Add to your team order
Light-Up LED Pom Poms
Metallic streamers with LEDs built into the pom, a rechargeable pack, and one remote that changes the whole team’s color at once.
$145 USD per pair
For coaches and team media leads planning media day: light-up poms give you the lights-down group shot, the on-camera color switch and the poster photo in one session. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs, so the whole squad matches on camera.
Planning a media day shot list around light-up poms
Media day produces the photos and clips a team lives on all season: the poster, the roster headshots, the hype video before the first game, the recruiting post. A bright gym gives you the same photo every other team has. Light-up poms let you shoot the one thing a bright gym cannot: the team as light.
| Shot | Room light | Pom setting | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-team V formation | Lights down, one soft light on faces | Team color | Season poster |
| The color switch | Lights down | W, then the team color on a count | Hype video opener |
| Silhouettes | Lights off, poms only | White | Social posts and the recruiting reel |
| Roster headshots | Normal light | Team color, held at the shoulder | Roster page and game programs |
| Seniors together | Lights down | Two-color split pairs | Senior night graphics |
| Close-up of one pom | Lights down | AUTO rainbow | B-roll and transitions |
For guides by team type, see light-up pom poms for every kind of team.
Which shots work best with the lights down?
Lights down does not mean pitch dark. A phone camera needs some light on faces, or the photo becomes a row of glowing poms with nobody holding them. Leave one soft light on, or shoot at the edge of a gym light, and let the poms be the bright part of the frame.
- Formations read better than lines. A V, a pyramid or two diagonal lines gives the light a shape the camera can hold.
- Hold still for photos, move for video. Lit poms blur in a still photo when they move; in a video the motion is the point.
- Get high. A shot from a balcony or the top of the bleachers shows the whole formation as one picture.
How do you film the color switch on camera?
The color switch is the clip people share, and it only works if every pom changes on the same beat. One remote switches every pom that is on, at about 65 to 80 feet with a clear line of sight, so put the remote holder beside the camera, not behind the team.
- Turn every pom on with the remote and press W, so the whole squad starts on white.
- Count the team in: “5, 6, 7, 8”, and press on the count.
- Step through to the team color with MODE, or hit AUTO for the rainbow.
- Shoot three takes; keep the cleanest.
Poms held up respond better than poms down at the hip, so frame the shot with poms raised.
The poster photo and the roster headshots
The poster photo is the one that hangs in the school hallway all year, so shoot it first, while the squad is fresh. Put the tallest athletes at the back, poms raised in team color, one soft light on faces. For roster headshots, keep the gym lights on and have each athlete hold one lit pom at the shoulder in the team color; it ties every headshot to the poster without changing the setup. Seniors get a second shot with their two-color pair.
What real game footage teaches about hype videos
Some of the best footage of our poms was not shot on a media day at all. At Texas Tech, a fan, @braypartyof5, filmed the pom squad from the stands at a night home game, red stadium light and smoke behind them (see the Texas Tech case study). At GCU, the dance team’s pep rally clip caught the arena lights dipping while the student section waved banners. Both clips work for the same reason: a crowd, a dark moment and a line lit together.
Build your hype video the same way. Open on the lights-down switch, cut to the crowd, then the team. Credit anyone who filmed it, every time. For recruiting cuts, see dance team recruitment videos.
The Texas Tech Pom Squad and the GCU Dance Team are customers of ours; neither university sponsors or endorses Neon Cowboys.
Video still: @braypartyof5
How should you prep the poms before the shoot?
- Fluff them. New poms come out of the bag flat. Spread the streamers from the base, where the volume comes from; a mini hair straightener on its lowest heat speeds it up. Steer around the thicker LED strands.
- Charge them. Each pom charges by USB-C on its battery pack; a small red light shows while it charges. Expect about 3 to 4 hours per charge, a little less on white and rainbow.
- Test the remote in the room you will shoot in, from the spot the holder will stand.
Our setup videos walk through each step.
Media day cost and how to apply
For the photos to work, every athlete in frame needs a matching pair. At $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Squad of 10 | 10 | $1,200 |
| Squad of 16, plus 1 spare | 17 | $2,040 |
| Cheer and dance shooting together, 30 athletes | 30 | $3,600 |
The same poms carry the season the photos promote. For the banquet that ends it, see end of season cheer gifts; for nationals photos, light-up poms at nationals.
Apply with your team, your media day date, how many athletes will be in the photos and your team colors. We make the poms ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is your team pricing?
$120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A squad of 16 with 1 spare is 17 pairs, or $2,040 at that rate.
How do they work on camera?
The diodes are built into the pom itself, so the whole pom lights. One remote switches every pom that is on, at about 65 to 80 feet on line of sight. Our setup videos show the remote.
Can we get them in our team colors?
Yes. Order streamers in your team colors, or a custom mix on 10 or more pairs. For the photos, set the light to your team color by remote, or split the seniors’ pairs into two colors.
Can we get them in time for our media day?
Send us your media day date when you apply and we will tell you plainly what fits.
Do they show on phone video?
Yes, best with the room lights down and one soft light on faces, so the camera sees the athletes as well as the poms.
Who should hold the remote during the shoot?
One person standing beside the camera, with every pom in sight, so the switch lands on the count.
See also: light-up pom poms for every kind of team, our team color guide, game-day entrance ideas and our team pricing page.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
