Booking Process
Following an enquiry, we will contact you to discuss your event requirements, costs etc and if you decide you want to take things forward we will reserve the date for a short period.
The next stage will be to formalise the booking and we will email you a draft contract to review, sign off and return together with a notional 33% deposit which secures the booking.
The remaining amount will be invoiced 1 week prior to the event.
We will normally arrive 2-3 hours prior to to the show start time in a converetd horse trailer and it normally take about 90 minuts to set up. This include the lasers together with the PA system and 5 smoke machines which need to be setup to ensure there is minimum risk to the public.
Event Planning
On request we can produce a detailed event plan and will also undertake a risk assessment and manage any resulting actions or mitigations.
For all events there are typically five keys things that can impact the performance and these are;
- Lack of 240v Power
- Time of Sunset and Ambient Light
- Weather
- Last minute changes
- Access
POWER
By far the most common problem we have is mains power, probably because its sounds so simple and is therefore taken for granted, even when this has been discussed and planned in advanced.
We normally operate off two 13Amp supplies and for contingency reasons these ideally need to be sourced from different ring mains, or a single 16A or 32A supply.
In a situation where there is no mains power, a generator can be used, but it need to be planned well in advance and could limit the use of the smoke machines.
LIGHT
Excessive light will adversly impact the show and during the summer months it is important to plan the start of the show at a time later in the evening to ensure an adequate level of darkness. The diagram below gives you and idea of the sunset times throughout the year.
Excessive ambient light can also deminish the quality of a show, so flood lighting at an event can be problemagtic, but if this can be switched off or dimmed so much the better.
WEATHER
The one thing we can’t do a lot about is the weather, rain is not so much a problem now we can operate from the mobile trailer, but it does limit the number of lasers we can have located outside together with parts of the PA system.
Smoke makes a huge difference to the show creating instant atmosphere but strong or changing wind can play havoc with the smoke machine effect . Typically, we locate two vertical smoke machines by the laser show itself and then two larger machines up wind of the display if possible. In the UK, the wind direction tends to blow in off the Atlantic from the South West especially in the summer, but it is difficult to plan for and its nearly always something we have to change on the day.
LAST MINUTE CHANGES
As part of the planning process we will review the event location and investigate the best postion for the event trailer, access to power and what features can be used to project on to as this will determine the blend of beams to graphics show.
A good example (or in this case a bad example) was a lasershow we we were asked to do in Wales, the location was agreed in a pub car park with access to power from the pub well in advance. We arrived to find a stage had been built on the agreed spot. The organisers asked if we could relocate in a side street and they would find a generator. No generator was forthcomming and we were asked if we could beg for power from some shops close by which we did. Unfortunately we were to start the show at 5pm but the carnival was delayed just when the shops were closing at 5.30pm. With no power, we had to use an onboard inverter system with a limited power and a short window of operation. Just to add to the chaos the carnival included a double decker bus full of children which strayed into the laser display area and we had to undertake an emergency switch off and wait for it to pass and then power failed 5 minutes later. In short, it was an absolute disaster (and thankfully the only one we have ever had ) and that could have been easily avoided had they kept to the agreed plan.
ACCESS
We normally arrrive in two vehicles with one of the cars towing the trailer. The length of the car and the trailer is about 6 metres by 2 metres and we normally keep the trailer hitched if possible with the back of the trailer pointing to the audience (As the main PA is built into trailers as are the lasers).
HEALTH & SAFETY
Safety is paramount when using lasers at an event.
New legislation came into force in the UK that relates to how lasers and other potentially hazardous light sources are used in the workplace. The new regulations are known as the Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010 , became active from the 27th April 2010. They are derived from the EU Artificial Optical Radiation Directive (AORD), which is intended to set a minimum level of health and safety for workers across all EU member states
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How far away do you need to be from the Power source ?
The most important issue is nearly always power and its nearly always taken for granted, so please identify where we can plug in. We have 30-50 metre cables and these need to be routed away from the public.
Are the lasers safe ?
Yes like everything ‘when used correctly’. There have been very few instances of eye injury resulting from laser lights. We have been operating shows for many years and have never experienced any issues and we plan out a show to mitigate any risks as much as we can. Clearly the more powerful the laser the greater the risk and need for further mitigation.
Can I hire a laser from Pulzar ?
We can but we would not accept any liability for the operation of the lasers, we would always advise that we should be there unless you are a professional or have experience in operating laser equipment.
What does the term audience scanning mean ?
This is when a laser effect is directed into the audience, normally to create a tunnel or sheets of light that look like 3D objects that the crowd can touch (as opposed to single beams). It is important that if we project into the audience then the lasers should always be scanning and there are safety precautions should the lasers mis function.
Why do you use smoke during the show ?
Smoke adds a great visual dimension to the show and does have the effect of reducing the intensity of the energy levels present in the beams. However, because smoke is constantly moving and unpredictable in the way it disperses it can be difficult to control and always needs to be adjusted last minute.