Aaron-Hill07 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Afternoon All, I'm designing a show in July for Songs for a New World. One of the songs (King of the World) has reference to prison etc and the director would like the effect of the cast being behind prison bars. Now, obviously I need a beam effect with single beams to act as the bars. The stage is about 9 metres wide, and has a height of about 8 metres from floor to grid. I've thought of a few things to do, one being pinspots, battens of a sort or maybe source 4's or similar with gobos. I can't think of the best way of doing it, so if anyone has any ideas or if they've done something similar before and can offer any advice, it'd be greatly received! Thanks in advance,Aaron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxjones2000 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Havent got a clue if it would work properly or how you want it (and also depends on budget etc), but you could use a few movers with an iris flown upstage, wheel the iris in and then move them so theyre pointing downstage... Although that might look a little too like ACL's! Just a suggestion.... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Arguably the best way is a bunch of gobos from FOH, a 15,31 s4 will do a nice wide spread, get maybe 6, 3US and 3DS, a good focus should remove the joins. I did a show a few weeks ago with people in prison and that is how we did it. Nice and simple and got the point across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxjones2000 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Then depending on the "mood", you could put in a steel blue filter (or a cold correctional filter?), and maybe wash the stage in something like L119..with lots of haze, that might look alright...or it might not!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Do you mean a) project the image of bars onto the stage floor, or b) use narrowm beamed lanterns to simulate bars of light in a row to look like the jail itself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 ^^ the man has a point, a bunch of s4's + doughnuts would look good I think pins would be just a tadd too dim of you want "physical" bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameroncoats Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Clay paky sharpies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Do you really need to cover the whole stage with prison bars?A single prison window gobo projected onto the stage can be just/ more effective.CheersGerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamtastic3 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I'm with Gerry. The easiest way is to used a S4, a prison bars gobo and project right across the back of the cyc or set. Its better to have the S4 projecting centre stage left or right rather than bang on from centre stage, so that the bars are stretched, giving the idea that moonlight is coming from a window with bars from the side.Don't make it too obvious by slamming the gobo to 100%. Have it so that it's just visible through a darker and colder colour wash on stage. It's that or do the even cheesier option of having a wide angled profile upstage centre, pop a prison bars gobo in, point the profile to downstage centre so the bars are projected over the stage. Then have the actor/s stay within that projected area and add some light haze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali2580 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Arguably the best way is a bunch of gobos from FOH, a 15,31 s4 will do a nice wide spread, get maybe 6, 3US and 3DS, a good focus should remove the joins. I did a show a few weeks ago with people in prison and that is how we did it. Nice and simple and got the point across. +1 on suggestion above. Just done a show last week where the director wanted the same effect of someone being in prison.. S4 + gobo are the best way to do it and I'd also agree with Gerry. Covering the whole stage with bars may be a bit OTT.. Just a single set of bars would work as well. Have people seriously suggested movers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Clay paky sharpies?Seriously? You could build a real prison and staff it for the price of a few Sharpies! We could really do with knowing the answer to Ynot's question. Without knowing this we're stabbing in the dark. Which might just get you into prison... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Do you really need to cover the whole stage with prison bars?A single prison window gobo projected onto the stage can be just/ more effective. Indeed.Not quite as visually effective on the photo as in real life, but here's a shot from our panto this year - dungeon scene.I used two identical bars gobos - one from LX bar 1 directed onto the back raise spilling onto the deck, and another from upstage bar 3 shooting forward onto the floor downstage.Both were only up at around 40% or so as the effect was intended to be subtle-ish. (And by the way, the character on the right was the last crew member to challenge the SM's authority that week...! :D) http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/Ynot_01/DSC_0833.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Do you really need to cover the whole stage with prison bars?A single prison window gobo projected onto the stage can be just/ more effective.... and more realistic. I've never been in prison, of course, but in general you're talking about rooms with solid walls and very small windows with bars. (unless the scene is something like a jail in a cowboy movie, where all the "jails" seem to be cages with vertical bars... whether that's realistic, or to make filming easier, is anyone's guess.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Hill07 Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Thanks for all the ideas guys, To make it clear.. The director wants the whole stage from left to right with beams across. I mean solid beams from stage grid to floor too, at the front of the stage (hence why it's a bit of a bugger) Might have to look around for some good gobo's that would give me the right effect if put into say 4 or 5 S4's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 In that case you may struggle somewhat. A S4, even a 5 degree unit, will still give a conical beam by definition. And as it's unlikely you have many (if any) lanterns with that small a beam angle, whatever gobo you put into the gate will still not give you anything like a parallel bar effect. What you need is a series of lanterns with as close to a parallel output, with little or no flare, and at sufficient power to be able to be seen against whatever other light you're using to cover the action. Pin spots might come some way to looking right with lots of haze and little other light, but once you raise the general LX states, they'll most likely disappear fairly quickly.Yes, CP Sharpies would definitely qualify for that but as has been said you'd probably break your budget with just one of those beasts! I think you need to discuss practicalities with the director and seek a compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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