lighting enhancements? Thank you!!!

I'd love to see a day shot so we can see the various props you have as well. Other than the FCG I am having a hard time seeing what is there with the dark photos.

I like the light at the rocking chair I wouldn't change it and your fcg is lighted great.I to am still trying to figure the lighting thing out.

Home depot just started carrying colored CFLs that are pretty funky, for the chair. As for the skulls, what about nightlight bulbs? They come as LEDs and some colors.

I too am still experimenting with lighting. Last year the shadow of my best animated prop was more impressive than the prop itself. This link has some great tips on stage lighting.http://www.skullandbone.com/tutorial_01.htm

For the red skulls, you want really intense red light. That's covered. So, add a second weak full-color bulb next to the red one. Not enough to create a shadow as well, just for an ambient glow on the skull to show details. A weak bulb's light will diffuse too much to make anything behind the skull glow too much.

Adding a bunch of 10- or 15-watt small bulbs (like inside Christmas decorations) and disguised behind props or inside props with carved out backs will help light up the field enough that people can see all the details of your setup. They won't wash out or negate the colored lighting effects. This is a technique used on stages with what's called "Bastard Amber" lights. They're slightly off-white using a slightly amber tinted gel. Kinda similar to using soft white light bulbs inside lamp shades. They're aimed at the front of the performers on the stage, but are weak enough they don't interfere with all the effects lighting in front, around, and behind the performers.

Small bulbs, hidden or partly concealed, help your props be seen, don't interfere with colored lights.

I would definately add some uplighting to the tree on the right. To me there is nothing that adds the kind of ambience that a well lit spooky looking tree does. I would try one or two blue floods pointing up into the branches and illuminating the trunk as well.

Looks great to me. I was wondering how much the LED colored spotlights cost, and can I buy them at Home depot? I am running the regular old colored spotlights, but it would be nice to get better color and less heat from my lighting.

Home Depot does not currently carry colored LED floods. I picked up some UV LED from lightsalive.com which also carries the colored LED floods as well. Their bulbs are high quality, but I have mixed feelings about their customer service.

Originally Posted by Bryan316

For the red skulls, you want really intense red light. That's covered. So, add a second weak full-color bulb next to the red one. Not enough to create a shadow as well, just for an ambient glow on the skull to show details. A weak bulb's light will diffuse too much to make anything behind the skull glow too much.

So you think like some 18 LED spotlights on the skulls maybe for example? That's a good idea and hopefully would work.


Thanks to everyone else, good thoughts. I was thinking of a 72 LED purple or UV DUO on the rocking chair. Although the only problem with that is the flickering lamp I have behind it, kinda takes away from the LED light. I think I tried putting a green LED on it last year but could barely see it cuz of the flickering light.

I'd like to figure out a way to put more lighting on those 3 LAMPs that are going up the walkway there with the spider webbing on em. You can barely see them from the street.

hmm