rc2011 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Whenever lighting a stage with a general cover made up of numerous sub channel paired lights do you cross the lights or not. For example, you're standing looking towards the stage from the back of the hall, the barrel is the furthest back barrel and you have some fresnels mounted on it. Would you aim the left fresnel at the left side of the stage or aim it to the right. I always go for the left to right option as it gives a better light right to the edges of the stage without spilling onto the areas around the stage. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDLX Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Depends what kind of effect you are trying to create. If you are looking for moody atmospheric lighting then light on one side of the face may be preferable. If you are lighting for illumination then I would say two lanterns from each side, one crossing to the other side and one to the near side. For the conference I'm currently running the stage wash is split into 3 sections (SL, SC, SR) each section has 3 profiles foh from left centre and right angles, and 2 backlights. As well as side lights crossing over from SL and SR perches. This gives a good 'full bodied' wash so that the speakers are fully illuminated from any viewing angle. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 If you do a straight cross, you will end up with the two edges being very shadowed from the left side at the left of stage and the right side at the right of stage... If it was my design, generally, if you were to draw a straight line from the edge of the pros arch to the first instrument on the bar, the instrument would be between 20 and 55 degrees off axis. I try and maintain that sort of angle across the bar, so left hand side of the bar will do a full stage wash from the left, the right does full stage from the right. If there is the chance of cameras as well, I would add a little bit straight on as well. Hard to illustrate with words, but my little ascii diagram may help. ==/=|=/==/=|=/==\=|=\==\=|=\== This is of course the corporate in me... If I was doing theatre, then it depends on style. Lighting on axis (straight) can give you a 2d look - there are some times that you want this. Other times, I will use very little front and just a heap of side, top and foot lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The other thing with not crossing, is that if the beams come in from angles, then when they start to overlap on the ground, they'll still be apart at head height - so crossing might give you more even lighting as people walk around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXbydesign Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Im with Mac on this one. I feel its more controllable and easy to 'spot down'. Depends on the style though really. Musical theatre you want to see lots of 'tits and teeth' from the front and for drama etc again as Mac said, its more top / back and side and 3/4. Front light really to just picks up the faces a little more. Ive never really liked X light FOH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trunker Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Depends on where your bars are positioned FOH really. If I've got 'straight on' bars and 'side' bars I cross the side bar lights and leave the others pointing straight on. This generally tends to covers most areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Whenever lighting a stage with a general cover made up of numerous sub channel paired lights do you cross the lights or not. For example, you're standing looking towards the stage from the back of the hall, the barrel is the furthest back barrel and you have some fresnels mounted on it. Well there's the first question - if you're talking about the bar furthest away from the stage (i.e. the most FOH bar) then why do you have fresnels on it? Aren't they going to spill light over the front couople of rows of the audience? Soft focussed profiles are going to be much better. Would you aim the left fresnel at the left side of the stage or aim it to the right. I always go for the left to right option as it gives a better light right to the edges of the stage without spilling onto the areas around the stage. Thanks In an ideal world you'd do both. The outside lantern would light its own side and another further along would cross. This would get you closest to you "textbook" lighting of 45 degrees either side of centre. If you don't have enough lanterns to do both then you need to make a choice, but bear in mind that if all your FOH lighting is crossing then DSC is getting twice the amount of light as DSL and DSR so you'll have a very hot centre. You could consider crossing your warm wash and not crossing your cold wash then mixing colours in every state. This would work quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Read up on McCandless, it's a very well used technique that gives both good cover and good facial 'shaping'. My personal take is to use 763 and 053 rather than 205/201 as I find 201 a bit green and 205 a bit strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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