Moving heads
Moving head rental for live shows and parties
Motorised fixtures that pan, change colour and draw beams in the air. They're hugely impressive, but not every event needs them. Here we tell you when they're worth it.
- Types
- Beam, spot and wash
- Control
- DMX desk
- Rigging
- Truss, towers or floor
- Technician
- Quoted separately. Recommended
- Area
- Seville and province
What they are
A light with motors and a desk behind it
A moving head is a fixture mounted on two motors: one rotates it on its axis and the other tilts it. Add a colour wheel, gobos, zoom and sometimes a prism. All of it is controlled via DMX.
What matters to you isn't the mechanism but what it implies: a moving head isn't something you place and forget. Someone has to tell it where to point, what colour to show and when. That work is called programming and it's done before the event, once the rig is up. It's the part people don't see, and it's what separates a show that follows the music from a bunch of lights spinning around for no reason.
Beam, spot and wash: not the same thing
- Beam: a very narrow, dense beam, like a tube of light. It's visible in the air (with haze) and reaches a long way. It's the one that draws fans of light over the crowd at a concert.
- Spot: a defined, sharp-edged beam, with gobos that project shapes, textures or logos onto the floor, a wall or the stage. It's also used to light a specific person.
- Wash: a wide, soft beam, for bathing an area or the whole stage in colour. It doesn't draw in the air; it paints surfaces.
A balanced show usually mixes all three: wash to dress the space, spot to draw and beam for the peaks. With just one type, the result falls short or becomes monotonous.
When they're worth it
The event calls for moving heads… or it doesn't
They're expensive equipment to rent, to rig and to programme. It's worth deciding honestly.
Yes: concerts and festivals
A live show without show lighting falls flat. Here moving heads aren't decoration: they keep time with the band.
Yes: big parties and galas
When there's a large dance floor and several hours of music, it's the lighting that changes the atmosphere.
Yes: brand launches
A gobo projecting the logo, colour changes for each segment and a powerful finale at the key moment.
It depends: weddings
They can work really well for the dancing. For the ceremony and the banquet they're unnecessary: warm light is what matters there.
No: conferences and institutional events
What's needed is for the speaker's face to be clearly visible and for the camera to capture it cleanly.
No: low-ceilinged spaces
Without height or haze the beam isn't visible and all you're left with is a noisy light spinning round. The money goes further on something else.
How it's prepared
From lighting plan to programmed show
An unprogrammed moving head is just an expensive light. This is the real work behind it.
Lighting plan
We decide how many moving heads, where they go and at what height, based on the stage, the audience size and where the audience is watching from.
Structure and rigging
The truss or towers go up and each fixture is hung with its safety cable. No structure, no show.
Addressing and cabling
Each moving head gets its DMX address and the control is daisy-chained. This is where time gets lost if you improvise.
Scene programming
Positions, colours and sequences are created and grouped by moment: opening, quiet section, peak, encore.
Rehearsal or run-through with production
If there's an artist, we go through it with their technician or their rider. If not, we leave scenes chained to the music.
During the event
The technician triggers the scenes live. A show programmed blind never lands the same way as one that's operated.
Common mistakes
What usually goes wrong
Asking for moving heads without haze. The beam is only visible if there are particles in the air. Outdoors, or in a venue with detectors where a smoke machine can't be used, beam fixtures lose almost all their impact and it's better to invest in wash and colour.
Placing them at the wrong height. Too low and they dazzle the audience and draw nothing. Too close together and they draw the same pattern four times. The spacing between points matters as much as the quantity.
Not allowing for programming time. If the venue only lets you in two hours beforehand, a programmed show is out of the question. The set-up schedule is a technical requirement, not a logistical detail.
Forgetting the weight. A moving head weighs a lot more than an LED PAR. Hanging several completely changes the calculations for the structure and the support points.
Wanting moving heads but skipping the technician. It's the worst value-for-money combination there is. If the budget doesn't stretch to both, it's better to reduce the number of fixtures and keep the person running them.
The service
What moving head rental includes
- A proposed lighting plan tailored to the stage and the audience size.
- Transport, set-up, rigging with safety fittings, and take-down.
- DMX and power cabling, with circuit distribution and protection.
- Addressing and advance programming of scenes.
- A technician on the desk during the event when the show requires it.
- Coordination with sound and the LED screen if they share the structure and schedule.
How many moving heads do I need?
Think in pairs and in symmetry around the stage, not in single units. With the stage width and the available height, we'll suggest a number. A few well-placed fixtures look better than lots bunched up in one spot.
Can they go on the floor instead of being hung?
Yes, and at parties it's common. Placed on the floor they give very striking crossed beams, but they lose the ability to light people from above and they have to be protected from the crowd. The usual approach is to combine some up high and some down low.
Do I absolutely need a smoke machine?
For beam effects, practically yes. For bathing the stage in colour, no. If the venue doesn't allow haze, we'll tell you beforehand and rethink the set-up rather than sell you an effect nobody will see.
Can you project a logo with the moving heads?
Yes, with custom gobos in spot-type fixtures. They have to be ordered in advance, and we need to know what surface they'll be projected onto, because a textured or dark wall swallows the image.
How much set-up time do you need?
Considerably more than for fixed lights: there's structure to put up, cabling to organise and programming to do once the stage is clear. It's one of the first things to agree with the venue.
The lighting
What the lighting looks like once it's rigged
Fixtures, truss and effects, hung and focused before anyone walks in.
Are moving heads worth it for your event?
We'll tell you honestly. If we don't think they'll work, we'll suggest where that budget will go further.
