theatre intel spots

[lightjocky]

hi there,

any idea on moveing follow spots (intellegent lighting)

we use mac 2000 or 550 for our spotlights in out school as they are easily focussed via our lighting desk and we can avoid working at heights.

however I am designing for our producion of les miserables at the bridgwater hall and am interested in useing the same idea but obvioesly a mac 2000 wont be bright enought that high any ideas I have herd of the city theatrical range but have no idea what else is avaliable. we are useing them as we have many specials neaded and profiles just will not cover them all

 

thanks lightjocky

[lxdad]

Hi!

I think that a Mac 2000 profile would be fine. They are used on a lot of large jobs and seem to cut through without any difficulty.

PS This forum has a spell checker. Use it.

[Nat_Keiller]

Mac 2000 units are very bright. Even at stadium heights they will be very punchy. What are you wanting to achieve with them?

[woody74]

And as with most lighting situations: lights are only as bright as whatever you compare them to. If you are using a single 2000 with a fully washed stage, it's going to look weak. A single fixture with a stage a 50% will look much brighter. It's all about contrast and perceived brightness.

 

-w

[lightjocky]

Mac 2000 units are very bright. Even at stadium heights they will be very punchy. What are you wanting to achieve with them?

 

thanks very much for your fast response

we are useing them as spot lights as we are trying to cut down on the amount of truss we have to fly.

as it interfeares with the view of the projector view

however if we fly al the way to the roof the crew cannot focus at that height so we needed some sort of moveing spot light

 

thanks

[pyromonkey]

totally agree with woody74 above.

[tokm]

totally agree with woody74 above.

Me too, its all relative.

 

we are using them as spot lights as we are trying to cut down on the amount of truss we have to fly.

&

however if we fly all the way to the roof the crew cannot focus at that height so we needed some sort of moving spot light

Not wishing to sound like the 'if your a kid you shouldn't be doing it' gang. But if your flying truss in a pro venue, then I'd be surprised if their wasn't crew who could focus an LX rig for you.. Sounds like perhaps you've got some of your information wrong about what you and what the venue crew are allowed/will do.

 

we are using them as we have many specials needed and profiles just will not cover them all

Unless your lighting the royal variety performance, I'm sure you have budget restraints. So if you find that you are able to focus in the air on this Les Mis production and seeing as you seem to only have experience on the ML side of lighting from school. Perhaps you could save some cash, shell out for enough profiles (which will cost you a fair bit less than a mover I can assure you when hired in bulk) to cover the jobs you need your mover to do and get some experience working with more generic kit (i.e. making use of a light more than once, how to focus, work out a patch for your show, etc). Will give you invaluable experience if you plan to continue working in the theatre/lighting world.

 

we use mac 2000 or 550 for our spotlights in our school as they are easily focused via our lighting desk and we can avoid working at heights.

Nice, wish my school and shows that I worked on were like your school! Less time up a tallascope can't be bad. Lucky you for going to a school that has that much cash to throw at the lighting dept!

 

Tom

 

*fixed the spelling mistakes by the poster in quotes*

[merlin24]

we are useing them as spot lights as we are trying to cut down on the amount of truss we have to fly.

 

Not quite sure what you are getting at here. What are you planning to hang them off. Sky hooks...

 

MAC 2000's were designed to be blatted around the likes of Wembly stadium and other venues of such size, I'm pretty sure they will be absolutely fine in a school, in fact they like being 30 - 40 ft up in the air...

 

Sorry to be blunt but if you are at school, instead of getting moving lights get conventionals and a follow spot or two, take the projector consideration into account when designing the rig (as that is what a design is about as well as pointing lights at a load of actors) and to be honest light the show properly, there really is no reason on earth why if thought about you can not light a production of Les Mis with a totally conventional rig.

 

Lighting a show is about challenges, if your projector is a challenge, work around it.

 

Again sorry to be blunt, but you have to be able to walk before you can run as has been said here alot.

 

Regards

Andy.

[lightjocky]

Not wishing to sound like the 'if your a kid you shouldn't be doing it' gang. But if your flying truss in a pro venue, then I'd be surprised if their wasn't crew who could focus an LX rig for you.. Sounds like perhaps you've got some of your information wrong about what you and what the venue crew are allowed/will do.

 

 

cause there is a crew doing the rig I cannot touch anything but the desk to program and op but I am doing the design and therefore also the rig design and there is a budget larger enough to support our need.

the reason they carnt focus is after a certain height there rope ladders do not reach the bar.

 

MAC 2000's were designed to be blatted around the likes of Wembly stadium and other venues of such size, I'm pretty sure they will be absolutely fine in a school, in fact they like being 30 - 40 ft up in the air...

 

Sorry to be blunt but if you are at school, instead of getting moving lights get conventionals and a follow spot or two, take the projector consideration into account when designing the rig (as that is what a design is about as well as pointing lights at a load of actors) and to be honest light the show properly, there really is no reason on earth why if thought about you can not light a production of Les Mis with a totally conventional rig.

 

 

they are not for school but for a concert out of school

 

Moderation: Massive overquoting trimmed. If you're only adding a 1 or 2 line comment then quoting several pages of the preceeding message is overkill. In fact, quoting any is often overkill

[Matt Riley]

Of course, if you needed any more confirmation that Mac 2000s were OK for this venue, you could look at the tech spec - I guess this is the right venue! Anyway, assuming it is, then they've already got 4 as part of the house rig, so you shouldn't have any issues with them working in the building.

 

I think the posts that you've had so far really sum up industry best practise. Hire budgets are often tight - the idea is to achieve the desired effect as cheaply as possible, so that you make this elusive stuff called profit! That's why many LDs still in employment always start with generics for the basics, before adding movers for the stuff which the generics can't do easily.

 

When using motorised truss (like you've got there), most of us do something called bounce focussing with our generic fixtures. You simply drop the truss, guesstimate the focus and angle of each fixture, before raising the truss, turning it on, and if necessary lowering it again and tweaking.

 

Les Mis is also not really a musical which lends itself to movers. Oh, and talk lots to the chief lx, 'cos he(or she) knows the venue better than us.

 

HTH,

 

Matt

[pete LD]

but obvioesly a mac 2000 wont be bright enought that high any ideas.

thanks lightjocky

obviously not bright enough? you have something wrong with your macs if the not bright enough! there the brightest martin fixture, or where until the 700 came out which I believe has better optics and a newer lamp so is the same if not brighter.

I find it odd that you don't find them bright enough though. VL 3000s are nice and bright!

Pete

[Just Some Bloke]

we are using them as spot lights as we are trying to cut down on the amount of truss we have to fly.

 

One piece of truss with 2 x Mac 2000s or one piece of truss with 8 Source 4s both equal one piece of truss.

as it interferes with the view of the projector view

Ten pieces of truss with 100 Source 4s, all hung out of the beam of the projector = no problem.

One piece of truss with 2 x Mac 2000s hung withing the beam of the projector = problem

if we fly all the way to the roof the crew cannot focus at that height so we needed some sort of moving spot light

Look up "non sequitur" in the dictionary.

 

Sorry, fellow BR member, but nothing in that post makes any sense. If you really are designing lighting in a professional venue, you may hear some sniggers from the local crew unless you know what you're doing. I hope that either you do know what you're doing, or that someone who does is actually doing the lighting design.

 

Regards,

 

JSB

Lighting Designer (who does know what he's doing!)

[MarkPAman]

the reason they carnt focus is after a certain height there rope ladders do not reach the bar.

 

What?

[gareth]

WHY ARE YOU ALL FEEDING THE TROLL?????

[tokm]

WHY ARE YOU ALL FEEDING THE TROLL?????

Yes, is it just me, or does the O/P appear to not have much of a clue..

 

cause there is a crew doing the rig I cannot touch anything but the desk to program and op but I am doing the design and therefore also the rig design

That makes no sense as a reply to the quote of mine you put in your answer.. Who cares if you can't focus, that doesn't mean you can shout commands to the focus'er. If you don't believe me, just go watch a focus session in any decent sized venue that takes tours of any kind.. Most of the time the LD will be on the deck shouting to the lampie or one of the production LX's that are up the scope..

 

the reason they carnt focus is after a certain height there rope ladders do not reach the bar.

I think MarkPAman summed it up about right.. They have a tallescope or a means to walk the truss to focus.. so like I said before, I think your getting bad info from somewhere..

 

While typing this post, I've had a change of mind about believing your just misinformed and that theirs something else a'foot!

 

and there is a budget larger enough to support our need.

Think you mean needs.. I'm very surprised you got a budget big enough to do what your saying your doing from a company that would employ you. Much as I hate to be part of the lynch mob, but this all smells like a pile of porkies to me..

 

Here's some facts..

 

1) The venue shows no listing of your production in the 'whats on' section. And I'd be very surprised if they accepted the booking because of my next point..

 

2) Les Mis, is only on school rights, their very strict about it all, I wonder what would happen if they found out you were doing the show in a pro venue! When the contract states that it must be in a school venue.

 

Tom