Chubbs the Techie Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Hi! Sometime in the next few months my school is hosting it's annual talent show. Unfortunately the only place big enough to seat all those wanting to come is our main hall. This hall has just had a fantastic new sound system installed along with an enormous rear projection screen and projector. The main problem is the lighting; last year (before the new sound installment) we had to hire PA, which left no money to hire lighting. The result was fantastic sound throughout the show, but the lighting from the 12 channel 0-10v slightly broken lighting controller (situated BACKSTAGE OUT OF VIEW ) controlling incredibly old generic lanterns, most of which can't be gelled, resulted in patchy, and mostly white and very static lighting. It was truly a case of 'light them up'. It made the show visually very boring. I am now getting to the point of this post : As this year there is no need to hire sound, we can hire more lighting. Luckily, The school have just invested in a few source 4 profiles and about 12 par 64's. I'm hoping these will cover basics and colour. However, to add some movement and interest, and even to occasionally light up the audience, I was thinking maybe hire a couple of 250w or even 575w moving heads. My question is: is there a better solutionobviously I will have to hire a DMX controller as well so is it worth the money?Any makes/models or hire companies (school is in north yorkshire)anything you can say about whether this is an appaling or inspired idea???AGH just remembered: I can borrow a DMX controller (jester 24) from the drama department along with a DMX to analog converter box for the dimmers. That should improve/make the basics easier. Any help/suggestions is appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Jesters are nice - but are not moving light controllers. Hiring in some movers and a proper control is fine - but will you have it long enough to learn how to use it? Some source 4's and PARs can do a good job - especially if you get some gobo breakups and a hazer. Movers can do pretty things in this example - but the hassle of rigging them and learning a new desk in a short time will be more trouble than it's worth. Stick with the jester and make some nice states up - it will be just as good (unless you're a wizz programmer). Some movers doing aimless audience sweeps is quite boring after a while - and as always with movers you really need quite a few to make it look good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave singleton Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Unless you just hire a Jester moving light module for your exsisting Jester? Most hire companies will be able to send you anything anywhere you want in the UK. Contact me off forum for more info with regards to the Jester and moving light hires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubbs the Techie Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Ooh I didn't know such a thing existed! That could be good... I hadn't thought of the technicalities of rigging such beasts...we having a ridiculously tall and slightly wobbly step ladder to rig (and we have to ask a teacher to do so for us and even though they're teaching us to live in the real world screwing a clamp and plugging in some XLR cables always seems to be beyond them . Programming isn't such a problem as (this will sound rather big headed of me but hey) I have a talent for seing something and being able to use it! Especialy, it seems, lighting controllers. But thankyou, getting some good states should create a suitable atmoshpere, especially as with the jester we can do chases which is virtually imposible with the analogue board short of running your fingers up and down the flash buttons :down:. Having said all this, somebody from school has a father who owns the local hire place, so we seem to get ridiculous discounts. If we're allowed, we may just get them anyway :P it'll make me happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Ah, I see - you just want to play? I have a talent for seing something and being able to use it! Especialy, it seems, lighting controllers.Well, best of luck then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afterworks Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 What kind of hire budget do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Sounds like you have a local hire place anyway, but I'm in Leeds which isn't too far away and can reccomend ZigZag lighting and 3d productions as good places to start. ZigZag in particular have lots of "wow factor" movers, mainly Robe 575 spots and washes. I have no connection with either business apart from as a tech on some shows that have used stuff from them and I've seen ZigZag's stores! It's amazing what a couple of fresnels on a tight focus with coloured gel pointed into the audience can do. Backlighting is also easy to do with just a pair of Tbars upstage and with a bit of haze, looks great. Bear in mind scanners are cheaper and tend to move quicker than moving heads, though they do have slightly limited tilt and pan. Intelligent lighting is so much more effective with a touch of haze in there so youan see beams of light, otherwise you've just got a moveable profile spot with gobo's Drop me a PM if you're stuck or want local (ish) contacts. Whereabouts in north yorkshire are we talking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubbs the Techie Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Ah, I see - you just want to play? I have a talent for seing something and being able to use it! Especialy, it seems, lighting controllers.Well, best of luck then.GASP! my secret's out!!! Having never had hands on with such equipment, I'm not denying that I would enjoy it. Anyway, surely a school talent show should be educational sorry I'll stop being silly now.Sorry about my nerdy big headedness...it's a party piece (not the big headiness the nerdy lighting-ness :P ). Another thing - is it worth using strobe lighting for all the health and safety and other such things (in a school of course) (all the audience go to the school, I don't know if this makes a difference?). There are always metal bands who want strobes...Sorry was typing last post when that one came in...A technician friend has said scanners aren't worth the hassle, although I don't know what hassle they were talking about! Thanks for the hire place recomendations I'll do some phoning...the school is in york so leeds is a short car journey away! And yes we have a haze machine although I think we may be investing in a new (and bigger) one sometime soon possibly a jem. Also thanks for the fresnel idea.Not sure of budget either. Probs up to £200 and we need to hire for a week to cover rehearsals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave singleton Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 for £200 you'll be hard pushed to get much in the way of movers and control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubbs the Techie Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Thanks dave I've never been in control of hiring before so I had no idea of costs. I may have to rethink this...I'm thinking we'll just work on the basics to make them look gorgeous . Anyway, this year we are incorporating video so it certainly doesn't need more interest, I just liked the idea. Oh well !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayke93 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Jesters are nice - but are not moving light controllers. *snip* is the Jester ML not out yet? the zero 88 site, here, says that the ML can do up to 30 movers Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Langfeld Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 On that budget and with your previous knowledge of movers, I'd be tempted to hire as many bars of 6 and dimmers as you can if I were you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubbs the Techie Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Cor Blimey! Am I glad I joined this forum! I think I'd of got myself into a bit of a pickle. Thanks for all your advice! You've given me some simple but awesome ideas. All you experienced folks passing on your wisdom EDIT: for future reference, can anybody approximate how much it would cost to hire, say, 2 martin mac 250 kryptons and the jester moving head module extension thingy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Langfeld Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 EDIT: for future reference, can anybody approximate how much it would cost to hire, say, 2 martin mac 250 kryptons and the jester moving head module extension thingy? Very roughly - £200 ish, but just two movers is going to look very whimpy - you really want 6 or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Or, as I was about to say, a minimum of four moving lights to achieve any useful effect. And, as already mentioned, you would need some sort of atmospherics (haze/smoke) as well. But if you don't have one already then I suggest just hiring a hazer to enhance the pars. It can make a world of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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