Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. In this weeks #TechieTuesday we look at the Ballyhoo, or ‘Bally’ and find out what it is, where it’s best used and what equipment you need if you want a Ballyhoo on your next event.

Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. In this weeks #TechieTuesday we look at the Ballyhoo, or ‘Bally’ and find out what it is, where it’s best used and what equipment you need if you want a Ballyhoo on your next event. 

AV Discipline: Lighting

AV Category: AV Effects

AV JargonBally

Ballyhoo Description

A Ballyhoo is an event lighting effect that involves fast movements, intensity changes and a variety of colours, which all help to build excitement and celebration during an event. Used in collaboration with smoke or haze, shafts of light will appear to punch through to all corners of the function space.

Event Types

Ballyhoo’s are typically used on events such as award ceremonies and product launches where the desired effect is to energise and excite the audience. It’s a communication element that is totally driven by technology. To enhance the ballyhoo, event audio and vision elements can be introduced, giving the audience a heightened experience.

Equipment Required

So what is needed to create an effective Ballyhoo?

Lighting Fixtures; intelligent lights such as moving heads or moving mirrors are popular due to their controllable features such as intensity, colour, beam, and movement.

Lighting Console; a lighting controller that is able to trigger cues for multiple fixtures is required so as the fixtures know what to do and when to do it.

Lighting Technician; a creative and competent operator is critical to interpreting an event brief and designing a series of ballyhoo’s that enhance the audience experience.

As Seen on Screen

Next time you are watching the Oscars, Grammy’s Bafta’s or even our home grown Logies, check out the lighting effects when they return from a commercial break, transition into a new segment or an award winner is called up onto stage, you will see a Ballyhoo in action entertaining the audience on a global scale.

Source: Encore Event Technologies 

Up Next Week

Next week we will examine sub speakers, and discover the difference between woofers and tweeters! In the meantime if you have any AV terms or words you would like our AV experts to tackle leave a comment on the blog post below. 

Related Blog

Staging an Awards Night to Remember

Comments

Leave a comment