Lighting box set in open white?

[Robin Pratt]

Just a thought...

 

Is it dimming channels or overall power supply you're short of?

 

If its dimming channels, try some of the active DMX bliders from Showtec and various other far eastern brands.

[vinntec]

I think you're not too far away from something that would work. However, don't forget that running o/w (or N/C if you're a yank North American citizen) at a low level will give you an even more orangey colour than o/w alone (which, don't forget, needs blue to make it true white: that's what 201, 202 and 203 are for) so adding blue into that will actually take you nearer to white in your main state. Thus the contrast won't be as big later. I'd use something dirtier as toplight (156?) and maybe try putting a nice wide fresnel either end of LX1 in apricot (147) or something similar which I'd use instead of the o/w backlight for your interior state (thus providing a contrast in angles as well as colour later).

 

You've sensibly worked out that o/w on check and o/w at full are 2 different colours and that's exactly what you should use to your advantage if molefays aren't possible.

Eric - just realised I was talking b*l*xs in my first reply. Your suggestion is that my original idea might work by leaving both sides of the fans as dimmed O/W (or maybe warm tint one side and not use it for the whiteout) and add a relatively deep warm wash to tone it. Toplight in a dirty white. Whiteout state comes from putting fans to full, removing tinted lights, adjusting toplights and possibly replacing warm wash with L201 blue instead. Main backlight I was intending to be something like L015 to provide a key light from the french windows which might need something else now, or just be turned off. This look comes after a short dimmed spell downstage while the set is changed behind, so contrast of light coming up to the "whiteout" should still be noticeable without blinders (which I have not ruled out yet, by the way). PV

[vinntec]

Just an update... After a long discussion with the illustrious Director, it turns out that he didn't mean a blinding whiteout after all! All he wanted was a strong contrast between the normal interior daylight state and the heaven whiteout look which should be brighter as much as possible. I have some ideas and suggestions on how to go about that already, but more ideas welcome - will have to rig final plan this weekend. PV

 

 

[Just Some Bloke]

I think you're not too far away from something that would work. However, don't forget that running o/w (or N/C if you're a yank North American citizen) at a low level will give you an even more orangey colour than o/w alone (which, don't forget, needs blue to make it true white: that's what 201, 202 and 203 are for) so adding blue into that will actually take you nearer to white in your main state. Thus the contrast won't be as big later. I'd use something dirtier as toplight (156?) and maybe try putting a nice wide fresnel either end of LX1 in apricot (147) or something similar which I'd use instead of the o/w backlight for your interior state (thus providing a contrast in angles as well as colour later).

 

You've sensibly worked out that o/w on check and o/w at full are 2 different colours and that's exactly what you should use to your advantage if molefays aren't possible.

Eric - just realised I was talking b*l*xs in my first reply. Your suggestion is that my original idea might work by leaving both sides of the fans as dimmed O/W (or maybe warm tint one side and not use it for the whiteout) and add a relatively deep warm wash to tone it. Toplight in a dirty white. Whiteout state comes from putting fans to full, removing tinted lights, adjusting toplights and possibly replacing warm wash with L201 blue instead. Main backlight I was intending to be something like L015 to provide a key light from the french windows which might need something else now, or just be turned off. This look comes after a short dimmed spell downstage while the set is changed behind, so contrast of light coming up to the "whiteout" should still be noticeable without blinders (which I have not ruled out yet, by the way). PV

 

Indeed, that's the sort of thing I was suggesting. I'm always very keen, though, that when you're looking for contrast then conrasting colour is only part of the job - other parts are contrasting angles of light and contrasting texture of light. If you can light the main state with just a touch of backlight from in 015 in, say, a pair of fresnels, then for the white state have maybe 3 parcans in o/w as your backlight(to go with the o/w from the front) and lose the toplight altogether, then you're contrasting your colours (because the o/w changes colour between on check and a full), changing angles (as the main source of light at first was front and top then becomes front and back) and changing texture (because you've gone from fresnels to parcans) so that's 3 different contrasts. If you then plot it so the main state got gradually dimmer (I'd say over 10 mins not 1 min which can be a surprisingly quick fade some times!) and the white state pushed your dimmers to the max, then that's another contrast making 4 now! Of course the audience ill just say "I liked it when it got brighter" but you'll know how much work went in to making it look "brighter"! B-)

[vinntec]

Indeed, that's the sort of thing I was suggesting. I'm always very keen, though, that when you're looking for contrast then conrasting colour is only part of the job - other parts are contrasting angles of light and contrasting texture of light. If you can light the main state with just a touch of backlight from in 015 in, say, a pair of fresnels, then for the white state have maybe 3 parcans in o/w as your backlight(to go with the o/w from the front) and lose the toplight altogether, then you're contrasting your colours (because the o/w changes colour between on check and a full), changing angles (as the main source of light at first was front and top then becomes front and back) and changing texture (because you've gone from fresnels to parcans) so that's 3 different contrasts. If you then plot it so the main state got gradually dimmer (I'd say over 10 mins not 1 min which can be a surprisingly quick fade some times!) and the white state pushed your dimmers to the max, then that's another contrast making 4 now! Of course the audience ill just say "I liked it when it got brighter" but you'll know how much work went in to making it look "brighter"! B-)

Eric - thanks for taking the trouble. That's clear now. I will sit down with WYSIWYG tonight and finalise my plan and see what else I can squeeze out of my dimmers! PV

[vinntec]

In case anyone in interested, this is what I rigged yesterday and used for the afternoon run-through...

 

FOH facelights in a double fan, both O/W. FOH crosslights on either side close to the stage - one pair in deep straw L015 and the other in blue L201. These are repeated on LX1. LX1 and LX2 also have O/W facelights facing downstage (to conserve the number of lanterns) and LX3 has backlight in amber L015 and O/W on parcans.

 

Normal state - facelights dimmed to about 60% reinforced by amber crosslights and amber backlight. Effect = interior summer's day (a little more yellow than I would normally do). Whiteout state: facelights on full, amber lights off, blue crosslights on. and O/W backlights on - plus smoke from the helpful SM - and voila!

 

The Director loves it - and was achieved using only existing resources.

 

So thanks to everyone for ideas, especially Eric.

 

PV

[Just Some Bloke]

I'm glad it works! I'd have felt rather embarrased if it didn't!

 

Nice one. Here's to your next success!