Was grey a better colour?

[Junior8]

I have just been sorting pix of various trade-shows where there are naturally numerous examples of movers being used merely as up-lighters, suspended rigs of massed par cans and the like - all black. All the gear stood out like a sore thumb especially where it had been applied to stands and exhibits where a good deal of effort had gone into the design and choice of colours. And it occurred to me that black was probably the worst possible colour, with the exception of any of the primaries possibly, for lanterns outside a full blackout and that the light grey hammer finish used for years by both Strand and Furse was a far more preferable choice, acceptable in virtually every situation...

 

Any thoughts?

[Stuart91]

the light grey hammer finish used for years by both Strand and Furse was a far more preferable choice, acceptable in virtually every situation...

 

Any thoughts?

 

It would be a bit of a burden on hire companies having to maintain one stock of lanterns for conference use, and another for theatre / rock'n'roll.

 

Clients can have their kit whatever colour they want as long as they are prepared to pay for it, but my guess is that most aren't. It'd be hard to justify the additional expense for something that is relatively peripheral.

[Shez]

It would be a bit of a burden on hire companies having to maintain one stock of lanterns for conference use, and another for theatre / rock'n'roll.

It's quite common for hire companies to do just that. The conference Pars are silver finish, carefully flightcased and only let out when you leave a kidney as a deposit. Same idea with truss, staging etc.

The tatty stuff goes on rock 'n' roll gigs, the good stuff goes (with a price premium to reflect the good condition) to conferences.

[kerry davies]

All about the money, Roger, Stuart is correct. That lovely finish on Strand/Furse lanterns came at a price.

 

I find it fascinating that 45 years on I can buy a cheapo LED par can for the same numbers of quids I would have paid for a 1969 Patt 243 Polestar. The build quality was far higher, unit life so much longer and initial costs so high that we are comparing apples and oranges but if the demand were there the manufacturers would cater for it... at a price. Architectural lighting comes in many more finishes and of necessity costs a lot more.

 

Think of the "any colour you like as long as it's black" Henry Ford philosophy. Mass production lowers costs and any minor variation, such as choice of finish, mitigates against the savings to be made from standard unit production.

 

As an older person myself I can confirm that nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

[Stu]

In an ideal world, yes I suppose it would be aesthetically best for the lanterns to match the colour of their surroundings. But to keep a stock of every possible combination would be prohibitively expensive! The mix of silver and black that other posters mention fulfills most cases I think.

 

Ideally, I've always liked (for instance) the idea of our FOH units painted to match the auditorium (Rank West End houses of the 70/80's look?) but the problem is the moment we move a couple of S4's from a slip to a circle, or add a few touring units out front, the whole look would go to pot - at least with black, everything matches lantern wise and there is some sort of uniformed look.

[Junior8]

I agree Stu and I know that if you want to pay you can have what you like but perhaps I didn't make myself clear. What I meant was that if everything came in one colour as standard - would grey be more adaptable than black given the uses that all sorts of kit is put to now?

 

 

[revbobuk]

Me - I'm going to stick my neck out and agree with you. That grey enamel finish was just so much classier than matt black. And seemed to fade into the background more effectively too.

[billystag]

Really? - Claypaky should start painting their sharpys in a dull silver? The Robe Ledwash 600 in Dull hammer finished gold? I can't imagine saying "what do you mean - you haven't got 20 x VL3000 spots in strand fir tree green?"

[Roderick]

Maybe it would be easier if there was a mandate to paint all theatres to match the colour of the lighting fixtures?

[pete LD]

Maybe it would be easier if there was a mandate to paint all theatres to match the colour of the lighting fixtures?

 

Black?

[Bråthe]

Really? - Claypaky should start painting their sharpys in a dull silver? The Robe Ledwash 600 in Dull hammer finished gold? I can't imagine saying "what do you mean - you haven't got 20 x VL3000 spots in strand fir tree green?"

 

 

http://www.claypaky.it/en/products/sharpy#paintworks

[the kid]

Who was it that was doing movers in a range of colours? I vaguley remmeber seeing maybe at plasa a burgandy type of colour.

[Yorkie]

Who was it that was doing movers in a range of colours? I vaguley remmeber seeing maybe at plasa a burgandy type of colour.

 

Void acoustics aren't doing lighting then :P

[billystag]

Really? - Claypaky should start painting their sharpys in a dull silver? The Robe Ledwash 600 in Dull hammer finished gold? I can't imagine saying "what do you mean - you haven't got 20 x VL3000 spots in strand fir tree green?"

 

 

http://www.claypaky....arpy#paintworks

 

"Hello, Yes, I would like 30 sharpy's for my theatre - no, not in black, these are going front of house (so the cast can benefit from seeing my beautifully programmed beams), and I need them in Gold to match the brass hand rails. Setting fire to the auditorium? No - we don't worry about things like that here"

 

After all that - the link is quite a good example though.

[Tomo]

Pretty much all of the well-known fixture manufacturers have a few different colours available as standard. (Almost always including black)

 

Many are even able to do their fixtures in pretty much any colour you like.

 

I know ETC have shipped many Revolutions and Source Fours in various custom colours for FOH and Architectural purposes, I'm sure Martin, Clay Paky et al have done the same.

 

(I'm pretty sure have ETC shipped some pink Source Fours, and even a few pink Sensor touring racks.)

 

This kind of customisation obviously costs a fair bit extra - the kind of paint that goes on a lantern has to withstand pretty high temperatures without discolouring, and many fixtures have plastic parts that some kinds of paint might damage.