Hey everyone. This is my first post on these forums and have a problem that I hope you can help with me. I'm thinking of doing a blacklight themed party at a Hotel Suite which is around 750 square feet. I want to set up enough blacklighting to fill the living room which is around 400 sqaure feet. I'm wondering what would be the cheapest and best option for me would be regarding this. I did a little research and found blacklight bulbs for like 3 dollars each on amazon. No idea about the effectiveness of them though. Please be patient with me as I know absolutely nothing about lighting whatsoever.:neutral:
Blacklighting a Hotel Suite
- Thread startershampa
- Start date
Eewww....
Materials That Glow Under Black Light
Anyway. You'll probably just want to rent fixtures and lamps. It will most likely be cheaper and easier than buying them. Contacting a local rental house or even party supplier will probably yield good results.
Materials That Glow Under Black Light
Anyway. You'll probably just want to rent fixtures and lamps. It will most likely be cheaper and easier than buying them. Contacting a local rental house or even party supplier will probably yield good results.
JChenault
Well-Known Member
The cheap "black-light bulbs" on amazon are in all probability dark blue, not a true black-light.
There are two ways to get black-light. The cheapest is to use a special fluorescent lamp, either a tubular bulb, or one of the twist bulbs that screw into a socket. The other is to have some kind of discharge lamp and put a filter in front of it that cuts out all except the UV rays giving black-light.
Purchasing a discharge lamp is way more spendy than makes sense for a party. You could look into renting a couple of Wildfire units ( see you local theatrical supplier) and you would have a lot of intensity.
But I expect that you will end up with the fluorescent version. Can work well also, probably not quite as bright. I would try either:
Sunlite SL20/BLB 20 Watt Spiral Energy Saving CFL Light Bulb Medium Base Blacklight Blue - Amazon.com
Amazon.com: Ge40w 48" Blk Lgt Bulb: Home Improvement
or
Amazon.com: American DJ LlLUVP40 Single 40W Lamp For UV-Panel UV Blacklight Lamp: Electronics
Note that if you get the 48" bulb, you will need to find a fluorescent fixture to put it into. How many depends on how intense you want the effect, and where you can put the lamps. Probably the best thing to do would be to get a couple of samples, and try them out. See how bright they are and how much space each one lights up.
There are two ways to get black-light. The cheapest is to use a special fluorescent lamp, either a tubular bulb, or one of the twist bulbs that screw into a socket. The other is to have some kind of discharge lamp and put a filter in front of it that cuts out all except the UV rays giving black-light.
Purchasing a discharge lamp is way more spendy than makes sense for a party. You could look into renting a couple of Wildfire units ( see you local theatrical supplier) and you would have a lot of intensity.
But I expect that you will end up with the fluorescent version. Can work well also, probably not quite as bright. I would try either:
Sunlite SL20/BLB 20 Watt Spiral Energy Saving CFL Light Bulb Medium Base Blacklight Blue - Amazon.com
Amazon.com: Ge40w 48" Blk Lgt Bulb: Home Improvement
or
Amazon.com: American DJ LlLUVP40 Single 40W Lamp For UV-Panel UV Blacklight Lamp: Electronics
Note that if you get the 48" bulb, you will need to find a fluorescent fixture to put it into. How many depends on how intense you want the effect, and where you can put the lamps. Probably the best thing to do would be to get a couple of samples, and try them out. See how bright they are and how much space each one lights up.
Les
Well-Known Member
+1. You could buy fluorescent tubes to put in shop light fixtures, but that would be a fairly clumsy and unsightly setup. Incandescent blacklight bulbs usually yield pretty bad results. Some of the best fixtures to use for blacklight effects are metal halide/discharge since they have more UV of the wavelength, but they are cost prohibitive to buy for many people.
Check some rental houses. One of the best fixtures you can rent is the Wildfire, but you can get by with Altman units as well, which may be more reasonable in price. It also doesn't sound like you need a long throw unit - just a decent spread. I know that this particular unit is pretty popular with rental houses; or at least the Gemini in my area carries them. You will probably need more than one unit, but the rental rates are pretty reasonable, and at least you don't have to deal with the logistics of purchasing tubes, and figuring out what to do with them after the event.
Edit: posted concurrently with above.
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ProgrammerInTraining
Member
4 bank kinos with four foot blacklight tubes have good spread.
I'd try Christie Lites - Contacts , but I'm sure there are other theatrical or party rental places in your area. It's possible, but unlikely, that you'll get satisfactory results by replacing every light bulb in every fixture in the room with a UV bulb, but the CFL ones are better than incandescent.
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Lotos
Active Member
The last time we needed them for a Blacklight sequence in Guys & Dolls, we rented from PRG (or was it Fourth Phase still, at that time? Memory fails me...) here in Mississauga (Though you'll probably find them listed as PRG Toronto) Christie, Westbury, AC Lighting, Frost and AirMagic are also all great sources for this gear, all depending on where you are in the GTA. (I'm SURE I've forgotten some other local shops, but it's 7am...)
Of the bunch, AirMagic and Westbury are probably the easiest to use as a "Walk In" customer, setup with a rentals counter, rather than a "front door" office, and a "back door" loading dock... With rules and regs surrounding the use of each... But a quick phone call to any of the local supply houses will net you what you need.
I just looked that list over... Shopping for supplies in the Toronto area is a little bit like being a kid in a candy store...
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balderson04
Member
Hey, Alex:
Out of curiosity, what scene did you use blacklight for in Guys & Dolls? The Cuba sequence?
David
Out of curiosity, what scene did you use blacklight for in Guys & Dolls? The Cuba sequence?
David
Lotos
Active Member
Nono, it was for the crapshooters dance/Luck be a Lady in the Sewer.
All All the guys in pinstripes that had been done with neon/gitd paint... Quite a visually striking number.
I've had good success with blacklight CFL's in clip lights.
JD
Well-Known Member
That may be the best bet for him. Even at $10 a lamp, you could buy quite a bunch for what a rental cost. It doesn't sound like they would have to compete with too much ambient light.
JDurnford2011
Member
The cheap little black lights you find at the store are ok but they are not a true UV. If you want to make it awesome, find a local lighting house where you can rent a WildFire UV Flood light. It will cost around $30 or so and it will only take one to do what you are trying to do. Just put it up high and you will have the adequate fill you desire.
Justin Durnford
Lighting Specialist
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