gjsessions Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Hi all readersConsider the scenario: a school, not too large, very small stage area, very small budget, not used all that much. Now the question..... I notice that there are moving yoke lights of 150W or perhaps 250W by manufacturers such as Chauvet. Now I know these are probably intended for the club market but given the scenario above might they be worth purchasing for use on a school stage. They come in at much lower prices that Martin, Coemar, Clay Paky etcetera. Opinions are welcome please.thanksGraham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 really bad move. movers, especially cheap ones need running - else they tend to sieze up and don't work when turned on. They also need a proper controller that will baffle any non-technical people who could cope with shoving a handful of faders up. Running costs are high with short lifespan lamps at £70 quid ish each - and if anybody can tuen them on, they will, and forget to turn them off again. They are also usually very narrow beams - useless for any kind of area lighting. 100% not for general use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjsessions Posted July 13, 2006 Author Share Posted July 13, 2006 Well thanks for that. It is nice to be warned. What would be the best option? Only one moving yoke would be required to give a focussable spot rather than a wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Well my old college have 6 that they don't use anymore because they are too complicated - with skilled ops, movers can do a lot, but they take love, care and attention, expensive repairs, proper technician attention, proper suspension data and power, they are more difficult to install due to the weight, they make a noise.......Aprt from that, they're great. If you had some budget, there are lots of generics rather than a few movers as options. After all, half a dozen fresnels on wide beam can provide proper area lighting - even wash lights, unless they are the expensive ones, can't quite manage that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekij Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 If it's a school can you not give a student the "chance to work in theatre" and turn a "fixed" lantern into a movable one by making them a follow spot operator? :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 This has been discussed before. The general concensus is that purchasing intelligent lighting for schools is (in general) a bad idea because ... a) You don't get a lot for your money compared to traditional fixtures.b) Their use would be limited to only a few shows throughout the year.c) Operation of the units requires a more specialist desk and more skilled ops.d) Maintenance costs (lamps and spares) is surprisingly high. Although its really nice to own your own movers you really have to ask 'Do we really need them or it this just buying a toy because we want one?' If they are only going to be used for a handful of shows during the year, hire them. One other thought - if you only have a 'small' budget you may not want to blow all of this on a couple of expensive fixtues only to find there is no money to buy new gel, tape or lamps to service productions later in the year.... Sorry to sound negative on this one. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Paulears,what movers were tey just from intrest? I own 2 moving lights,a pin scan and a caterpillar that Im currently trying to use in my room as a desk lamp and a reading light! edit to correct typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3guk Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Just if you are still wanting reccomendations, I'd stay away from movers in school purely because they take a hell of a lot more maintenance to keep functional than generics and all the reasons above. But that said, if you still want to go for movers, please don't go for the cheap option, like it has been said, they fail really quickly and you end up spending more time fixing the things than running them. Have a look at the cheaper Robe range, from the fixtures I have used, superb build quality and a low failure rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 But that said, if you still want to go for movers, please don't go for the cheap option, like it has been said, they fail really quickly and you end up spending more time fixing the things than running them.Don't disagree with the rest of the topic, but would like to add my lose change to the quality argument. If you're going to have your movers in and out of venues, with use day in dayout, then don't even consider the cheap end. But if you're going intall them, or move them every so often, then the chauvet range isn't the worst you could do. I regularly use the chauvet range for friend, and also service the fixtures. None of them have needed anything major, or have needed replacement parts. They obviously haven't had the amount of use as many lights would, but have done enough to cover their costs, and give the effect they are wanted too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3guk Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 If you're going to have your movers in and out of venues, with use day in dayout, then don't even consider the cheap end. But if you're going intall them, or move them every so often, then the chauvet range isn't the worst you could do. I regularly use the chauvet range for friend, and also service the fixtures. Did the O/P not mention a school, just going off the way I have seen kit treated at some schools, I'd be looking to get the most reliable thing possible. That said, if they go up in the rig and stay in the rig then the cheaper range is considerable, I just remember this wasn't the case at my school with the rig changing around 20-30 times per school year, and being done by students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Did the O/P not mention a school, just going off the way I have seen kit treated at some schools, I'd be looking to get the most reliable thing possible. That said, if they go up in the rig and stay in the rig then the cheaper range is considerable, I just remember this wasn't the case at my school with the rig changing around 20-30 times per school year, and being done by students.As I said earlier, I agree with everyone who says not to buy movers for schools, but just wanted to make sure that people didn't get the wrong impression of the cheaper ranges. They are really good value for money if you don't need all the extra features of the more expensive ones, and you have the time during a rig and derig tomake sure they don't suffer the normal wear and tear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokm Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Only one moving yoke would be required to give a focussable spot rather than a wash. Unless its going to be used as a god light in every situation, then it sounds like you've forgotten the 45 degree rule! (no offence) Thats why movers are usually sold in pairs or sets of 4, 8, etc. Must agree with the rest of the group, movers in a school are a bad idea. We tried in my old school, problem was only two of us knew how to use them properly so the got sold when we both left. Hope my grizzly/tired mind set hasn't made this post sound to rude. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maeterlinck Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Perhaps my current situation is slightly different, working in a university. We have 8xmovers. They have saved a huge amount of time as once rigged the same lights can be used for many different productions. The 6 Mac300s provide a good stage coverage and the 250s specials. However, £10k is a lot of money to spend if you only do a handful of productions each year. gjsessions - you would probably be better off to buy some second hand generics and supporting kit (gel etc) and hang a 3 colour wash. Try and get people using the space more. Then as it becomes more popular you'll have more of a case for movers and the control surfaces to make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Even one mover will need a board to drive it, that's expense again! Then there will be the problem of the skill needed to drive the one light leaving each july and new skill having to be sought and trained. I'd look for a generic. Take the budget, divide by four, - Lantern, hanging hardware, cable to dims and lamps and gels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trundle Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Personally, I would go for it! I did a school production with 4 PAR56's and 4 Imoves ffromm acme. They perfomed brilliantly. DMX-keeps the leash on your light Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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