Effects Lighting?

[WWDJ]

I would really value your opinions

I am working primarily on weddings in nice venues. I have a starlit deckstand booth and uplighting and for effect lighting I use 2 x EFX500 and a cluster laser. I like this minimal setup as it is easy to keep tidy however the EFX500 are not as flexible as I want in some situations as they have fixed gobos.

I am really looking for something to create that WOW! effect on pictures and videos for my marketing.

I am steering myself away from moving heads mostly as I operate out of my car and they take a lot of space. After asking around 20 ladies, opinions were very mixed on truss towers with moving heads

Obvious options are to go for Wizards, though big and heavy, or perhaps the new Inno Roll LED although I would need more of these units.

Typical audiences are anything from 75 in a smallish room to 200 in a marquee and this is squarely aimed at weddings and looking classy rather than a mobile night club. Typically I cannot use smoke or haze and try not to anyhow.

Discuss ... I'd be interested in your opinions ;-)

As I say, i'm reasonably happy, but I want to move this along a bit to the next level.

Typical setup below with uplighters.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/532111_360982780611661_1267181192_n.jpg

[spin mobile disco]

Ok probably dont want to hear it but I would say 2 efx500's under dmx control are fine. But it is more likely you that is getting bored with it rather than your clients.
Wizzards are nice but I think they are over priced for what they provide.
You could simply add to the current show instead of swapping. For example 2 more effects that could roate on and off with the current light. Something like ( for example ) impossibleds. Yes they are a lot of dots etc but 2 of them do fill a venue and are easily controlled with a ca-8 and will stand as a contrast against the current lights.
You need to look at rotation of effects through an event if you feel they are not enough add to them.
Light shows are a very personal thing and although we all have opinions on what we like not one of us will have the exact same perception as will.
Bear this in mind as the audience is the same.

[WWDJ]

I think you probably have a point that I am getting a bit bored.

I did think about adding 2 truss towers with movers but I felt that customers would not in general pay more for these.

I know a few people on here have got them and it seems they dont go out very often (apart from Ben who seems to sell them out)

My show I think works in smaller venue, however in a venue with a bigger area it seems lost, although I do try to fill it with uplighting.

[spin mobile disco]

Have you tried using more truss to space them out creating a percieved larger look.

[WWDJ]

At the moment I don't have more truss than is in the picture. I could get a bigger overhead or get something on winch stands, but I'd want to go to at least 4m as anything less doesn't look quite right IMO.

[paulg]

Regardless of the arguments against Wizard Extremes, they probably provide the little bit of added flexibility you need. E.g. the mirror ball effect has variable coloured gobo's (fixed colour on the EFX500?), the rose effect is quite nice for weddings and first dances (a bit of the wow effect you need?). It also has better single channel sequences for continuous slow rotate / tilt.

In terms of cost, yes they are expensive but there still isn't much to beat them in terms of light output / spread / flexibility. I know that Charlie will disagree but you need to set up the lamps and optics properly to get the best from them!

Be very wary of second hand wizard purchases. There's usually a reason why the ones that have been stuck up in a nightclub are being sold on. Wizards will do 10 years as a fixture light without much problem but there seems to be an end of life point where they get tired and lots of things fail. E.g. ignitors have only so many strikes, wiring between the PCB and barrel goes crispy (and the Chinese fitted motors that don't fit the replacement wiring looms). It's difficult and costly to bring them back up up to scratch. These are the words of a lighting repair engineer. From experience I have to agree.

I bought a new one recently for £830 so you can get them at the right price if you look around.