Using A Profile Spot as A Followspot

[Andrastaroth]

I'm LD/LO for a drama production at my school this term and I want to use a couple of black-gelled follows, but I'm working on a non-budget, which is causing me enough stress as it is, especially seeing as we lost both a fresnal, and a PC 1200 while doing our last production, due to improper procedures.

 

I know I cannot get the budget to hire them, let alone buy them, and I really don't want to have to try and call them in from someone else, because I'd probably only get them on the day of the show. So I was thinking of using two Zoomspot 1000s that we have as follows, since I have no use for them as Static Profiles.

 

Would this be safe to do? I would of course make sure that the ops were appropriately protected, and that they didn't have to touch the spots much, or for very long. I would also make sure they were trained properly in using the equipment. In order to prevent any problems with heights I would have them on risers behind the desk, Which would at most be maybe 2.5 metres off the ground, just high enough that the beam didn't get impaired by crew or audience. What are the major problems with this, apart from the way it would light the actors, and would this be acceptable and safe?

 

Thanks in advance.

~Andrastaroth~

[themadhippy]

follow spot=profile spot.your biggest problems are going to be the lack of an iris and a colour mag

[casey_cole]

Your operators will be working at height, but otherwise there isn't going to be any issue with it really - just make sure they've all got some thick gloves.

 

Put it like this - it's going to work, but it isn't going to be pretty is it? They won't have as much control as they should have (pan and tilt), no iris, no boomerang and unless you can rustle some up; they're not going to have any dimmers either.

 

Are you sure you can't afford to hire any? One day show + one day set up is going to be less than £50 for the pair - no PTA association to talk to?

 

Good luck!

 

CC

[paulears]

Confused by the "black gelled follow spots" - black gel is a bit dim?

[cedd]

Profile spots aren't meant to pan and tilt smoothly, they're meant to be locked off.

 

Don't worry about the heat, the proper followspot I'm currently working is hotter than any profile I've ever come across!

[berry120]

Height and heat would be the two issues that immediately spring to mind. Though as has already been mentioned, some followspots can get a lot hotter than profiles! Just make sure people handle them appropriately and are trained properly.

 

It won't look the best in the world, it'll be jerky and it's not what they were designed to do - but if you can't afford any proper ones, then a couple of profiles are probably your best bet. Just don't expect them to look that great!

[dbuckley]

On an annual gig I do I use a Pacific 12/28 as a follow spot, with a drop-in iris, on a spigot mount, and with single channel dimmer. Yeah, its a compromise, and in no way a proper followspot, but its good enough for the job in hand. There is an an insulated handle on the back of the thing in just about the right place, and, of course, the Pacific advantage that it already has a mechanism for handling the heat.

[themadhippy]

Profile spots aren't meant to pan and tilt smoothly, they're meant to be locked off.

It won't look the best in the world, it'll be jerky and it's not what they were designed to do

Erm someone like to explain this to a confused hippy? The pan will be as smooth as a baby's botty if you use the correct spigot,stand and washers,same with tilt if you undo the yoke a nats dobrie,OK you may need to tweak the yokes position to get the correct centre of gravity.

[cedd]

The profile's I regularly use are horribly jerky, not that it ever normally matters, but my main reason is that the better followspots I've worked have had a pair of large disks for the lamp to pan on. They act like huge washers and allow the spigot to be reasonably loose without the lamp wobbling. On the other hand, if the OP hasn't the money for a followspot, he probably hasn't got the money for a decent stand and spigot.

 

Out of interest, a dimmer has been mentioned above. Do we reckon a dimmer is essential for followspot work? I've certainly nevr worked an electrically dimmed spot, it's always been done on shutter and iris. Changing between an in-focus beam and an out of focus beam as required might not be as easy on a profile as on a followspot. My regular ones certainly have one lever that changes this easily in a small movement, however I'm guessing technical spotting is not the order of the day in this case.

[Andrastaroth]

Okay guys thanks for the replies. I do have two 12 channel dimmers to work with, which are part of the schools rig. If anyones wondering why I'd be using black gels, the reason is that the Director only wants two states, white and black. For the black state she just wanted all the lights off, but naturally that would make it next to impossible to see the actors performance, so I was going to use the spots to illuminate them slightly while still fitting in with the black. The reason I want to use them as follows is to save having to put up five or six lights to cover the stage area. Due to the lack of budget I can't afford to black-gel more than a couple of lights, so I thought that using follows would allow me to cover the whole stage without using too many lights. I know the movement of profiles is less than ideal, but as long as the ops were decently trained/had enough practice I don't think that it will be too much of a problem. As I said before the ops wouldn't be too high, probably only about 2 metres above ground level, most likely on either scaff, or risers, depending on what I can call in.

[paulears]

I'm even more confused. I kind of though the idea was to slide a bit of cardboard into the 'follow spot' to dim them, but you really do mean black gel? If she wants two states, black and white, then this means open white and off - surely? IF your black state means you can't see the actors, then don't go out, go dim.

 

Something tells me you've got the wrong end of the stick - you shouldn't use follow spots to make up for not having the correct kit up in the correct place - you can, of course, but followspots will come in from a low angle, shine in the actors eyes, look horrible and if the wobble it will make the audience look at the lighting not the actors. Followspots instead of 5-6 lights? If the idea is to light the acting area, you need proper lights. You have profiles for cnversion into followspots, but do you have iris diaphragms to put in them to stop them being huge circles?

 

 

Sounds like a real mess. Take the profiles, hang them up, focus them, shutter them - whatever and then either dim, or use some kind of colour to achieve what might look like dark. Remind your teacher black is the absence of light - NOT a colour. I suspect you don't understand what she really means or wants - and once you do, you can produce a working lighting design. Going on what you've told us, followspots are not it!

[WiLL]

I'm still unsure by 'black gel'. Do you mean a very highly saturated blue such as Lee 071 (Tokyo Blue)? Or does the director mean black-light which is another term for Ultra Violet (U.V) light? Or does the director simply mean; 'It's a light's up, lights down' deal'? I.E Full stage washes and blackouts? Surely no director can honestly believe that they can have actors performing in complete darkness? We have a word for that, it's 'Radio-Play'.

[cfmonk]

I once made a follow spot out of an old overhead projector. Worked really rather well too!

 

However, on topic, I think a clarification might be in order. From what I have read the OP might be trying to create isolated pools of light in which bits of the action can take place during the "dark" sections (think sewer scene from Les Mis) but to achieve this I really would not be going for the followspot option, just do some clever focusing and use some of the lights you use for the "light scene" to light up bits of the dark scene.

 

Chris

[berry120]

Erm someone like to explain this to a confused hippy? The pan will be as smooth as a baby's botty if you use the correct spigot,stand and washers,same with tilt if you undo the yoke a nats dobrie,OK you may need to tweak the yokes position to get the correct centre of gravity.

 

I was assuming that the correct spigot, stand and washers weren't available. If they are it's a different story but since the production can't afford to hire in a proper followspot, I was assuming that was probably the case... someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Secondly, if the director's just said she wants a state where there's no lights, then don't give her any lights! If she wants some dim light after all, then just turn the lights on the rig up to about 5-10%. No need to regel any of them. If it turns out she wants a dark blue, or something similar for an atmospheric affect, then gel some lights on the rig dark blue.

[VisualShock]

I'd just like to say: Been there, done that. I know what you're going through :)

 

We had a 20 foot scaffolding tower, with 2 "follow-spots" (profiles) at the back of our main hall. it worked fairly well, but the fact we had to hang the clamp onto a bar that was being held in place by gaffa tape and prayers kinda said it all. It's very doable, but as has been said already "It will be functional, not pretty."