Follow Spots

What is a Follow Spot?

A Follow Spot is a powerful theater light used to 'follow' actors, stand-up comedians, singers, magicians, or other performers around the stage. They are operated by a human follow spot operator. Most follow spots use arc lamps or the more powerful xenon arc lamps to produce a sharp, white light. 

Typically, a follow spot includes:

• A powerful lamp
• A manually focused lens
• A manual dimming unit
• An "iris" to adjust the size of the spot / angle of the light beam
• A color wheel or "boomerang" consisting of several frames that can be swung in front of the beam
• Sometimes a "sight" is added to the follow spot, making it easier for the operator to aim down at the stage.

On certain follow spots, it is also possible to attach gobos.

Where are follow spots placed?

Follow spots can, for example, be placed at the back of a theater and directed towards the stage at the other end of the hall. This placement can become problematic due to the audience being distracted by fan noise or the spot operator speaking into their headset microphone, which is why there is often an attempt to place the spot as far away from the audience as possible. In circuses and sports, follow spots may be placed around the tent, covering both sides and ends. For a concert, they may be placed in the "light tent" if the event takes place outdoors. Some concerts use truss positions on a truss down, but closer to catwalk positions in a catwalk layout in amphitheater style. In other places, spot placements are drawn in by the architect who designed the venue.