The holidays are always a special time of the year. It’s a time when family and friends gather around for good food, good times, and healthy dose of laughter. With the New Year here, I can finally reflect back on the holidays. It was a time when I got to be a part of one of the most meaningful and close to me events of the year...a family reunion.

Sound and lighting is something we do almost every week, but when it comes to a family event you can’t help but feel that little added pressure. The second night of our reunion took place at the Hilo Meishoin. I wanted to put a lighting design that would be memorable and something of a gift to the family that I could be proud of. Lighting is a great addition that makes a huge impact to any event. It should always stand out it pictures creating a nice back drop or enhancing the visibility of the people or objects in the photos. The design I had in mind for this reunion would have a vibrant, modern, with an asian feel to it.



For this design I did blue color scheme to match the reunion color theme. Bamboo gobos were also placed on the stage walls overlapping the green lighting to enhance the Japanese theme. In the middle of the stage I put a custom family crest gobo or “mon” in Japanese which looked fantastic. Then finished the room with string lights with lanterns. This is the first reunion I put lighting together for but realized lighting can work great to enhance a feel and add little more customization to any family reunion.

Family reunions are an amazing thing. Not only do you get to catch up and get reacquainted with family members, but it also is a great learning experience for those planning it. I was lucky enough to be a part of the group planning our reunion. It was very stressful, but the reunion experience was hands down well worth stress. Not only was it a great time, but to be a part of something so sacred as family bonding will be something I remember for years to come. For more info on Eclipse Effect Entertainment services, please call (808) 936-3552 or email jase@eclipseeffect.com.

- Blog written by Jase Takeya. jase@eclipseeffect.com

Tags: Hilo Meshoin, Family reunion, takeya