Thread: Halloween Party Lighting?

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I'm having a haunted mansion (think 'Rose Red') themed party, and I really need some help with lighting.

I have flicker bulbs I'm replacing every bulb in the house with, but it's still really dark. I was thinking yellow/amber floodlights behind furniture or placed in other places? Will that be too bright?

I still want to have that creepy feeling, but not completely dark. (Not bright either)

Thanks everyone!

You can't ever go wrong with candlelight ...... Bleeding candles would be even better.

I too have issues with lighting... too light, too dark. I found that floodlights are way too hot to use indoors around furniture, drapes, carpet, etc. I switched to LED spot lights, order them online or I think Spirit has them in the stores. They use the same base as the floodlights (which I already bought) but they put out no heat... at all! I used them to shine up the walls behind furniture, in the ceiling aimed at the floor (for supper dark areas, all that is lit up is the walking path) and used them to illuminate the food areas around tables, etc. Ii was a big hit, the place looked great! I also used colored rope lights (buy them at Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) for areas under furniture, entertainment stands, end tables, etc. They have RED, BLUE/WHITE and probably more. The LED spot lights can be found in BLUE (looked best for ghosts, etc.), RED, GREEN and of course BLACK LIGHT (which actually looks purple as it is brighter than an actual blacklight). I hope this info helps out!

I also recommend CFL bulbs in colored variations. You can get them that fit standard light bulb sockets and the put out very little heat but lots of light.

I've used these before and they work great for setting
I use them to set moods in various areas. They are specifically designed to go on lights...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Strobist-EUROCOL...ht_1964wt_1139

Use a setup with some covered lenses, and place the lights evyerywhere you need to set the mood. Red gel filters work great, add black lights and get some nifty cross over effects.

There were a few threads in the props forum about awesome LED clip-on lights. They come in clear, red, blue, and green - cost @ .95 each. You can order online via Jack's Toolshed... The link is over in the threads in the Props forum, as well as pics with how well they light. They're also battery operated, which means no outlet or cord worries.

Last year i did a combo of blacklights and red/orange lights last year with scattered flameless candles flickering here and there on my whole 1st floor and people LOVED it. It really really set the mood and i thought it might be a tad much (looks darker in pic) but it was really fun for people and they could go outside too where the porch lights were normal.

I've been doing parties for 18 years and am a huge fan of lighting. It can be a challenge. As someone already pointed out, putting lights behind things, on the floor is a great idea. My goal is to never be able to see a light bulb, only things that it illuminates. I have made 12+ "can" lights out of paint cans (you can by new ones ad Home Depot) and use color gels over them. I put them in nearly every corner always with a chair or a plant in front of them. I usually do green gels, but this year will do all red.

Trick is to be able to dim them. I use cheap R30 type floods, usually 60 watt be seldome run them on full brightness. For dimming I use X10 modules everywhere. (X10.com, or smarthome.com). I have been buying X10 stuff for many years and have a huge box of modules and remotes. I'll run 6-8 channels, and have a wireless remote in my pocket at the party and can control everything with it. You can make a "one button" blackout, and put a fan on one "appliance" module and point it at some candles. One button, the house blacks out an the candles get blown out. You can have lots of fun with X10, although if you have nothing, it might be expensive to buy a ton of stuff at once. You might want to start with a simple "kit" of a few modules and a plug in controller. X10.com is the cheapest, but also the most obnoxious website on the planet.

Use blacklights sparingly, it is easy to overdo blacklights. ONLY buy fluorescent blacklights. Incandescent ones suck, produce virtually no UV, and get real hot. The CFL ones are great. Place them where they illuminate reactive (white) things for a good effect.

Experiment and have fun. I think lighting is the most over looked thing in many haunts/settings, and done right, can have a HUGE effect...

Thanks everyone! I'll have to see what I can do!