Moving light alternatives.

[LXbydesign]

The LD is Richard G. Jones, you can have a look at his website if you want it's http://www.richardgjones.co.uk/, and the show is we're doing is West Side Story at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (http://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/). I guess I've not been very clear by just mentioning that it's a school production without giving the details.

 

Ok, so this 'school' is a famous drama school. I went there many moons ago , and in fact was taught by the lovely Richard, and we are still good friends now.

 

Without going into all the tech jargon of this and that, your easiet bet would be to take the info to a hire shop and see what alternatives they could come up with, or even pop down to the YAT and have a chat with the chief LX and see if he has any ideas.

 

BTW, I was one of the first students as an LD there to use moving lights, for the 'Class of...' shows!! - Well actually they were moving mirrors and lent from Lightfactor and a desk from Compulite. But this was before Macs and so on had been invented and the only really 'heavyweight' of movers in theatre was from vari*lite.

 

If you need any more help, PM me.

[BritishHero]

The LD is Richard G. Jones, you can have a look at his website if you want it's http://www.richardgjones.co.uk/, and the show is we're doing is West Side Story at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (http://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/). I guess I've not been very clear by just mentioning that it's a school production without giving the details.

 

Ok, so this 'school' is a famous drama school. I went there many moons ago , and in fact was taught by the lovely Richard, and we are still good friends now.

 

Without going into all the tech jargon of this and that, your easiet bet would be to take the info to a hire shop and see what alternatives they could come up with, or even pop down to the YAT and have a chat with the chief LX and see if he has any ideas.

 

BTW, I was one of the first students as an LD there to use moving lights, for the 'Class of...' shows!! - Well actually they were moving mirrors and lent from Lightfactor and a desk from Compulite. But this was before Macs and so on had been invented and the only really 'heavyweight' of movers in theatre was from vari*lite.

 

If you need any more help, PM me.

 

Hi,

 

You gave me some good information the last time I sought the wisdom of the Blue Room forum members.

 

I've rang just about every major and minor lighting hire company at this point, but speaking to the Chief LX is a very good idea.

 

Brilliant stuff, I think we're in need of some new kit though, falling behind technology wise I think.

 

Thanks for the offer of more help, I'm sure I'll need it at some point.

[gareth]

If you're looking for a moving-head tungsten wash light on a tight budget, you can't go far wrong with a handful of VL5s (or 5Bs if you want more 'theatrey' blues). Pretty old-tech these days, but still bloody good units and you can probably get quite a fwe for your money these days.

[LXbydesign]

Haha yeah, thats becasue they spent all the money moving into the new buildings on the university site!!

 

If your lamp stock at the school is still as it was when I was there, then that IS getting on a bit - and as far as I remember, the lamp stock at YAT isnt excatly young and prime either.

 

If its a musical, how come Gerrys not directing it?- or has he left?

 

Gareths point is a very good one. The old VL 5's (and B's) are a lovely light with a great output, and the colour mixing is great. Im sure your get a few more for the pound than you would a Martin et al. Try calling VL directly. State your case and maybe even offer to do a bit of warehouse work for a day or 2.

 

Its surprising what deals and favours you can pull with these places, if your prepared to do a little pay-back, rather than just trying to blag stuff point blank.

 

Failing that, just speak to Rich nicely and get him a bottle of gin. Then he wont be so fussed! hehe

[dbuckley]

... the show is we're doing is West Side Story

Unless this is a very modernised version, I would think that movers were, in general, inappropriate for this show, given when its set...

[andy_s]

... the show is we're doing is West Side Story

Unless this is a very modernised version, I would think that movers were, in general, inappropriate for this show, given when its set...

??

I don't quite follow the logic. Should we be using only candles to light Shakespeare? or only doing it outdoors in daylight? or perhaps we should only light Equus using pat 223s and 23s and other kit available in the seventies?

 

If anyone wants to be true to the period of the original production, I have a book published in 1959 called "Stage Scenery and Lighting" which says in the preface "the equipment and methods outlines are essentially those employed in Broadway playhouses" (WSS first done in'57 I think - someone else might know better) which might be a useful reference. There might be a bit of a problem tracking down some of the kit in the illustrations though....

[dbuckley]

I don't quite follow the logic. Should we be using only candles to light Shakespeare? or only doing it outdoors in daylight? or perhaps we should only light Equus using pat 223s and 23s and other kit available in the seventies? :D.

The logic is, quite simply, that the lighting should artistically support the production. And its mostly about style, rather than instruments. There are direct modern decendents of old lanterns, and indeed of candles, and only a strange person would choose a 23 over a modern profile, were they to have the choice.

 

If you think that any of the scenes from WSS would artistically benefit from using movers, then I would say go ahead and make it happen. But if one uses movers as movers then whatever you end up with, it wont look and feel like WSS, especially given that there a reference version in the form of a film. Of course, one could do a version of WSS that is in the modern era, and then maybe you could put the movers to good use, but I suspect it'll still be a mismatch between the orchestral brilliance of the piece and its songs, and a modern setting.

 

Of course, a mover that doesn't move but does other things can be an excellent tool in many production styles; movers have far more tricks than moving, and you never actually have to move a beam, though you may need to sit on peoples hands to stop them moving the movers :)

 

Theres are pre-movers shows that the movers (and other lighting technology) revolution has been kind to, and such as Starlight, which looks so much better now than it did when it started out, and yet it still feels like Starlight. RTtFP etc. All about style

[Oovis]

Gareths point is a very good one. The old VL 5's (and B's) are a lovely light with a great output, and the colour mixing is great. Im sure your get a few more for the pound than you would a Martin et al. Try calling VL directly. State your case and maybe even offer to do a bit of warehouse work for a day or 2.

Ahem, it's a long way to the other side of the pond for a day or so's warehouse work :D I would suggest phoning PRG at The Hoover Building in London, it's a bit closer; 0845 470 6400

[Joe Bleasdale]

Just to throw another name into the pot, Richard Martin Lighting in London have the 80v version of the VL500. Good company, competative rates and well maintained kit. Highly recommended.

 

Thanks,

[dmxtothemax]

If is simply a issue of reducing costs you can try using the cheap chinese movers,

Or even cheaper still is moving mirrors or scanners.

There is always plenty of scoffers with using cheaper lights,but

dont let that deter you,not all lighting jobs are done at high cost.

sometimes the art of lighting, is doing the best you can with what you have got.

I use four cheap moving mirrors and the results are quite good considering the low cost.

Yes cheaper lights require more maintenance, but its mostly simple stuff.

 

 

Hi all,

 

Just wondering if anyone knows of alternatives to the following moving lights, that will do a similar job, just at a better price.

 

Mac TW1, Mac 700/550, Mac 301

 

Any help would be much appreciated

 

Thanks,

 

Tony

[andy_s]

I don't quite follow the logic. Should we be using only candles to light Shakespeare? or only doing it outdoors in daylight? or perhaps we should only light Equus using pat 223s and 23s and other kit available in the seventies? :D.

 

Of course, a mover that doesn't move but does other things can be an excellent tool in many production styles; movers have far more tricks than moving, and you never actually have to move a beam, though you may need to sit on peoples hands to stop them moving the movers :)

 

 

My point exactly.(perhaps I should admit that I knew what you meant, but was being deliberately obtuse).

 

in my view Richard is a nice sensitive designer, ( based on the few shows of his that I've seen and the one I focussed for him at the ROH) and I would be quite surprised to see him light WSS in the style of WWRY, regardless of what's on the kit list. (althought we shouldn't perhaps introduce personalities into the discussion.

 

If you give stupid insensitive people sophisticated tools, they may well abuse them. but that doesn't mean the tool is wrong.

 

On a slight tangent, can one ever have too much DMX? I was recently working in the sound dept on a show where one of the lighting fixtures required over 100 DMX channels. I have absolutely no idea what any of those channels actually did, but I thought it was quite an impressive number...

[Ynot]

If is simply a issue of reducing costs you can try using the cheap chinese movers,

Or even cheaper still is moving mirrors or scanners.

There is always plenty of scoffers with using cheaper lights,but

dont let that deter you,not all lighting jobs are done at high cost.

sometimes the art of lighting, is doing the best you can with what you have got.

I use four cheap moving mirrors and the results are quite good considering the low cost.

Yes cheaper lights require more maintenance, but its mostly simple stuff.

Sorry, but just cannot let that one pass... :D

 

Cheap movers (wherever they hail from) are cheap for a reason - for all those reasons we keep harping about here.

They're noisy, jerky, noisy, poor on facilities, noisy, may not even have an actual dimmer channel, and did I mention NOISY?

 

These things are fine for a disco/club but really shouldn't have ANY place in anywhere close to a decent theatre. And any LD worth their salt wouldn't consider using them in any show that was anywhere near half decent quality.

 

That may sound a little snobbish, BUT is pretty much going to be echoed here methinks.

[Joe Bleasdale]

On a slight tangent, can one ever have too much DMX? I was recently working in the sound dept on a show where one of the lighting fixtures required over 100 DMX channels. I have absolutely no idea what any of those channels actually did, but I thought it was quite an impressive number...

 

Sorry, a little off topic... but was it actually an Automated Fixture?? Or prehaps it was a Digital one...

 

Thanks,

[Ashley R]

On a slight tangent, can one ever have too much DMX? I was recently working in the sound dept on a show where one of the lighting fixtures required over 100 DMX channels. I have absolutely no idea what any of those channels actually did, but I thought it was quite an impressive number...

 

Slightly Of topic but I Know of a Fixture that uses 256ch's. One channels to control each LED.........

[andy_s]

On a slight tangent, can one ever have too much DMX? I was recently working in the sound dept on a show where one of the lighting fixtures required over 100 DMX channels. I have absolutely no idea what any of those channels actually did, but I thought it was quite an impressive number...

 

Sorry, a little off topic... but was it actually an Automated Fixture?? Or prehaps it was a Digital one...

 

Thanks,

I believe it was a piece of apparatus commonly known as a "digispot".

 

(apologies for dragging it off topic, but I think the original question has by and large been answered now...)