Kopy Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi guys, I'm a rock 'n roll lampie who has recently moved into theatre work - I just have a quick question regarding booms for dance. When I focus the booms I shutter just off the legs on the opposite side, both up and down stage. This means that when I use them they don't light the legs at all - great! The dancers look like they just appear! The only problem is if a dancer moves from up to down stage in the centre they walk in and out of light - if they're standing directly in line with the legs they're in darkness. How do people get around this problem? Thanks, Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Shins (the light position, not the body part) hard shuttered off the opposite side floor line/skirting board/base of black tabs does the trick for me. Top hats or blackwrap get rid of any flare you still have on the deck. I use a huge up/down overlap on my boom focus, to minimise the gaps between each boom when the dancers stand nearer to them. Having the booms further offstage also makes those black spot move off too, if you can do it. It's kinda like creating any other even cover, but the fixtures are nearer the targets, so more booms and shins, mids and head highs create that wall of light. It helps to draw out a plan, with beams, and a front elevation too, with people drawn in position. You can't make light travel around corners or stop in mid air, so you have to put up with light on things, if you want to light people on stage. And don't forget those lifts..... edit: Re reading the post, originally thought you meant shutter off dancers legs ** laughs out loud **. Answer amended to include what you were asking :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LampTramp Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 One way to do this is (depending on the production) is not to just light across stage from bay to bay (wings)For example leave the down stage booms buzzing across... if you then use the next upstage boom to light up and across to the third wing bay. the third wing (bay) to light down and across to the second wing (bay)... so it's kind of cris cross...Richard Caswell (Ballet Rambert) used this focus for a basic cover...Depending on what you've got on your booms, shin busters just light side to side and fresnels filling the holes and adding to your general 'wash' by providing a key light/ wall of light.Have a look at google for Peter Mumford (who knows a thing or two!!) and see how he's lit dance productions and have a 'guess on what's in the wings'As I said before, it depends on the dance piece that you are lighting that will influence your final rig design and maybe light hitting bits of set (not always a bad thing) would enhance the picture that the audience will see.I've got focus notes if you want to have a look...Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderick Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Don't shutter the downstage side.I normally start with about two legs wide, straight across, and then shutter / barndoor the US leg only.The overlap then gives good cover keeping the legs 'dark'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono9691 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Roderick +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahame Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Pretty much as Roderick says - shutter off the leg in the next bay upstage, try to hit as much downstage as you can. Another really good trick if you're using flats is to angle them ever so slightly so that the offstage edge is more upstage than the onstage edge - voila, no shadows. It's sometimes hard to convince the stage department that this is a Good Thing, however, as it makes it harder for them to mask the wings. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopy Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Cool. Thanks guys - I'll give that a whirl next week and let you know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewGrant Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 You could go in the style of John B. Read and not worry about hitting the floor. I programme a lot of ballets and often see the LDs not worrying about lighting the floor with sidelight.The argument is that we're lighting a ballet dancer, it is crucial that we see their feet. If that means light spills on the floor then so be it. The venue where I work most regularly has 5 boomsa side, each which 6 lamps on it, we tend to do focus like this:1 (bottom) : Cut off floor2: Cut off floor3: Near side quarter line and off4: Centre line and off5: Near side quarter line and off6 (top) : Centre line and off Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnno Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Richard Caswell (Ballet Rambert) used this focus for a basic cover...Brian Just for the sake of correctness, "The Ballet Rambert" changed its name to The Rambert Dance Company about twenty-five years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LampTramp Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Yes I know!That's when Caswell was lighting there....before being personal LD for Margot F and Rudolph N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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