Achieving simple 'flow' effect with intelligent lights?

[Happy Jack]

I've been wondering how one may go about achieving a similar 'effect'. So simple, I'm sure, but I haven't been able to find any decisive information on it. Having watched Bill Bailey Part Troll tonight, I'll give it as an example.

 

Bill Bailey Clip

 

The sequence itself, I presume, does not consist of multiple static states. It's not a 'chase' as such. It just seems like there is a delay of a couple of ms on the DMX in to each fixture, giving that uniform and fluid effect. Is it as simple as that?

 

As I say, I've had a search, but haven't found a thing. I guess very, very few of the low-end disco light controllers offer this sort of control (we own a Martin Freekie), so I assuming that something like a Jester ML would have this feature as standard.

 

If someone could shed any light on this I would be very grateful. I anticipate a very boring and straightforward answer.

[Colin]

It looks like a chase to me

 

(assuming you mean the row of movers along the back)

 

I would suggest that it is with a tungsten lamp of some description which gives the nice fade. I have created very similar effect with parcans before and I have seen a similar thing done using a cyc with parcans behind it in a 6 by 6 matrix.

[niclights]

The effect with the VL's on the floor could be achieved by applying a shape or effect to the intensity channel. These are common to most professional consoles and usually have options to select a type of pattern (ie. sin wave/sawtooth etc.), apply it to a particular attribute and then have controls for size, speed and phase.

 

In the intensity example, the size will determine how bright they get, the speed will determine how quickly they go on and off and the phase will determine how many degrees into the pattern each fixture will start, relative to those adjacent. Zero degree would make them all go on and off together. 180 degree would make odd/even units alternate etc.

 

It may just be a simple chase though, with natural glow from tungsten as Colin says!

 

 

Shapes/effects can be applied to any attribute but are most common on pan/tilt for moving heads and you can see that further into the clip a shape is applied to the pan attribute.

[Sound In Gloucestershire]

id just like to say, thats one heck of a lightshow for a Comedian

[indyld]

To me, this looks like a classic intensity ripple/wave shape. On a professional console, it's also the quickest way to achieve this great effect. Only a few button presses:

 

Select fixtures in order - apply wave/shape to intensity - set size/speed - set offset to create the ripple.

 

What makes this look distinct from a chase is that most simple chase controls only allow a step to start after the previous one is complete. The best ripple effect is created by starting each fixture fade up before the previous step has finished (as Niclights says, using a few degrees of offest). Consoles with more complex cuestack/ timeline fine tuning could also create the same timing although it's more fiddly. Even allowing for tungsten filaments dying, the chase method is not quite the same but is the only option on a simple controller with no shape/effect facility.

 

Applying a simlar effect/offest to the tilt attribute is how the "mexican wave" is created with a line of moving fixtures. An even bigger offset is the quickest way to create the "can-can". All from one simple waveform applied to a line of fixtures, selected in a regular order.

 

So, it is remarkably simple if you have a controller that will do it simply.

[j_b]

It's a pretty staightforward chase, with some crossfade set, and two lamps on in each step.

 

e.g, for 6 lamps:

 

110000

011000

001100

000110

000011

100001

 

and repeat.

 

Set approx 50% crossfade on a regular old fashined lighting console (nothing fancy) and away you go. to mimic the effect the tungsten lamp has a little more, you may wish to set the pattern to be more of a 0, 50%, 100%, 50%, 0%, 0% and ripple this through - depends on how many you've got in a row and the speed.

 

Experiment!

 

HTH

Kev

[Happy Jack]

Thanks for all your replies, that certainly clears things up. The Freekie, although it has its place, will not be something we rely on to program our movers. We'll be investing in a second hand Frog or possibly a Jester ML to get the most out of our humble rig.

 

<gush> An extended thank you to Rob, the On Stage Lighting website has been a fantastic pool of information to me, absolutely essential reading. It has really helped me out! Not the first nor the last time you'll hear that, I'm sure. </gush>

[Jamtastic3]

Yup, that VL chase can be done either with steps crossfading or applying a sine or cosine waveform/shape.

[indyld]

An extended thank you to Rob, the On Stage Lighting website has been a fantastic pool of information to me, absolutely essential reading. It has really helped me out!

 

No problem. It's always nice to hear that people enjoy it and find the resource useful.

[andylights]

" Ah, I see the Mysteron display team are in ..."

 

So to get that one, you not only have to be a lampy, but a Gerry and Silvia Anderson fan as well.

 

Great line though!

 

Andy