Followspots: How to Find the Perfect Followspot

Followspots are an essential item in churches, schools, sports arenas, theaters, and convention centers. These followspots assist the audience in focusing their attention on the onstage action and speakers. They come in an assortment of sizes and shapes. When you decide to begin your search for followspots, you may feel a bit overwhelmed, as you may not be sure what is best for your space. Keep reading to learn what steps you should take in your search.

Step One: Determine the Location of Your Followspot

Ultimately, the first step is to determine your throw distance. The throw distance is the amount of space between the farthest upstage pickup and where the followspot is located. This distance can be determined by using a laser measurer or the Pythagorean theorem. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

• Is the followspot going to be placed in the back of a theater, in a spot booth, or up on a catwalk? If it will be placed on a catwalk, what type of mounting will be required? Will it be able to stand on its own? Will wheels be necessary? Will it be mounted onto a truss?
• If the followspot will be in a spot booth, will it be open or enclosed? Will you be shooting through a piece of glass, and will the glass be able to slide open? Will the reflection of the glass cause you to lose a percentage of the light output?
• Will noise be something that needs to be taken into consideration? For instance, when in a symphony hall, it is important to have minimal noise because the audience will be focusing primarily on the sound.

Step Two: Determine the Number of Footcandles Needed

The next step involves lighting design and deciding on how many footcandles are needed for the followspot once it is shining on the stage. When considering the followspot’s output, you will need to take into consideration whether or not the FOH lighting is LEDs, traditional fixtures or a hybrid system. The color temperature will need to match, and you won’t want to incorrectly match tungsten with MSR or even LED. By determining the amount of light that will be on stage, you will be able to refine the requirement for the followspot.

Step Three: Determine the Type of Power to Be Allocated

This last step focuses on power. You need to figure out the type of power that is able to be assigned to the followspot, such as 120-volt or 208-240-volt in single- or three-phase power. By knowing the power that is available, you will be able to determine the output limitations for your followspot. In addition, you can determine the type of connector that will need to be used. For your outlets, will you need L6-20 or L5-15 or maybe 15amp or 20amp Edison?

If you need help choosing and/or getting your followspot hooked up, get in touch with us at Stargate Lighting. We are happy to provide professional assistance to you and answer any questions that you may have.