NT Frankenstein production lighting

[fireball40k]

I saw a video relay of the excellent production of Frankenstein last night from the National Theatre.

 

I was particularly taken by the festoon of hundreds of tungsten lamps of all shapes and sizes that stretched out high across the audience. From what I could tell, each lamp had its own dimming channel because ripples of light were sent across them in all directions. Does anyone have detail about how this was achieved in terms of power control and also the manner in which patterns were generated?

 

Thanks

[neild]

Didn't see the show, and don't work there, so this is pure conjecture... But my best bet would be the digital festoon White Light punt.

 

WL Festoon Linky

 

Neil

[rossmck]

There's a few products out there ... search for "Digital Festoon" and you'll find most of them - they pretty much all centre on having addressable lampholders and there being a controller at one end which converts DMX into some data-over-power format... There's also some RGB LED ones where the lamps themselves are the addressable component.

[amvalentino]

I saw a video relay of the excellent production of Frankenstein last night from the National Theatre.

 

I was particularly taken by the festoon of hundreds of tungsten lamps of all shapes and sizes that stretched out high across the audience. From what I could tell, each lamp had its own dimming channel because ripples of light were sent across them in all directions. Does anyone have detail about how this was achieved in terms of power control and also the manner in which patterns were generated?

 

Thanks

 

Actually, this was done using the Virtual Media Server feature added to Eos software in v1.9.5 software. Bruno Poet designer and John McGarrigle programmer. :-)

 

a

[JMcGarrigle]

Actually, this was done using the Virtual Media Server feature added to Eos software in v1.9.5 software. Bruno Poet designer and John McGarrigle programmer. :-)

 

a

 

And, the power control is actually just plain, simple dimmers. Lots of them!

 

Somewhere around 3200 lightbulbs. I forget the exact number...

[alistairhammond]

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=y16JYa0418dE&PBID=8918c11d-2349-4b43-a6cc-a2fdecb2f2e2&skip

 

L&SI article. Page 68 onwards.

[gafferted]

Wow - is that 3200 dimmers all wired to individual lamps?

Actually, this was done using the Virtual Media Server feature added to Eos software in v1.9.5 software. Bruno Poet designer and John McGarrigle programmer. :-)

 

a

 

And, the power control is actually just plain, simple dimmers. Lots of them!

 

Somewhere around 3200 lightbulbs. I forget the exact number...

[J Pearce]

Bruno Poet put some details on twitter, and more available from L&SI at the time. 3100 bulbs on 1000ish dimmer channels from NJD dimmers.

 

http://edition.pages...fdecb2f2e2

 

L&SI article. Page 68 onwards.

 

That link takes you to the latest L&SI - I've posted a link to it via TheatreCrafts. As you say, pg68 onwards.

Edited May 12, 2020 by J Pearce

[gyro_gearloose]

I watched the show again last week on the National Theatre YouTube channel. For those of you who aren’t aware, every week the National Theatre are streaming a different show on their YouTube channel. This week they are showing Anthony and Cleopatra.

[bigclive]

Whoa! It's Alive! This thread has been resurrected from the dead. But it's good, because it's a reminder of how modern products like addressable festoon have made life a lot easier than lots of dimmers and wires.

 

The downside being that if it's cheap and easy then the novelty is gone because anyone can do it. And sometimes the new products introduce their own technical issues.

[sleah]

The downside being that if it's cheap and easy then the novelty is gone because anyone can do it. And sometimes the new products introduce their own technical issues.

 

Pretty much the case for display lasers. Back in th'early 90's we were taking 150mw and 2w argon lasers to rave clubs, we're talking galvo's and a PM20(or was it PM19) desk. Ravers loved them.

Since stupidly high power laser diodes started to become a thing, any ID10T can have a laser show in their living room. Every Dave-Double-Decks can happily attempt to blind his audience.

Of course the graphics are cak on the el-cheapos you can buy on th'bay. Servos instead of galvos.

Crazy - the galvos cost many times the laser source these days. Back in th ex-medical argon days £1000 for a pair of galvos was a fraction of the overall cost.