heinz57 Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Hi all, I've started this topic for us all to share some weird, wonderful and downright cool effects we have made in the past with lighting or lighting and staging together! I'll start us off by sharing a couple myself and the college technician have made last year and this year. Straw and fressies, This is what we called 'the straw wash' Our colege rig is a rectangle shape with bars running through the middle. We created a basic straw wash (LEE 103) We did it by having 6 open right 1K fresnels on the stage right side ran at 62% and 4 1K fresnels with LEE 103 straw's in ran at 77%. The effect turned out pretty cool with some good shaddowed effects on the actors faces. Why not give it a try? Another is in a more recent music production which took place just before Christmas 2007. During the production the techi told me to just 'muck about' and experiment with the lights, as we didn't have any specific cues. So I experimented with static colours with a colourd chase at the same time. That turned out pretty cool aswell. The audience was pretty impressed with the lighting in that show, specialy when the smoke machine kicked in and the light shone through! That was good. What do you guys think to them and what have you created? Heinz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj Dunc Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 done a show at college, with a raised stage, with a large pit of water in the center. We then used a raised tank (clear plexiglass) with a fan to create ripples, then uplighting it through the water with 4 patt 743/223s gelled slightly blue, onto the actors faces, to give a rippling eiree pool effect. We then used a large pond mister, to show mist on the top of the water. worked a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heinz57 Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 done a show at college, with a raised stage, with a large pit of water in the center. We then used a raised tank (clear plexiglass) with a fan to create ripples, then uplighting it through the water with 4 patt 743/223s gelled slightly blue, onto the actors faces, to give a rippling eiree pool effect. We then used a large pond mister, to show mist on the top of the water. worked a treat. That does sound good. Nobody would even dream of doing that at my college! What was the performance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gaffa Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Another couple of interesting effect...... Shin busters SL & SR in Lee 147 with back lighting in Lee 161, combined with Video projection on the cyc, plus Low fog. Looks great for dance. Shadow projection effect (on the cheap for Under Milk Wood "the drowned" scene) Take a light blue or off white kingsize bed sheet stretch between two poles, back light using 3 Coda 500 (or similar floods) in 161 works a treat. (just remember to fire proof the sheet before use) Finally a pic of our small theatre with lighting for mid summers nights dream http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k314/Dr_Sparks/DSC_0049.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychedelic Theatre Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Looks like a fairly nice space you've got there!! I'd love to have the size of your space and the number of LX bars you seem to have! Pity about that fire exit sign!! Are you allowed to mask it? Or do you have to have it completely visible like in the photo for H&S reasons? Is that wrinkles from a marley/equivalent floor on the stage? Can't tell if it's that or some light leaking from somewhere! I can't say I've had the equipment to be able to experiment too much, and this isn't really an effect, more a technique I suppose. Me and a friend had great fun turning an empty stage into the set for a small blackbox style show using a few stage blocks and lighting. I'd been reading some of Adolphe Appia's theories/thoughts and created a bedroom (for a love scene), a balcony (both at night and during the day) and a lounge, using just the stage blocks (they weren't moved at all during the performance) and some conventional lanterns. By creating sections we could place the stage blocks so that the stage could contain a bed, a sofa, a chair, and a balcony by lighting from different angles using different colours and keeping certain areas in shadow/semi-darkness. It's a bit difficult to explain, I shall try and find some photos, a picture is worth a thousand words as they say!! Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gaffa Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Looks like a fairly nice space you've got there!! I'd love to have the size of your space and the number of LX bars you seem to have! Pity about that fire exit sign!! Are you allowed to mask it? Or do you have to have it completely visible like in the photo for H&S reasons? Is that wrinkles from a marley/equivalent floor on the stage? Can't tell if it's that or some light leaking from somewhere!Yup the space is a nice one to work in (StudioTheatre, Richmond Adult Community College, Parkshot, Richmond, TW9 2RE) We did mask the sign for the run, the photo was taken just after the tech run, and the wrinkles are from the Marley which we've since replaced with a black MDF floor. If you want to PM me I can give you more info abot the venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techiegsy Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Well we recently did a production of Journeys End which was fun. I had a really nice effect though the doorway, which was done using a bar directly above the doorway with two Cantatas with Colour Call Scrollers, this allowed me to have one on while the other faded, or for different angles. I also had two LED pars there for extra effect. The best in the show at the end was theL Soundscape using 5 channel surroud (Center at back of stage, Front Left and Right in front of the stage and Back ft Land Right at the very back) which was used to create missles flying across and landing in different places, and the Final Loud bang, this was follwed by a very soloum ending which had lots of smake and used a spot on the memorial, the the doorway in red the lights on just the actors (who has dead make up on) faces and slow procession out with the red doorway. They had no curtain call. I'll try and get some pictures. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatman Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 ..We did mask the sign for the run, the photo was taken just after the tech run, and the wrinkles are from the Marley which we've since replaced with a black MDF floor... Masking a fire escape sign sounds a bit chancy should the H&S people drop in. You would be much better changing it for a non-maintained sign which only lights up when the fire alarm sounds or mains power is lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikienorth Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Masking a fire escape sign sounds a bit chancy should the H&S people drop in. You would be much better changing it for a non-maintained sign which only lights up when the fire alarm sounds or mains power is lost. Which, if it is a waylight (over a door, in green, showing the route to safety) is also not allowed. Oh the fun of emergency lighting. Work has had them all changed recently, because they were too small. Gah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gaffa Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 What we did was to use some Black fine mesh muslin doubled over to reduce the light, the sign was still visible, but at a much reduced output. We got the OK from the local licensing bods as they came and had a look. A word of caution here; Not all local licensing authorities will allow this, However if a Total blackout is required for an effect (UV / Pyro) and is only for a very short period, they may allow it on the proviso that as soon as its over the emergency lighting is returned to operation. Check with them first and seek their advice. I heard about one amature theatre & group in London, doing this without checking. The licensing bod popped in unannounced to do a DP inspection, while the blackout was happening and shut the show down, the group, director & Venue got fined £10,000, and the venue got its license revoked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 ND gel can work well here as well. But as said above check with your local authority Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpower Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Well we recently did a production of Journeys End which was fun. I had a really nice effect though the doorway, which was done using a bar directly above the doorway with two Cantatas with Colour Call Scrollers, this allowed me to have one on while the other faded, or for different angles. I also had two LED pars there for extra effect. The best in the show at the end was theL Soundscape using 5 channel surroud (Center at back of stage, Front Left and Right in front of the stage and Back ft Land Right at the very back) which was used to create missles flying across and landing in different places, and the Final Loud bang, this was follwed by a very soloum ending which had lots of smake and used a spot on the memorial, the the doorway in red the lights on just the actors (who has dead make up on) faces and slow procession out with the red doorway. They had no curtain call. I'll try and get some pictures. Dan This sound scarily like the design I've done for both LX and sound, for our production of JE going up tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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