Interesting Dilemma

[Nick LX]

Hi,

 

I have been faced with what I think is quite an interesting dilemma. It concerns a musical which my school will be performing for a week at the end of November.

 

So firsts thing is first: give a little background:

 

The theatre has always been quite successful. I mean we aren't strapped for equipment that we have nor do we have lots of money though. Rough equipment list is:

20x mixed profiles (26/44, 11/26, sils, zooms) -> Lots of Strand lights

10x par64s

20x mixed washes/fresnels (quartets, 1kw, cantata fs, prelude)

ETC Express 72

12x Strand Act 6 dimmer racks..

 

For dimming we should essentially have 72 channels, however these racks are upwards of about 10 years old, and no dimmer racks should last that long. Last time I checked, we were left with about 40 channels of dimming excluding 2 extra racks which are for some reason fitted with 3 32amp plugs each!

 

As for space we have to light: it is quite a large theatre. We do have a few bars which we fly (about 4) as well as quite a 3 FOH bars and a bar running the length of the theatre (which was actually built by an architect who specialises in lecture rooms unfortunately).

 

So that's the 3 main things that you should probably know about the theatre.

 

We now come on to the play. The musical is the Hired Man (which from the rehearsals sounds like a really fun musical). It just happens to be the Head of Drama's last year at the school (he has spent several at it) before he retires, and we have a big budget for the play. We are having a stage built by a professional company.

 

My role is lighting designer, of which I have quite a bit of experience. (Whenever I go to the theatre I always seem to concentrate on the lighting design.) I have been thinking about what to hire in, (I know the budget is around 2000 pounds for 2 weeks of lighting hire), and seem to have come out with 2 main possibilities.

 

1) Hire more generic lights, and maybe even some colour scrollers (due to the odd shape of the stage) and also some extra dimming power, which we can run of the 3ph 63amp socket we have. (I checked: that socket is separate from the 3ph supplying the permanent dimmer racks).

 

2) Hire movers and a different desk (I have experience with the Pearl 2004) which we can power from the 3ph.

 

I know having just read that you are thinking that maybe there is an obvious answer. I can tell you this for sure: there is no chance of buying any equipment for reasons I won't go into.

 

My main questions really are:

 

1) Would you hire more generic lights to light any part of the stage at any different time? or movers, if you have the experience to use them?

 

2) Would you say it is easier to program generics against movers noting that if you were using movers you would have already set up palettes for easier program?

 

I am strongly going toward movers, not only because I have the experience to be able to program them but also because due to the nature of the stage (which I remembered just includes a gallery at the back) and also where we can rig lights.

 

I would be grateful if you could give some feedback as it would be extremely useful.

 

Thanks

[smalljoshua]

How about a combination of both?

 

You have a lot of budget there. You could for example go for 6 each of wash and spot Heads and still have money left for generics & control.

 

E2A My school has some tempus dimmers that are getting on for 30 years old.

 

Josh

[bruce]

For dimming we should essentially have 72 channels, however these racks are upwards of about 10 years old, and no dimmer racks should last that long.

 

what nonsense...

 

I would be surprised if the costs involved in repairing the "broken" kit were more than the costs of hiring in replacements.

 

Look at the long term picture.

[mark_s]

I would design something, and hire in the things that I need to support/realise my vision for the show. You, as Lighting Designer, are the person who's supposed to be designing the lighting for the production. What you hire in will be the equipment you need to realise your design, which will be formed after reading/analysing the script, discussing with the director their visions for the production, and attending rehearsals. Until then, how can anyone possibly say what you should or shouldn't be getting?

 

And slightly off-topic, but I don't see why a dimmer rack shouldn't last 10 or more years.

 

Edit

And another thing you might want to think about, is that although movers can move where they're pointing, the angle of the light will also change. It might be difficult to replace a rig of conventionals with a smaller rig of movers as although they might be lighting what you want to be lit, the light may well not be coming from where you want it to be at all.

[Nick LX]

For dimming we should essentially have 72 channels, however these racks are upwards of about 10 years old, and no dimmer racks should last that long.

 

what nonsense...

 

I would be surprised if the costs involved in repairing the "broken" kit were more than the costs of hiring in replacements.

 

Look at the long term picture.

 

That isn't really my position to say really. I guess I forgot to mention that I am merely a student at this school, so I have no say on what to spend the budget on.

 

I would design something, and hire in the things that I need to support/realise my vision for the show. You, as Lighting Designer, are the person who's supposed to be designing the lighting for the production. What you hire in will be the equipment you need to realise your design, which will be formed after reading/analysing the script, discussing with the director their visions for the production, and attending rehearsals. Until then, how can anyone possibly say what you should or shouldn't be getting?

 

And slightly off-topic, but I don't see why a dimmer rack shouldn't last 10 or more years.

 

Edit

And another thing you might want to think about, is that although movers can move where they're pointing, the angle of the light will also change. It might be difficult to replace a rig of conventionals with a smaller rig of movers as although they might be lighting what you want to be lit, the light may well not be coming from where you want it to be at all.

 

Something I have a problem with is time constraints. I have been attending rehearsals, so I am already getting an idea of design, as well as equipment. I think technically it would be easier for us to get half and half. We have tech one weekend and then perfomances start 1 week after that.

 

Thanks

[smalljoshua]

How about doing a deal with your hire company to forget to take the dimmers away then charge you a bit more for them? :unsure:

 

Josh

[gareth]

I'm definitely not going to get into the "movers vs. generics for a school rental" debate again.

 

But what I will say is that if you don't expect your dimmers to last more than 10 years, then either you've bought some really sh!t dimmers or you have no idea how to treat them properly! Our dimmers at work are something of an embarrassment at times (we're the only venue on the Welsh touring circuit which hasn't had its dimmers replaced recently - in fact, some venues on our circuit are onto their third set of dimmers while we still solider on with the originals!), but they work. Altogether, between the two venues, we have 316 (not including houselight dimmers). 180 are the original STM racks from when the building opened in 1976, the remainder are an assortment of STM and Permus racks that were added around the mid-80s. They get used pretty much every single day (apart from the dark period over the summer), and have been since they were installed - and every single one is still working.

[Pete McCrea]

Surely as the LD your task is to design the way you and the creative team want the show to look. From there you then work out what kit you need to achieve the look, as opposed to the way you seem to be going about it, which is deciding what toys you want to spend the cash on.

[Nick LX]

Thanks. These are actually the answers that will help me the most, so I am most grateful.

I will look into all of this.

 

Thanks

[mark_s]

Something I have a problem with is time constraints. I have been attending rehearsals, so I am already getting an idea of design, as well as equipment. I think technically it would be easier for us to get half and half. We have tech one weekend and then perfomances start 1 week after that.

 

That would have been a dream situation for me in the summer when I was lighting a school production of Fame. Instead I got the rig hung on Friday and Saturday morning, the set in Saturday afternoon (which made access awkward), everything focused on Sunday, and plotting done during the few rehearsals before we opened on the Tuesday. The key is planning and preparation. If you know what you want to do and have a rig plan/cue sheet/patch/other bits of paperwork before you start hanging, focusing and programming things, you'll work a lot faster than if you're making it up as you go along. Obviously tweaks will need to be made (the cue sheet for Fame had quite a few cues 'removed' with sharpie as I went a bit overboard initially), but you'll know mostly what you're doing and you'll work much more efficiently for it.

 

Also it might be a good idea to focus on how you want it to look at a high level before you start thinking about kit. You might need to refine your ideas to take into account budget or technical constraints, but it seems a much more sensible way of working than thinking of kit before you know what you want to achieve with it.

 

And as a final note, 72 dimmers is a luxury. Even 40 is to some :unsure:

[bruce]

First we have:

I have been faced with....

I have been thinking about what to hire in, (I know the budget is around 2000 pounds for 2 weeks of lighting hire)...

 

1) Hire more generic lights,

2) Hire movers and a different desk

...

My main questions really are:

 

1) Would you hire more generic lights

 

Note the "I" above....

but then...

 

That isn't really my position to say really. I guess I forgot to mention that I am merely a student at this school, so I have no say on what to spend the budget on.

 

If you really have no say, then why ask? If, on the other hand, you do have some influence, then perhaps suggesting that repairing the existing kit would be a more cost-effective option, with obvious long term-benefits, would surely be a sensible way forward.

[Nick LX]

Sorry, not being clear. I get given a budget to hire some lights, not to fix dimmers and such. That is what the theatre's yearly budget is for.

 

So technically all I can say is: I want to hire these lights. The theatre manager will then agree or disagree. If I say "get the dimmers fixed", I know for a fact that he will say "No!".

[bruce]

In that case, if it were me, I would be suggesting (probably rather forcefully) that the budget was allocated to deliver a service - whether that is delivered by hiring or repair is largely irrelevent, as the short term end result is the same - cash gets paid to a hire/support company, and the service is delivered.

 

The long term result of repair, on the other hand, is that the investment is not completely lost after the hire ends.... It's called "value for money", and "not wasting taxpayer's money".

 

Bottom line, it'll probably cost the same this year, but will save money next year.

 

But as I said, that's just what I'd do.... others may not be in a position to, or have the confidence to, make that argument.

 

You did ask for opinions :unsure:

[smalljoshua]

I second Bruce's opinion about spending the money wisely.

 

If at all possible keep on at the Theatre Manager to spend the money on repairing the dimmers.

 

If there is no way that this will happen then make your design as elaborate as possible knowing that you probably have the budget to make it happen. Then once you have done this come back and ask us what to get to achieve a certain effect/element of your design then we will be able to help you more.

 

Just one thing though. Make sure you have all of the key elements covered before you start thinking outside the box. Things such as good front/side/back light coverage in at least 2 or 3 colours. Maybe scrollers could be an option here.

 

Its all up to you.

 

Josh

[Russ83]

Firstly, I don't see the point in having equipment that doesn't work! It is probably even written into the theatre managers job description that he is responsible for keeping the equipment safe and in a working condition. It's certainly in mine!

 

Anyways, back to the topic...

Last week our school put on The Sound of Music which IMHO is a very big show for a school. Looking back it was perhaps too big but it wasn't my decision, nevertheless it was a very successful with a sellout of 280 seats for 3 nights!

 

Lighting plan - Firstly remember this is a musical, you do not need to cook the actors with loads of high powered fixtures, you only need to see them! The lighting should set the mood in each scene so use contrasts, well lit when outside on the farm but more intimate/gloomy when in the pub etc. If you can, try to put some backlight in so the actors are lit from each side, this removes alot of shadows from their clothing and makes them stand out from the backdrop and actually look 3D.

Get a list of all the specials that you need and then a list of specials that you would like. Using gobos for breaking up the sky backdrop or wall/floor in buildings can add much more visual depth to the stage but remember that specials will eat up your available channels.

 

And as a final note, 72 dimmers is a luxury. Even 40 is to some ;)

For sound of music I only had 24 channels available:

8 went on specials - clouds, lightning, general breakup, centre FoH aisle, band, 'kiss' spot, 2x 'bed' spots

5 for FoH apron - 2x General cover, orange + green + blue washes

8 for stage - 2x general cover, red + blue washes, 3 channels for cyc (RGB LED pars)

1 follow spot

1 stain glass window gauze backlight

2 SPARE CHANNELS!!

35 Fixtures used and no lighting hire costs.

I don't know how big your stage is but for comparison our acting space on stage is 8m x 6m (WxD) and the temporary apron was 12m x 4(WxD).

 

Our moving lights stayed where they live in my office and the 4 big 1.2kW colour mixers/washes didn't get plugged in either. Did the show suffer because I didn't use them?? Certainly not, it was probably better that I didn't as it meant I could spend my limited time setting all the other levels to the best effect.