Light stand rental

What light stands are

Light stands are support structures with which you place lighting fixtures at height without having to hang anything from the ceiling. They usually consist of an adjustable upright on a stable base, often with a crossbar on top to which you attach several fixtures. That crossbar, the T-bar, makes it possible to aim a row of spots or PAR lights side by side at height. This makes light stands the practical backbone of many setups that need to be quick and flexible.

The value of a stand lies in the freedom it gives. Not every location lends itself to hanging lighting: sometimes you are not allowed to work on the ceiling, sometimes there is no suitable rigging point, and sometimes a setup simply needs to stay mobile. In all those cases a stand offers the solution. You put it where you need it, aim the fixtures and break it down again just as quickly afterwards. That flexibility makes stands indispensable at events in changing locations.

Although a stand looks simple, it is a load-bearing part where safety matters. Fixtures hang at height, often above people, so the structure must stand stable and comfortably handle the weight. The choice of the right stand, the weighting of the base and the placement on firm ground determine whether a setup stays reliably standing all evening. That is precisely the kind of detail that makes the difference between a polished setup and a risky one.

When you use light stands

Light stands suit anywhere you want lighting at height without a fixed rigging structure. At a party or company celebration we use them to place the fixtures next to and behind the dance floor, so the light falls over the audience from above. In a rented hall where you are not allowed to work on the ceiling, stands are often the only way to get the lighting to the right height.

At a corporate event or a presentation you use stands to aim spots at the stage and the speaker, or to place fixtures next to a screen. Because they are quick to set up, they lend themselves well to events with a tight setup time or to locations that still have another function during the day.

At a wedding at a special location, such as a country house or a marquee, stands also offer a solution, because you can rarely hang from a ceiling there. And at outdoor events they are often the practical choice, provided we weight them well and place them on stable ground. For larger and heavier setups, where fixtures need to be distributed across a large width, we combine stands with a truss.

The technology and the safety

Load capacity and choice of stand

The most important choice is matching the right stand to the load. Each stand has a maximum load capacity, and we choose the model based on the weight and the number of fixtures going on it, always with a generous margin. A light setup with a few PAR lights calls for a different stand than a T-bar full of spots. By deliberately staying under the maximum load, we keep the structure stable and safe.

Stability and weighting

A stand stands or falls, literally, with the stability of the base. We spread the legs wide, place the whole thing on firm, level ground and weight the base with weights, so the stand cannot tip over. The higher the setup and the heavier the fixtures, the more attention this demands. For outdoor use or at a busy location we pay extra attention, because wind and passing people play a role. Where necessary we secure the stand additionally.

Height and direction

The height determines the light angle. Common light stands reach a few metres, enough to aim fixtures above eye level and over an audience, so the light falls from above rather than flat from the front. With the T-bar we distribute the fixtures across the width and aim each one separately. We match the right height and angle to the room and the lighting plan, because together they determine how the light ultimately ends up on the stage or the floor.

Working with the rest of the setup

Light stands are rarely an end in themselves; they carry the fixtures with which the actual lighting design is made. That is why we always look at the whole: which fixtures go on a stand and which on a truss, and how that relates to the cable run and the power supply. We neatly tuck away cables to fixtures at height, so they do not dangle along the upright or form a trip hazard on the floor.

Because we at HuurAV handle the complete lighting within a production, we choose the supporting structure in conjunction with the fixtures, the control and the rest of the technology. A stand setup that suits the lighting plan, the room and the setup time delivers a cleaner and safer result than separate parts fitted together afterwards. That integrated approach is precisely where the added value of a managed production lies.

Setup, weighting and testing on site

On the day itself we place the stands in the chosen positions, spread the legs wide and weight the bases. We mount the fixtures at the right height, aim them according to the lighting plan and neatly tuck away the cables. Then we check the stability of each setup and test that all fixtures stand well and the picture is right. That check on site is essential, because the actual ground and the crowds in the space determine how firmly a stand stands.

During the event the stands stay in place and, for a managed production, we keep an eye on the setup. During setup and breakdown we work efficiently, so the flexibility that stands offer really comes into its own.

If you only want to collect and set up a few light stands yourself, individual rental without support is available through SpeakerVerhuur.nl, the webshop of Speaker Verhuur Amsterdam. If you are after a managed result where the choice, the weighting and the safety are arranged, HuurAV takes the design, the setup, the testing and the operation of the complete lighting setup off your hands. Request a no-obligation quote.