Practicals for candles and gas light

[Just Some Bloke]

So here's the situation:

 

I'm lighting a show that will take place in outdoor venues (on tour) and is set in Morocco in the early 20th century. I'd quite like to make it look like all the lighting is real (pracs). I've done some research and know what Moroccan lighting looks like and where to get hold of Moroccan style lanterns - particularly the ones that you put either candles or tea lights in. I'd quite like to put a run of these kind of lanterns along the front of the 'stage' (there is no physical stage, just an area on the grass), perhaps with their back halves blacked out and some sort of reflector in so all the light goes forwards. I can also get hold of bigger lanterns that could attach to the set or be set permanently into the ground on poles which would be like street lights and are intended to use big (church-style) candles, but could be ammended to look like gaslight of some sort. I should add that all the lanterns I would get are totally enclosed so their candles are safe to use outdoors without worying about them setting fire to anything (RA in place).

 

The trouble is that, even though the performances take place at night, the combined lumens from all of these will still be too dim. I'm thinking of adding some warm-white LED battens on the ground pointing up to help out whilst still making it look like the candle-light is doing the work. However, I wondered if there was anything out there that is bright enough to light the show, whilst looking like an appropriate practical. Power is 3 x 13A sockets at each venue, turned into 16A ASAP then split out to provide all the power for the show (there's no PA). The set moves around, so anything attached to the set would need to be either self-powered (like candles) or battery-powered (like LEDs). Other lighting is handled by 4 x Mac 600s which light the buildings we're performing in front of.

 

The budget is not huge, so please don't suggest anything expensive! If you know any good, bright, warm-white LED battens that are reasonably priced perhaps you could suggest those too.

 

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

[kerry davies]

To reinforce candlelight I have always used larger than necessary standard lanterns dimmed down to around 30% as a kind of wash, I don't think you will get good results with LED however warm. (Opinion only)

 

One way I lit a procession of praying nuns was to Blutack nightlights into face compacts (powder puffs) and use the mirrors therein to reflect light onto their faces. It looked as if the light was emanating from their praying hands and formed quite a pillar of light and was very unearthly.

 

Play with it and enjoy the results. Outdoor stuff is so dependent on conditions prevailing at the precise moment that magical things can occur. I would use real flames wherever possible, but I am like that, any excuse for fire.

Personally I would do as much with multi-wicked candles and flambeaux as possible, an audience will make allowances and it doesn't need to be "bright".

Another plus is that the dimmer it is the more they pay attention and the less the actors need to project, ambient light of any kind is your sworn enemy.

[mark_s]

How about the Chroma-Q Colour Block? They're fairly small and discrete (hopefully allowing you to hide them behind your practicals, rather than conceal them as practicals), flexible in the configuration you use them in, and have a CRI of 90. I have no idea if that'd be within your budget, but it's the first thing that sprang to mind for me.

[adam2]

In view of the limited electrical supply and the venue being outdoors, I would consider flame based lighting.

Oil hurricane lamps are cheap, reasonably safe for outdoor use and very simple.

Dependant on size and qaulity, the light output is about 6 candlepower. A dozen or more could be used at little cost.

To direct the light towards the stage, cover half of the globe with aluminium foil.

 

If very simple, low power electric lighting is required, then I would consider flourescent lamps in weatherproof fittings.

Simply lay the fittings on the ground and conceal from direct view. The lamps may be wrapped in gel so as to give suitably coloured light to blend with candle light.

Dimmable flourescents exist but might be overkill.

 

For lights on the "stage" I would use either candles, or oil lamps, or possibly gas lights worked from LPG cyclinders.

Remember that virtually all modern gas lights use an incandescent gas mantle, this gives a greenish white light. Old gas lights used a luminous gas flame that gave a yellow light very similar to that of an oil lamp or candle, but brighter.

[Hilary Watts]

I happened to see this in B & Q the other day and it struck me that it looks very similar to a large church candle, although without the flame on top and several times brighter. I don't know whether you could stick a ' flame effect' on the top - you probably wouldn't need much 'flame' since with large diameter candles the wax often seems to form a crater as the wick burns down so that the flame itself is hardly visible. Alternatively there is this - the name caught my eye when I looked at the website! - I realise it's not authentic but you might get away with something similar, depending upon the show.

[LXRob]

It may not be appropriate to your situation, but when I went to see 'Passion' at the Donmar my favourite part of Neil's design used two birdies that fluctuated in intensity and with a stage candle between the person being lit and the source it gave a very realistic effect of a flickering candle on the side of the actors face.

 

The movement and low intensity looked brilliant, so perhaps some visual looking practicals with hidden instruments (if there is somewhere to hide them) giving the effect of candle light, by having them fluctuate intensity?

[slipstream]

Big candles

 

Once lit and burning - they are pretty much windproof and shower proof - decent about of light from them as well

 

Sam

[Ken Coker]

Dear Eric

 

This may not be of help directly, but may fire some ideas:

 

http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_5nadvori_svetla.xml - has a reference to a mysterious Swedish made candle-lamp. (CK is also venue for Showlight in 2013)

 

I've heard good reports of these - http://prolight.co.uk/item/ledj68/. Not high IP rated, but I guess if you're disguising them that may not be a problem. LEDJ also seem to do exterior LED floods & PARs, but I can't vouch for these.

 

KC

[annadeus]

If you want to run the lamps from propane gas a luminous flame burner is easy to make . A pin-hole jet fed at approx 1bar from a regulator blows into a small inverted steel dish The gas is ignited as it comes from under the slightly raised dish giving an even round luminous flame .This converts the lamps to miniature flambeaus . for safety you can feed the lamp through a flashback stopping 1way valve ,as is normally fitted to welding torches. I would be happy to send you the parts ready machined out of 1/4 bsp gas fittings or fit and test them for you . my web site is still a work in progress but should give some ideas of what is possible . pyroelectronics.co.uk Please don,t hesitate to contact me for help /advice if you are considering the gas option .

 

best wishes steve