Band Lighting Advice

[DJTOM10]

The band will be at the back of the stage.

 

I am relcutant to put moving heads behind the drummer on trussing as behind the band will be a walk way for the cast + crew to get through eitherside of the stage.

 

I will be programming the moving heads to cover the walls + celling and some of the audience when the band are playing.

[tom_the_LD]

Have you contacted the school to find out what the rig is rated to? It might be able to take a lot more than you think!

 

If it were me, I'd not use movers to "light the band" - I'd much rather fly the 4 movers in a V shape around centre stage - as was shown earlier in the thread but instead of sat on the floor fly them.

 

This is becuase I'd much rather use the heads for the show rather than to "light the band" - as I think that would be a waste for this kind of show. Besdies, I wouldn't class a load of gobos coming up from the floor as lighting the band as such! But then that could just be me.

 

Rigged it would mean you could get some really nice stuff out of them. For example in the slow songs all pointing at the character singing a solo (say C stage) with gobos in. First build rotate the gobos, second build stick the prism in and then finish with a slow sweep up and out type effect.

 

To me, the band aren't a crucial part of Mamma Mia. The other option would be a load of S4 Zooms, hard focussed and shuttered onto the band with scrollers on. That would look quite nice with the 4 heads doing stuff on stage. Preferably colour mixing scrollers though - such as the Chroma Q cascades as you can get nice fades out of them without having to run through other colours!

 

LED PAR 36's also look nice uplighting a kit.

 

Hope that helps!

[DJTOM10]

Have you contacted the school to find out what the rig is rated to? It might be able to take a lot more than you think!

 

If it were me, I'd not use movers to "light the band" - I'd much rather fly the 4 movers in a V shape around centre stage - as was shown earlier in the thread but instead of sat on the floor fly them.

 

This is becuase I'd much rather use the heads for the show rather than to "light the band" - as I think that would be a waste for this kind of show. Besdies, I wouldn't class a load of gobos coming up from the floor as lighting the band as such! But then that could just be me.

 

Rigged it would mean you could get some really nice stuff out of them. For example in the slow songs all pointing at the character singing a solo (say C stage) with gobos in. First build rotate the gobos, second build stick the prism in and then finish with a slow sweep up and out type effect.

 

To me, the band aren't a crucial part of Mamma Mia. The other option would be a load of S4 Zooms, hard focussed and shuttered onto the band with scrollers on. That would look quite nice with the 4 heads doing stuff on stage. Preferably colour mixing scrollers though - such as the Chroma Q cascades as you can get nice fades out of them without having to run through other colours!

 

LED PAR 36's also look nice uplighting a kit.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Sadly we can't fly any more trussing as our school won't let us due to health and safety etc and the school has hardly any money to fund it.

 

I am thinking about including the heads into the show but I don't know how as they will be behind black curtains when the band are not playing.

[kerry davies]

So, the reality is that you want to play with some movers regardless?

 

Keep it simple, use your stage and equipment, of which you are the best judge and make the most of what skill levels you have. If you cannot hang movers then save the budget which you say is almost non-existent.

 

It will be fine and what is more, it will be your show not ours.

[DJTOM10]

So, the reality is that you want to play with some movers regardless?

 

Keep it simple, use your stage and equipment, of which you are the best judge and make the most of what skill levels you have. If you cannot hang movers then save the budget which you say is almost non-existent.

 

It will be fine and what is more, it will be your show not ours.

 

I would like to add in some movers if possible into the show but I thought I would add them in with the band as they give a good effect for them.

[Ali2580]

Sadly we can't fly any more trussing as our school won't let us due to health and safety etc and the school has hardly any money to fund it.

 

I am thinking about including the heads into the show but I don't know how as they will be behind black curtains when the band are not playing.

 

If your school doesn't have the budget for the trussing then do you have a budget for the movers and desk (if you need to hire that too?)

 

Also, is it worth using the movers at all if they are just lighting the walls everytime the band are playing and that's all? I'd be reluctant not to use them and go along the PARcan route as others have said.

[Bryson]

Why would you light the walls and ceiling when you have a show going on nearby? Light the show.

[paulears]

If you light the walls with these, what lights the band then?

 

Movers, with their narrow beam angles, close in, at best will give you a very narrow cone of light - and if it lands on the musician, a very, very small circle.

 

What you're proposing is a cheap disco effect - NOT theatre lighting.

 

Crazy waste of money if the school are skint!

[DJTOM10]

If you light the walls with these, what lights the band then?

 

Movers, with their narrow beam angles, close in, at best will give you a very narrow cone of light - and if it lands on the musician, a very, very small circle.

 

What you're proposing is a cheap disco effect - NOT theatre lighting.

 

Crazy waste of money if the school are skint!

 

I would like to mount the moving heads above the band on trussing but it ain't going to happen due to health and safety and budget.

[paulears]

What we're trying to explain is that what you are proposing is something that we're attempting to explain is going to be ineffective at best and pointless at worst.

 

If we were talking about sound, we'd be talking about a mega PA system with subs and flown cabs being used to play Vera Lynn White Cliffs of Dover - you could, but would it sound good and be worth the expense and effort? No!

 

What is your role? Are you really designing the lighting or not?

 

Your teacher obviously wants the show to look unbalanced and cheesy - and it's clear doesn't understand the lighting process at all from what you've told us.

 

You can't hang moving lights for what sound like the old Health and Safety ploy, used by people who haven't a clue. yet you were considering freestanding truss, which any risk assessment would consider less safe - unless your existing suspensions are very dodgy - in which case, should they be used anyway?

 

You haven't got a scale plan, so you can't even work out beam angles from the movers you propose. If you look at the plan view drawn by Josh, you can see how close in the movers just can't do very much - all they will be is beams moving in the air - they won't light the band, and you'll have to divert some of the other lighting to do the job.

 

What I suspect we're all asking is what about the actors - this is where you should be working - and then, once that is sorted you can use anything remaining to light the band. Being very honest, if all the audience will see is beams in the haze (there will be haze, won't there?) then why waste lots of money on expensive moving heads - why not get far more disco style moving mirror fixtures - these will look the same (nearly) and will be much better use of your budget - whatever it really is.

 

Your teacher is falling into the typical non-technical solution of thinking a bit of wash for the actors in two colours and then wave money at the band because it's music.

 

I have seen this approach dozens of times in schools and none have looked good. Colleges who have proper production arts courses actually teach lighting design - and they would not do it this way. If they don't do it (because it gets rubbish grades, and is just not how the professionals do it) then if you ignore convention, it will look amateurish and unprofessional. If you want gaudy colours, beams waving about and lighting that doesn't light the people - then go ahead, but I don't think we'll change our view. What you are proposing is not something we'd do, in your position. However - it's up to you to take the advice people have given, or to ignore it, but please don't ignore it and then still want us to help.

 

Note that not one person has thought what you are proposing is a good idea - and the advice I reckon is pretty good.

[tom_the_LD]

Sadly we can't fly any more trussing as our school won't let us due to health and safety etc and the school has hardly any money to fund it.

 

I am thinking about including the heads into the show but I don't know how as they will be behind black curtains when the band are not playing.

Eh? I didn't mention truss at all!

 

Surely you must have some kind of grid made of pipes? A mothergird of some form? Rig the movers straight off that - you don't need truss for movers!

 

Also - if they're going to be behind black curtains a lot of the time it's a waste of money!

 

Essentially - if you want movers get some proper ones (Mac 250 Kryptons or similar) and rig them above the stage and use them for the show - there is no point hiring movers just to "light the band".

[mark_s]

You're going about this the wrong way; you should design the show and then select the equipment to achieve your design. You've done it backwards, and have selected the equipment (moving lights) without a clue what you actually want to achieve with them. This is not the way to go about it.

[SoLiEn]

this appears to be your first show. light it simply. light it well. which you dont need movers to accomplish. if its yourself programming them, you wont have the time or knowldge to do this properly and the show will suffer as a result. sorry to sound harsh, but movers ARE NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL.

 

hire in some decent profiles, more fresnels if NEEDED, get yourself some gobos and do a simple rig, and make it look damn good. the key is in the design, not the bloody toys.

[mrjammy83]

this appears to be your first show. light it simply. light it well. which you dont need movers to accomplish. if its yourself programming them, you wont have the time or knowldge to do this properly and the show will suffer as a result. sorry to sound harsh, but movers ARE NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL.

 

hire in some decent profiles, more fresnels if NEEDED, get yourself some gobos and do a simple rig, and make it look damn good. the key is in the design, not the bloody toys.

 

 

pretty much what all the other posts said. however I like your way better. HAHA

 

oh and good luck getting the bursar to agree to spending the money. In my experience is damn hard for staff to get money out of them let alone the students.

 

 

good luck with the show. let hope the rights are signed (if they exist)

 

E2A: just read your profile and realised your in bedford. I'm based in kettering (just down the road) at the lighthouse theatre. if you fancy coming down to have a look round and see how a theatre with No moving light and all generics is rigged and used. drop me a PM.

 

 

as everyone has said before. K.I.S.S. These guys have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Learn from them that know and before you know it people will be asking you for your respected opinion.

[Jivemaster]

Band, If they are reading music then they NEED plain lights for that. If they are to be seen they need some front light, if they are to be silouhetted they they need the cyc behind them lit. Neither option even suits movers.