Lighting Plot Ideas

[Ian der Laan]

Hi,

 

We are rigging a few fixtures for a small scale performance tomorrow night. The room is not the most lx-friendly and I was wondering if anyone fancied chipping in with ideas on how to light it.

 

 

The fixtures at my disposal are as follows-

 

Strand

 

3 x Quartet PC's

 

2 x Minim 23's

 

2 x Quartet F's

 

3 x Quartet 22/40

 

2 x Cantata F

 

 

 

The room is a dance studio and is relatively small (roughly 8m x 9m). See the plan below. The audience will take their position next to the longest wall (notes side of the plan). I was thinking of using lilac/ amber/ open whites. The performances are songs from oliver and Phantom so the style needs to be generic.

 

 

 

Any help or advice is warmly welcomed. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

http://s1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd367/aliensbrains/

[paulears]

er. the plan shows the room and the grid outlet numbers. Not a lot we can do until you add in the audience positions, the performer positions, any other important features like maybe entrances exits, and what you actually want to be able to do. If they are doing one of the phantom solo numbers it might look very different to doing masquerade? Oliver is the same - chorus number or the Food number with benches?

 

We have no information whatsoever - so we can't comment. What ideas do you have? Maybe you could.Why not draw up what you have in mind and we can find problems, but we have no clue whatsoever about what you need or want. The audience are along the long wall - but how far to they encroach into the space? Can't even begin to consider colours until you tell us what the costumes are going to be. If they are doing the food number, all wearing brown it's very different from some of the other well know numbers done outside on a bright day with colourful costumes? Same for Phantom.

[Ian der Laan]

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. The main entrance is the door in the corner on the longest wall. The audience will be positioned on a single row adjacent to that wall.

 

 

 

Apart from that, the performers will be all over the space the two numbers are 'Food' and 'Phantom theme' both are large(ish) group pieces of 14 or so performers. The costumes are rags for oliver and black suits w/masks for Phantom. Oliver needs to be brighter than phantom (which will also feature a smoke machine). Colour wise, I was considering the 3 colours mentioned because all channels 100% would hopefully give me the brighter state for Oliver where as some backlight and predominantly lilac would hopefully give me a spookier state for Phantom.

 

 

 

I was thinking of using the Cantatas as back light on circuits 3 and 6 (maybe lilac) with perhaps the minims (open white) on C1 & 8 cutting diagonally forward (through the smoke), then using the quartets on the front bar with any left overs in the middle iof the rig facing the sides.

 

 

 

Does that make anymore sense?

 

 

 

Thanks.

[paulears]

For Food, fresnels on flood in your lavender would seem nice and bright yet a little monochrome - but I'd have some blue myself in the Phantom number.

[Ian der Laan]

For Food, fresnels on flood in your lavender would seem nice and bright yet a little monochrome - but I'd have some blue myself in the Phantom number.

Right thanks.

What about the lantern positioning?

[paulears]

If your plan is correct, then face light, with just one row of audience will be tricky, won't it? so it's fine to faff about with backlight, but if you can't see faces, you've failed. The closest bar to the audience, is too overhead, so you'll have to perhaps stick a tape line down preventing them going too far towards the audience, and then use the 4 fresnels which will be your widest sources to try to cover the front width - which is far too big for 4. Maybe, if necessary the Quartet profiles could be used - but they're not that pleasant on the widest setting -but you haven't much choice. Get faces lit with what you have, and then use what's left for cross lighting/back lighting. Or scrap all that, and just use the entire inventory on the 'front' bar so you can have the ability to throw some colour - I assume you have some TRS to get the power to them? Sadly, it may be more illumination than design.

[Ian der Laan]

The plan is correct and you're right the possibility of lighting their faces relies onkeeping the performers as far up stage as possible. I will make sure, during the 'dress' that the performers know how far down stage they can venture.

 

I think I'll take your advice and go for the fresnels and quartets on the front bar. Anything left over can go on cross/back lighting. I do have some TRS but I would like some different angles rather than extra colour washes, but that's just personal preference. As you say, it's a case of illumination.

 

 

 

Thanks for your help!