Buy Or Rental Stage Light: Which Is More Better To Consider

Introduction

If you are working in production, you will need them all the time. You must be ready to get these stage lights in time to make your stage plays irresistible to watch. There are two types that you get your hands on these stage lights. You can either buy them or rent them. Well, both scenarios are common among theatre productions. However, what you are going to opt for depends on different factors. 

So, in this guide, Vorlane will guide you about the approaches to buying or renting stage lights for your next stage management project. There is no doubt that both systems are promising if you are clear about your requirements. In this way, you can give an edge to your performances with the least hustle. Let’s decipher this discussion and determine whether you should buy or rent a stage light per your requirements. Here we go!! 

Buy vs. Rental Stage Light

The production type and use cases are the first factor that helps you with this. You must know and study these requirements in detail before making a decision. You must determine what type of equipment you are using and whether it can suit stage lights well or not. Different productions have unique needs determining whether you should buy or rent stage lights.

Also, renting stage lights is a good option if there is a shortage. Some stage performances can rely on something other than stage lights in the long run. Therefore, they prefer renting them instead of investing in them, which can disturb their budget. Also, it is better to rent stage lights to meet the requirements in time in different urgent situations. 

Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness

Another icebreaker is the cost. You can either buy stage lights or rent them. Sometimes, a production that is tight on its budget can consider renting these lights a good option. However, on the other hand, we cannot deny that purchasing these lights yields long-term benefits, which is why most productions are okay with buying lights for stage plays. 

Also, sometimes renting lights has many complications that show prefers to dodge. Therefore, after determining your requirements, you can decide whether buying stage lights or renting them will be handy. 

Comparison Between Buy Or Rental Stage Light

Now, we will dive deeper to unlock all the crucial aspects of this concept so that you can easily decide on your suitable option with the most minor trouble. 

• Initial Investment and Recurring Costs

Buying: You don’t have to struggle with the initial cost of stage lights if you are buying them. You only have to pay for them once and never look back for the whole of your life. This is how you can save money since you don’t have to pay extra for installing them. So, there is no struggle with the recurring costs when buying stage lights. 

Renting: You can consider renting these lights when you are not using them frequently. The reason is that you will use them once or twice at a personal live event. It will be more affordable for you to rent lights in this case. Also, you will only have to invest a little money since it is optional. 

• Customization

Buying: Sometimes, customization and variety help you decide whether to buy or rent stage lights. Sometimes, you need to get the desired customization for renting lights compared to buying them. Therefore, renting might restrict your customization and variety of options, reducing the quality of your stage plays. You can buy a wide range of stage lights with different customization ranges per your requirements, which is impossible when renting them.

Renting: Renting can be your option when you need a particular type of lighting for your performances. You can also pick lights based on the mood and setting of performances since these are readily available to get them on rent. 

• Maintenance 

Buying: If you are buying lights, then it is clear that you might have to pay extra for maintaining them and protecting them from potential damage. Therefore, buying is risky if you are not a good maintainer since it can also make a dent in your pocket since recurrent repair costs and expenses can be pretty frustrating. 

Renting: You don’t have to worry about the maintenance of lights if you are renting them. It is on the supplier that you are renting these lights from. Therefore, once you finish these lights, you can return them without worrying about paying for the damage.

• Technological Relevance

Buying: You get the upper hand when buying lights regarding technological perks. These lights are better when looking for something to give an edge to stage plays by using technology. You can also find various options that meet the futuristic standards of stage lighting. 

Renting: You can rent lights based on your needs temporarily if you need to leverage technological perks. The reason is that these suppliers are stringent in updating their products to meet the market needs and technical standards. 

• Logistical Considerations

Buying: If you buy lights from a foreign supplier, you must bear the shipment and transportation expenses. Things can become hefty when you are ordering bulk lights for different reasons. Also, when you want to make changes in the load, it can cost you extra money based on the prices of other suppliers. 

Renting: When you are renting stage lights, the shipment charges are included in the deal. Therefore, you don’t have to deal with hidden costs and shipping fees since renting can help eliminate this. Also, renting is reliable when using these lights at far-fetched locations. 

• Long-Term or Short-Term Usage

One important thing to consider in this case is the duration. If you heavily rely on stage lights, you must buy them to yield multiple benefits for you in the long run. Purchasing these lights is also beneficial in some other scenarios. For instance, when you want to avoid struggling to look at different stage lights in a time of need. Renting is for productions that barely use stage lights. Also, renting lights is a reliable option in case of urgency. 

FAQs Related to Stage Light

Conclusion

So now you know what are the best situations when you can purchase or rent stage lights. However, you can make it easier for yourself if you determine the requirements of your performance in the first place.