Makeup lights for touring show (compact and on the cheap)

Silicon_Knight

Active Member
I am part of a production team (Tech Manager) with my church (i.e. budget constrained) and we take a full musical on the road each summer as our youth choir tour. This includes a full live orchestra, the actors/singers, tech crew, etc. (all staffed by the youth) where we perform nightly shows for about 7 days, driving between locations. Our performance venues range from churches to senior living centers to civic auditoriums and even gymnasiums (yeah - those are challenging).

It's been a great experience, and we are learning many things every year (nothing like experience!). One of the challenges that we would like to solve this year is to improve our makeup situation. We now have a dedicated makeup team, but I would like to equipment them better when they are applying makeup for the actors/singers on the road.

The challenges are that our makeup solution needs to be portable (e.g. light/collapsible), sturdy (these are touring shows), and affordable (did I mention budget constrained?). Specifically, we would like to have an ability to setup a makeup area that is centered around some folding tables about 6ft long. The specific question I have is around lighting. I am thinking about some clamp type lights (probably LED, but those can pose color challenges) that can attach to the makeup tables and be adjusted as needed, but I am eager to learn from those "who've been there."

TIA.
 
i would put head lamps on the makeup artists if they are the only ones applying the makeup. They are cheap and can be stored with the makeup or in a backpack
 
We have a bunch of portable makeup stations which are used at temporary or outdoor gigs; they are effectively a mirror surrounded with golf ball lamps in festoon fittings mounted on MDF, but built into a box so the lamps don't get smashed - sides are just a little taller than the lamps. The front of the box clips on for transport, then just prop the mirror section up against a wall (or you could probably very easily create a folding "leg" to prop them with) and unclip the front in each venue, plug in and away you go. I think ours even have a handle screwed onto one side for ease of carrying.
 
We use these suitcase-style stations, the legs fold into the base and the whole thing is the size of a small suitcase. They can be pricey, but check out AliExpress.com and search for makeup station. Usually in the $200-400 range.

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Wonderful up to code wiring of those sockets.
Absolutely beautiful wiring! And the even spacing of the sockets is a sight to behold as well! LOL.
If I had a reason to make one of these, I would probably invest in an LED strip with a high CRI and 2700K color temp to go down the middle. Even light, enclosed, get one for a kitchen and it will likely be water resistant if not fully watertight.
 

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