Swimming pool lighting

[blackbird]

Has your director/designer been watching the Baz Luhrman (sp?) version too much?! I think the "romantic feel" will be somewhat reduced by the actors shivering!

[agermich]

Putting the water practicality issues aside, what action are you actually lighting? Will it be above or below the surface of the water? During "In The Red and Brown Water" at the Young Vic, I always felt that the water looked at its best when lit indirectly by the working lights or when lit with side lighting from underneath the balcony. When lit it this way it appeared the be endlessly deep with a magical reflective quality - as soon as it was lit from above with traditional theatrical lighting you were able to see the liner and the magic dissapeared. Watch this video to get an impression of what I mean -

 

Mike

[Pete McCrea]

Sorry to drag it back off the lighting to the structural points.

 

I'm also nervous about trying to contain that much water. My Civils Degree is a bit rusty, but my late night maths makes out that 1x1x0.5m of water is about 5kN/m2, which could be close to the design load of the floor, even if a concrete slab, as you don't know the actual construction. So my advice would be find a friendly Engineer, and get them to double check the maths and floor construction on this one.

 

Remember water is heavy. A cubic metre ways about the same as a Ford Focus.... So that area 2mx2m with a depth of 0.5m of water would have the approximate equivalent of two Foci (?!) parked in it.

[GridGirl]

Rather than lighting through the water, had you thought about bouncing light off the water so you get reflections around the room? Combined with a fan which blows over the surface of the water, you can get some great effects. And as a side note, every single production using water that I have ever seen or been involved with (a fair few!) has had major issues with leaks and floods, no matter how careful they were or how much money was spent or how experienced the set builders were. I've seen soaked green rooms (below the stage), water running into orchestra pits (fortunately empty at the time), flooded under-stage areas and MDF flooring swelling up with the damp. If anyone suggests water as part of a show to me now, I am very, very wary of even considering it as the problems it poses are so huge.

[Alex222]

Hi thanks for the reply's we are currently looking into the idea that member agermich put forward as the volume of water needed for the size we are looking at would be quite low with this method.

 

Thanks the idea of lighting the water from the side to give reflections and the incorporation of a fan could be interesting. I think that the lighting of it will be a mixture of trial and error trying at the start trying out a number of ways that have been mentioned on her and from other resources.

 

We are doing the “film version” of Rome and Juliet and the director has said that he wants the lighting to be mad! and something that people won’t expect so I think a mixture of effects will be used for the water. Whirls writing this I have just thought about maybe using an effects projector on the water?.

 

I will have to post photos of it when it’s all done <_<

[Ynot]

Alex, sorry, but I really think that your drama teacher should be thinking VERY seriously about this planned trick.

To do it well, and above all RIGHT will take a lot of time and expense, and as has already been said you will need to consider a LOT more than just what happens when it leaks...

 

Maybe point your teacher to this topic on the BR and let him/her see what we've suggested and recommended directly as well as the caveats that have been placed on everything.

[Jivemaster]

First look at the cost of a properly fabricated pool inc supports for the sides (to stop them bulging - Garden pools are often round!). Second look at the cost of repairing the hall floor when the water leaks (or is assisted) out of the pool -new carpet new parquet floor re seal and varnish etc.

 

If this isn't over budget consider all the special regs for electricity in swimming pools and round wet people. Then look at the supports needed to raise the pool off the floor and the loadbearing properties of the local structure.

 

Tipping a bottle of thin bleach into the water and using a pool test kit is the easy bit - and cheap.

 

 

Look in detail about how to minimise the pool for maximum effect -small ripple tanks with lots of lighting done well may spread the feeling of water without the feeling of wetness.

[ojc123]

Maybe I'm boring but why not forget the water and just get a hole in the stage with one or two tubular ripple effects,a bit of blue gel and possibly a bit of haze? Saves a lot of hassle and safety stuff and you don't have wet/cold/shivering/sneezing talent to deal with. No water all over the stage and fewer electrical hazards. I simply fail to see why any school production would bother with the water thing. Leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. Let the audience suspend their disbelief.

[Just Some Bloke]

I simply fail to see why any school production would bother with the water thing.

Because the director saw it on a film and is copying because (s)he obviously has no concept of original thought. Something that's seen a lot in schools, I'm afraid to say.

"How shall we tackle one of the greatest plays in the world? I know, we'll copy someone else". :)

[Alex222]

Hi, thanks for all the comments of you concerns about the project. I had specifically asked for lighting ideas, but since only one or two have been posted don’t see a point in people posting any more on the topic I started. And no the idea hasn’t been taken from a film.

 

I would like to say thank you for the lighting ideas that have been put forward by some members :biggrin:

 

alex.

[bruce]

I had specifically asked for lighting ideas, but since only one or two have been posted don't see a point in people posting any more on the topic I started.

 

Umm - actually you didn't "specifically ask for lighting ideas". You didn't actually ask any question in your original post, other than to suggest " the pool probably being plastic a 1/2K par would probably melt it, maybe an LED fixture ?". You also raised the H&S concerns in that post.

 

People have, quite rightly, commented on the practicalities of your scheme. But that's no reason to close down the thread - it's been an interesting discussion.

[paulears]

If I was Alex, despite only having had a few posts on lighting, I'd make sure that I distanced myself from the idea. One of the really good thing that happens here is that people who have done similar things jump in and point out real world problems with what sounds a good idea. I'm guessing, but I expect Alex had thought of the electricity and water problem and planned for it - but the other big snags had never come up in his sessions at college.

 

This isn't his fault, but just a good example of how superficially simple things have serious implications never even considered.

 

It's also a good topic for people to find in the future when they search for similar ideas in the future.

[GridGirl]

We are doing the “film version” of Romeo and Juliet

 

 

And no the idea hasn’t been taken from a film.

 

Well, which is it?!

[Alex222]

Well, which is it?!

 

The script is taken from the film version and the modern day approach. The set is not taken from the film.

[Alexb_01]

Well, which is it?!

 

The script is taken from the film version and the modern day approach. The set is not taken from the film.

 

But the idea of the swimming pool is...

 

You seemed to value the advice from a student before so... from one student to another, I think you should really listen to the points being raised here. You may find you are out of your depth with this idea (sorry for poor pun :) )