Moving head followspotting - will it work in my case

[mattj]

Hi there,

 

First, I have read quite a bit (here and elsewhere) on the topic of followspotting with movers. The general opinion seems to be it's a bad idea, and looking at the facts, I'd agree for most cases. However, I think I have a simple enough situation it could work.

 

I have an upcoming orchestral (not really classical) concert, and one of the things that's required is a followspot for various people walking around the front of the stage (approximately on the proscenium line). They're not going to be doing anything fancy, and they're not going to walk up or down stage, simply in a horizontal line (back and forth reasonably freely).

 

My idea is to use the Pearl's tablet (either operated by me or an assistant op), along with a Mac 500 (since that's what our rig already uses). I have a lot of flexibility FOH, so I can place the fixture so that the beam size is correct, and the person won't have the room onstage to move out of their horizontal band (so no danger of them moving too far off the mark).

 

What I'm wondering is if anyone has any experience doing followspotting with this feature of the pearl, and/or if they think it's practical. I do have the potential option of an actual followspot, although it's a lot more from my budget - and considering the limited use, I'd rather not "waste" a crew member.

 

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions,

-Matt

[indyld]

What I'm wondering is if anyone has any experience doing followspotting with this feature of the pearl, and/or if they think it's practical. I do have the potential option of an actual followspot, although it's a lot more from my budget - and considering the limited use, I'd rather not "waste" a crew member.

 

Of course, it's possible as you know.

 

The time you will use up getting this to be even vaguely workable is time you could spend making the rest of the show looking great. Yes, you could either set up your stage boundaries for a fixture or simply try to use the table to just control the pan ad hoc . Obviously, you'll also need to sort out programming for the beam etc. plus have some idea what you will do WHEN someone decides to move upstage during the show.

 

Like many LD decisions, to me it's cost/benefit.

 

To get that bit of the show to work will take a disproportionate amount of time for no real show payback. Obviously, I don't know your venue set up but but if you or someone else are free to control a tablet, why aren't you free to control a followspot (some fixture you already own on a stand)? Surely we've all sat with one hand on the desk, the other on the spot at some point in our careers? If you only have one person available, you could move the desk to the spot position. Most other solutions are lot less of a time suck than actually getting the tablet/moving head system to work to show standards.

[gareth]

My feelings, based on what you've said, are that this solution wouldn't look right in the setting of an orchestral concert. A show like that (unless it's something out-of-the-ordinary) sounds like it needs something more subtle than a Mac500 wobbling around the forestage. You'll never get it to look as nice as a proper follow-spot, soft-focussed and run by a competent operator.

[LXbydesign]

Its not really a very good idea. The only neat way of doing it is by preprogramming a move or a series of moves to follow the turn (Billy Elliot stage show is a good example) - but it would require a few rehearsals and not give you any headroom for error or ad-hoc movement.

 

The best advice is from Indy. Put the f/s next to you by the desk and op it yourself!!

 

I recently had to do this for a fasion show. Spotting the models while changing faders on a Pearl. Its quite do-able.

[timsabre]

I've attempted this a few times using the stage tracking feature of the Pearl 2004/8 and to be honest it looks rubbish. It's all too easy to "lose" the position of the spot and cut off part of the target. Unless you are viewing from near the position of the fixture it is hard to tell what pan/tilt changes you need to make to follow the person.

 

As LX says in the previous post, a series of preprogrammed positions is the only way really, but a manual spot is better.

[mattj]

Ahh well, actual spot it is then!

 

Opping it myself is probably out of the question - not enough depth in the control booth for it in the places it would have to go. And moving the desk isn't possible. The person that could operate a tablet can't really operate a spot, as they would be the video op (who isn't doing anything at those points as it's between acts), but they probably wouldn't be too happy with climbing 3 flights of stairs and a ladder between every act :).

 

So, considering this, I think it's best to try and squeeze some manpower out of one of the other departments, and suck up the extra in my budget for a followspot. Using a profile or such on a stand isn't possible as it's not our gear, and it's got specific requirements on how it's used.

 

As for the show itself - it is quite out-of-the-ordinary. Not my usual open-white top-and-back concert I'm used to - includes a reasonable amount of set, a decent rig of movers, and even haze (no idea how the orchestra agreed to that)! I think on my current rig plan we have ~70 conventionals (mostly fresnels) & 12 movers.

 

Thanks for the advice!

-Matt

[paulears]

With a complex and well equipped show, a real followspot will just look so much better, so it's good you#re going with it. Simply just the right tool for the job! Even the most ham fisted op can react quicker and more effectively than any form of touchpad and servo motors. When a person changes direction the slow down and gently accelerate again - movers don't really have this finesse.

 

The same thing happens with remote video cameras - you can do it with very expensive servo systems where the joysticks are touch sensitive and can feel how hard you're pushing, and react in a tactile way. Simpler (read cheaper) controls just make it simple to over or undershoot, and produce very 'robotic' results.

[Simon Lyall]

Although you could, if it was a straight line, programme the pearl to do this move on a fader. Set a position pallet to be your upstage maximum, and save a submaster to be your downstage maximum position. Set the fader to mode 2, recall the position palette and then as you push the fader up and down the mover will follow a straight line between the two points: that of the position palette and that of the submaster position. Pretty dirty solution as you don't have tactile control as highlighted in other replies but it's a solution never the less.

 

 

Simon

[litemog]

Although I'm not quite sure what effect you're after, I would say you will be hard pushed to get a flattering skin tone light out of a MAC 500 as its not really what they were designed for. I've been forced into this option a couple of times for lectern lights when focusing a generic after the rig had flown was impossible and the results have never been that nice.