FAQs

The answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding our rentals.

FAQ Topics

• General Rental
  • Will I really be able to set this up?
  • I’m going to be busy on the day of my event, can someone else set the rental lights up?
  • Turnaround times? Additional costs for quick turnarounds?
  • Renting locally vs. renting with you?
  • Can I pickup the lights to save on shipping?
  • Can we use the lights outside?
  • I’ve seen other lights cheaper and I’ll actually own the light afterwards. Is there a difference?
• Gobo Lighting
  • Can I project my design on a dance floor?
  • What are the power requirements?
  • Our design uses color, can your projectors project color(s)?
  • What size gobo does your rental projectors use?
  • If I have a tradeshow or some other type of event and it spans multiple days in the middle of the week, is it still the same price?
  • Can we have the design move around the room?
  • Can the light rotate through multiple images?
  • Can I use a multimedia projector?
  • What does your rental gobo light package look like?
  • We want to project on a building outside, will it work?
  • Can I project on fabric?
  • How big of an event / room size are your gobo lights designed for?
  • Will your light work in our tradeshow booth?
• Wireless Uplighting
  • How long do the batteries last?
  • How many uplights do I need?
  • Can a gobo fit on an uplight?
  • How high up will the uplight beam shine?
  • How heavy and how big are the wireless uplights?
  • Will uplighting work in a room with windows and natural light?

General Rental FAQs

Q: Will I really be able to set this up?
A: All of our lights are designed for easy setup with no experience necessary. They are designed to be easy and straightforward to setup. We want you to have an amazing experience and get the best look possible in the easiest way possible.

The last thing you need to deal with is another unknown variable at your event, our rentals are easy! All rental lights are setup in less than 5 steps. The written instructions and our direct phone number are all there to make sure you get the best look possible in the least amount of time.

Q: I’m going to be busy on the day of my event, can someone else set the rental lights up?
A: Yes! We usually recommend a reliable member of the bridal party, a technically savvy relative, DJ, event planner, tradeshow staff to get the light setup for you. Everyone knows someone who is good at setting things up, they are usually more than willing to help!

Then it’s one less thing that you have to worry about for your event. The case has everything you need to set it up. Other clients have had their planner, venue, DJ, or photographer set the light up for them. Check with other event professionals if they’ll be willing to set the light up for you.

Q: Turnaround times? Additional costs for quick turnarounds?

A: Most often we can turn around rentals in under 24 hours if the contract, payment, and designs (if applicable) are secured quickly. We are based out of Hillsboro, VA. Quick turnarounds (< 3 days to the event) to the East Coast cost less than quick turnarounds to the West Coast based on shipping costs. Generally the only additional costs for quick turnarounds are the additional charges for shipping. Below is approximate additional shipping charges based on location.

East Coast (standard shipping 1-3 days)

• Overnight ($75)
• 2 day ($50)

Central US (standard shipping 2-4 days)

• Overnight ($125)
• 2 day ($75)
• 3 day ($35)

West Coast (standard shipping 4-5 days)

• Overnight ($150)
• 2 day ($75)
• 3 day ($35)

Q: Renting locally vs. renting with you?
A: Renting locally seems like an attractive option, but there are many benefits renting through us!

• You receive the lights ahead of time
• Longer rental periods (local rentals are usually by the day, weekends are usually a minimum of 3 days)
• Save time going to pick-up and return the lights at the rental facility on their hours and their time
• Save gas money driving to the rental place to pickup the lights
• Waiting hours at the rental place to sign paperwork
• Guaranteed you’ll have the lights you rented for your date
• No surprises on broken, damaged, or non-existent equipment when you go to pickup day of
• Receive the lights delivered directly to you

We specialize in the easiest to setup DIY rental lighting for events and equipment. That’s our niche, and we’re the best at it. We back up your rental with over 15 years of special event production experience and knowing the equipment inside and out. Renting from a local party supply company that rents everything from tables to serving dishes to linens means you’ll get whatever is left over in their warehouse.

Q: Can I pickup the lights to save on shipping?
A: Oddly enough your rental would cost more to pickup and/or drop-off than it does for us to ship them directly to you. Our shipping volume discounts combined with less staff hours waiting for pickups and drop-offs keep your rental costs much lower. Orders received by 3pm usually ship out same day for next day delivery locally. Not to mention your costs of gas, tolls, time to pickup and drop-off.

Exception would be an emergency or for same day rentals, you would need to contact us directly at (571) 292-3511 to check our availability. We are not open to the public without an appointment.

Q: I’ve seen other lights cheaper and I’ll actually own the light afterwards. Is there a difference?
A: Our lights are professional grade (read expensive), brighter, clearer, better colors than any other rentals. Our lights use the latest high output LEDs and we upgrade our lights each year so that you have the best most reliable lights possible. This is the same technology found in super bright car headlamps used on high end luxury cars.

The lights that many of our competitors use are 5mm, 10mm LEDs or 75w/150whalogen bulbs which may work well in a bedroom or a small room that is completely dark, but don’t hold up in real world use at a wedding, tradeshow, or similar event. They aren’t bright enough and the colors in the uplights are limited to 7 colors and have issues with color banding or getting a good amber or white color.

They also don’t provide all the items that we include in our packages (stand, cables, gaffers tape, backup inventory on hand, and professional advice on setup based on usage). After you are done purchasing the things you need to project your light, it’s much more expensive than a rental.

Gobo Rentals FAQs

Q: Can I project my design on a dance floor?
A: Yes! Let us know ahead of time and we’ll set your light up to project on the dance floor ahead of time making it super simple to setup your light at your event. Nothing special is required. Just clip the light to the stand, plug it in, focus it, and extend the stand. Note the following:

• When projecting on a dark dance floor (or dark surfaces) the image might not be exceptionally bright. Best use will be in darker environments.
• As guests start dancing you won’t be able to see the design and the light will cast a pattern on guests. Some clients don’t like the look in their photos.
• Check to see if the image size will be large enough using our gobo projection size chart. If mounted on our stand, your resulting image size will be between 3-9ft in most situations projecting on the floor.

Q: What are the power requirements?
A: The light needs a standard electrical outlet. It doesn’t have any special or out of the ordinary power requirements. It draws about as much power as a 150w light bulb.

Q: Our design uses color, can your projectors project color(s)?
A: Yes, depends on application. Our projectors come standard projecting a white light logo/monogram. Our projectors perform best when projecting white light. You will achieve the brightest looking image using one color white.

Color diminishes the brightness of the overall projection. If you just need one color (the entire image one color) we will ship out a color filter that you may use with the light that you can remove if it’s too dark. We now offer up to 3 colors in our transparency gobo option.

We can always send you a higher powered light in color critical applications. Contact us for more information and your requirements.

Q: What size gobo does your rental projectors use?
A: E-size 37.5mm and D-Size 53.3mm. This enables our projectors to be small but our gobo size to be larger than cheap consumer grade projectors enabling the clearest image possible. If you have a traditional “B” or “M” sized gobo it will not fit our projectors. We do offer free logo conversion into a gobo that fits our lights at no additional cost with the artwork.

Q: If I have a tradeshow or some other type of event and it spans multiple days in the middle of the week, is it still the same price?
A: Yes! If the event is multiple days let us know. Up to 5 event days are included in our listed pricing. Extended rentals are available for an additional cost.

Q: Can we have the design move around the room?
A: Our lights feature a rotation feature that allows the gobo to slowly rotate in a fixed position much like a vinyl record rotates. If you want the light to move around the room, you would need to find intelligent lighting from a local supplier.

Q: Can the light rotate through multiple images?
A: We do have lights with a rotator option. It allows for the use of up to 4 different gobos or designs. They can rotate through each gobo every 15, 30, 60 or 90 seconds. There is an additional cost for this option.

Q: Can I use a multimedia projector?
A: Multimedia projectors are a bad idea! Some DIY articles and sources suggest using a regular multimedia projector to project your design.?Media projectors do not project a true “black” and a gray box will surround where you project your gobo design.

Projectors generally are not bright enough to cut through the lighting in the room to adequately see the design. The angle the multimedia projector projects at will distort the overall look of the final monogram, this is known as keystone distortion. You need a ton of wires, projector cart, computer, enough distance between the projector and the area you are projecting on, not have people walk in front of it, cover the projector (but not all the way so that it can still ventilate all the heat it generates and not burn up) and it’s a huge pain to setup…seriously. Computers crash, projectors don’t recognize computers, computers need passwords, all kinds of things to turn a great idea into a nightmare.

You get one shot at your event, get it right:) Our lights use custom high quality LED drivers to power our lights ensuring very bright and clear projections. The light itself is small and unassuming so it won’t distract from the rest of your event decor.

Q: What does your rental gobo light package look like?
A: Our lights have the smallest footprint on the market and they mount to a slim black stand (3ft diameter base). For weddings we recommend setting the light stand and light up near the DJ or band generally so it’s out of the way and aim it at the dancefloor or a wall that you want to project. In these locations it blends in to the other equipment used so many guests will wonder where the projection is actually coming from.

At trade shows you can set it up to project on the floor in front of the booth, through thin fabric from behind, etc.

The picture to the right shows the light on the stand projecting on a dark dance floor.

Q: We want to project on a building outside, will it work?
A: Our lights are designed to be used inside but they can be used outside. No lights work well when there is direct sunlight. The darker the environment the better. Check our size projection chart to see if the resulting image will be bright enough or large enough for your needs.

If you need a large projection (over 12ft wide or 12ft tall) we do not recommend using our lights. These types of jobs require high power bulbs that often have special power requirements and can be particularly sensitive to weather if not weather proof. It’s best to find a local lighting production company to handle it for you as well as any permits that may need to be obtained in your locality for the projection.

Q: Can a gobo go on an uplight?

Q: Can I project on fabric?
A: Fabric projections can look great! Including projecting on black fabric. To get the best projection on fabric:

• Use a light colored fabric, white is best. Darker fabrics absorb more light and can work well but need a darker ambient light in the event space.
• Ensure you have enough distance to achieve a large image on the fabric, larger images look better on fabric
• If achieving a rear projection, shoot through a sheer, one layer, or transparent fabric
• Steam, iron, or use a non-wrinkle fabric so that wrinkles don’t ruin the look

 

Q: How big of an event / room size are your lights designed for?

Wireless Uplight Rental FAQs

Q: How long do the batteries last on the uplights?
A: The batteries come pre-charged ready to go and last 16+ hours per charge. When we’ve used them we’ve been able to get 3 events in a weekend out of one charge. When not using the lights at the event after setup, use the dimmer on the remote control to dim the lights all the way down and dim them back up right before guests arrive and the event starts.

Q: Can a gobo go on an uplight?
A: No. See the link above for more detail.

Q: How many uplights do I need?
A: Depends on the space, use the uplight calculators in the link above to find out.

Q: How high up will the uplight beam shine?
A: 30ft-40ft depending on the surface that it’s projecting on. Lighter surfaces and surfaces without chair rails allow for the light to shine higher up.

Q: How heavy and how big are the wireless uplights?
A: Not heavy and not big! Each light is about the size of a brick and weighs less. Each light weighs under 3 pounds.

Q: Will uplighting work in a room with windows and natural light?
A: Yes! See the link for more.

If you have any questions at all about our gobo’s or light rental please email us at: info@goboprojectorrental.com