Mirror Mirror on the Wall…. So said the Wicked Queen in the Brothers Grimm classic. But Ed Warren has another place where he prefers to hang mirrors – over the stage or dancefloor. The well-known designer whose client list reads like a Who’s Who of rock and EDM artists has famously included the familiar mirror ball in his designs for stars like Four Tet, IDLES, and many others.

Although often overlooked in rigs, the mirror ball occupies a special place in Warren’s heart. The two-time TPI Lighting Designer of the Year, sees mirror balls almost as fixtures in their own right. And why not? Hit by the output of a laser or intense beam, a mirror ball can rev up lighting excitement with the best of them

On top of that, the reflected light of a mirror ball moves along its own distinctive path. That opens the door to some ingenious, out-of-this-word looks, which, as anyone familiar with Warren’s work knows, is a driving force in his creative soul. Speaking to us from his studio at Next Level Lights, Warren shared insights into the magic of mirror balls.

You’re well known for the creative ways you use mirror balls. So, we guess our first question is why do you fancy mirror balls so much?
“Because they’re the cheapest and most effective lighting feature out there. They’re also readily available worldwide — and are still criminally underused!”

Speaking of using (or underusing) mirror balls, when did you start with them?
“I have used them on and off since I started lighting 20 years ago, but it really kicked in around 2014 when I was working with Metronomy and we went nuts for them. “

So, you’ve been using mirror balls for some time. Has the way you use them changed over the years?
“I like to put them in unexpected places — behind bands and amps upstage — so you only see the beams. I’m also trying to use them less and less during the show, to make them even more impactful. I still surprise myself in shows with different ways to use them. One show recently, I had super tight beams on them with the fixture doing a tiny circle movement, while the mirror ball rotated. Looked like nothing else — and it was all done by total accident.”

Expanding on that topic, do you usually position a mirror ball in the center of the stage or room? If not, what are the reasons you would position a mirror ball to one side or the other?
“I always try and keep it symmetrical at the very least. If there’s one on one side of the room, I’ll always have another one on the opposite side, rotating in the other direction too. Not sure my brain could handle it being off center.”

What are the pros and cons of hanging more than one mirror ball in a space?
“More party! There are no cons!”

What kinds of light do you like to hit mirror balls with? Beams? Lasers? Washes? White? Colored?
“Laser source lights have been my go to. Such clear and crisp beams. Using them, it was like the mirror ball had been reborn! I once did a small installation where I hung a ton of varying sized mirror ball in a room and blasted a laser at them. The reflections of the beam went on forever.”

What advice would you give to someone using mirror balls for the first time?
“Get your positioning and focus right. There’s nothing worse than the beam you’re using to hit it overspilling beyond the ball and washing out beams.”

Any other comments?
“I recently started collaborating with Mirrorball Paul who builds custom mirror ball. He’s a mad genius. Mirror balls with smoke machines inside them, horizontal rotating Mirrorball etc. We’re currently working on installing a giant mirror ball at Glastonbury festival.”