Followspot rental

What a followspot does

A followspot is a directed beam of light that moves live along with a person on stage. Unlike most lighting, which you set up in advance and then let run, a followspot is an instrument played by a human. The operator turns, tilts and adjusts the beam to the rhythm of what happens on stage, so the audience’s attention always goes to the right person.

That human operation is exactly why a followspot works so well for moments that are not tightly predictable. A speaker walking onto the stage, a performer moving from left to right, a wedding couple stepping onto the dance floor: at moments like these the followspot makes the room’s gaze move along by itself. The effect is subtle and powerful at once, because an audience unconsciously follows the brightest point in the space.

The beam of a followspot is bright and tightly defined. With the iris you control how large the circle of light is, and with the focus how sharp or soft the edge comes across. This lets you decide very precisely how much is lit, from just the face to a complete small group. That control makes it an indispensable tool the moment one person needs to take centre stage. No other form of lighting gives the same combination of brightness, precision and the ability to move live along with what is happening.

When you use a followspot

The classic application is the speech. At a presentation or conference a followspot lifts the speaker out of the general room lighting and sets them apart, so the audience focuses on them naturally. The same works for a keynote, an award ceremony or a word of thanks: the light confirms who has the floor.

At a wedding the first dance is the moment par excellence. A warm followspot keeps the couple in view while the rest of the room fades into darkness, so the dance is truly theirs alone. The entrance, the cutting of the cake or a surprise act are all strengthened by it too.

At a party or company celebration and at live performances you use a followspot to pick out the performer or the frontman, apart from the rest of the band. And at a corporate event with an award or a product reveal, the followspot brings the winner or the product into the light at the right moment. Anywhere one person or one thing needs to be the focal point, a followspot earns its place.

The technology and the operation

Iris, focus and dimmer

A followspot has three core controls that the operator uses continuously. The iris sets the diameter of the circle of light, from a tight beam around one head to a wider pool. The focus makes the edge sharp or soft, depending on how hard you want the boundary to read. And with the dimmer the operator can fade the spot up or out smoothly, which looks far more elegant than simply switching it on and off.

Alongside this we often work with colour filters. A neutral warm white looks most natural on a face and on camera, but for a show we can also give the beam a colour that matches the rest of the design. We match that choice to the character of your event.

Placement and sightlines

The position of a followspot determines how the light falls on someone. We set it at a distance and a height, for example at the back of the room or on a raised platform, so the beam reaches the face at a pleasant angle rather than flat from the front or steeply from above. On site we look at the sightlines: the operator must have a clear view of the whole stage and must not sit in the way of the audience. These judgements make the difference between a spot that tracks neatly and one that is always just a step behind.

Working with the rest of the lighting

A followspot rarely works alone. It usually runs along with a broader lighting atmosphere, where the room lighting dims at the right moment so the spot really stands out. We programme and operate that coherence from the same plan as the rest of the lighting, so the dimming of the room and the rise of the spot run exactly in step. For larger productions we also match it to the sound, so light and sound build towards a climax together.

Setup, testing and operation on site

On the day itself we place the followspot in the chosen position, aim it and run through the movements needed during the programme. We test the iris, the focus and the dimmer, check that the beam can reach the whole stage and, where necessary, rehearse the key moments, such as the entrance or the first dance. This way the operator knows exactly where and when the spot needs to be.

During the event an experienced operator runs the followspot live, in step with the rest of the production. For simpler situations, such as a speaker at a fixed lectern, we can also programme a static spot that needs no operator. We discuss what fits best beforehand based on your programme.

If you only want to collect and operate a followspot yourself, individual rental without support is available through SpeakerVerhuur.nl, the webshop of Speaker Verhuur Amsterdam. If you are after a managed result with an operator who knows the moments, HuurAV takes the design, the setup, the testing and the operation entirely off your hands. Request a no-obligation quote.