Lighting Rig Help

[simonduv]

Hi Guys,

 

I know im probably asking a lot here, and feel free to tell me if I am, but here goes...

 

I've recently been asked to help with a charity event, which is taking place in a Big Top Marquee, for approx 1,000 people. The event is for a chairty raising money for a local girl who has been battling cancer.

 

I;ve been tasked with lighting the event, and to be honest am probably a little out of my depth! Ive worked in nightclubs for over ten years, and also crewed a few small festivals, so im not completely incompetent, and have a good knowledge of programming, fixture types, SWLs, etc however lighting a stage for a mixture of live acts and DJs is proving a little daunting.

 

I appreciate this isnt a simple one word answer type of question, and im not expecting anyone to reply with a full lighting rig CAD drawing, just some advice as to types of fixtures and if there is a rough guideline as to positioning of fixtures.

 

Although this event is just a charity gig, for a predominately local crowd, id still like it to look the best that I can make it, so ANY help or advice would be genuinely appreciated, by both myself and everyone else involved.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[MarkB]

Hi Simon

 

What type of event is it? How big is the stage area and what type is it? (standard, in the round etc)

and what's the budget?

 

Mark

[simonduv]

Hi Mark,

 

The event is a charity event, and the music tent is part of a number of other activities happening on the day.

 

The line-up is mostly DJs / PA's, however there are two bands performing throughout the day also.

 

The stage size is 30ft x 20ft, and is ally-deck on 4ft legs.

 

The budget has been left open, the brief I was given was to keep the costs 'reasonable' whilst ensuring the lighting show didnt look 'cheap'!

 

Luckily we have a few local lighting companies who have agreed to lend us some gear FOC, meaning that we dont have to scrimp on fixtures too much.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry mark, forgot to add the stage is just a standard rectangle.

[ImagineerTom]

EVERY connection must be at least IP44 rated (so no 15 or 13amp plugs) as this is classed as an "outdoor" event for an electrical safety point of view and things WILL get damp. Make no exceptions to this rule for your connectors otherwise you WILL have problems and shorts.

Where and how you can rig is dependent of the type & grade of top being used so to this end you'll be at the mercy of someone else defining what and how-much can go where. Before doing any planning you need to find out what's possible as the rigging points will not necessarily be in "logical" places and you don't want to have to waste money renting in a sub grid just to give you the points you need.

Things will get wet - a good tent is waterproof inside but you'll be getting a cheep tent put up fast so there will be water issues - make sure no electrical item is directly under or within 2ft of any seam or opening otherwise it's in the "wet zone" and the slightest drop of rain will come pouring in. Even if by some miracle there's no rain you'll get condensation on the inside of the tent which will pool and drip in largely the same places.

[mark_s]

EVERY connection must be at least IP44 rated (so no 15 or 13amp plugs) as this is classed as an "outdoor" event for an electrical safety point of view and things WILL get damp. Make no exceptions to this rule for your connectors otherwise you WILL have problems and shorts.

 

Seconded - I just spent a happy two months babysitting a show in a tent, and every other morning brought some sort of damp-related issue. Also be especially aware of rigging anything on or around the kingpoles - another great place for water to get in in inclement weather.

 

You may also find trying to get a decent, even haze particularly entertaining; you'll be at the mercy of not only any breeze going through the tent, but also things like tent heaters (which can have a massive effect on your haze - from experience).

[simonduv]

Thanks for the reply, IP44 connections will be used as standard, and the tent is being supplied by a large national marquee company, whom supply tents to many festivals, so whilst I completely take on board your words of caution regarding the water issue, we wont at least be working with a cheap tent.

[ImagineerTom]

If you're working with the biggest players in the "big top at festivals" industry I can point you towards many many many tech's who'll tell you that they are cheep tents that have quite a reputation for leaking due to their age, lack of maintenance and tendency to use crews who cut-corners and save time (and thus money) by not doing all the secondary flaps and rain nosings up properly on short jobs.

 

You should always assume they are going to be leaky, damp things until you personally have checked they're not.

[GR1]

If you have local lighting companies who are prepared to help I would ask for their advice as well as just for their kit. Pick the most suitable and they may be prepared to lend you the kit if you pay for the crew. You should never expect crew to work for nothing. If you follow that model the crew will know all about waterproofing, writing Risk Assesments and lighting gigs in tents. Your job then becomes to front the show lighting wise which is enough of a job in itself. Liasing between the technical needs of the acts can be time consuming and difficult so pass the setting up of the hardware on. You can't afford to run an event with a potential audience of 1000 in any way that might be dodgy. As well as being well lit it has got to be safe so if you think you are out of your depth on the details of the job then run it for the charity and let people who have done it before do the nitty gritty. If you have cash sponsers one of them may even be prapared to pay for the crew when you tell them the kit is free.

[ltully]

As Mark_S says haze will be entertaining. I done an event in a 1500 capacity marquee back in december. spent about half a hour trying to get a even spread. hour later wind changed direction outside so did my haze!

 

Any idea what power you have to pay with ?

[simonduv]

The site is regularly used for large events and has hard-wired power supplies available for use, ranging from 16 / 32 / 64 Amp supplies.

 

 

As Mark_S says haze will be entertaining. I done an event in a 1500 capacity marquee back in december. spent about half a hour trying to get a even spread. hour later wind changed direction outside so did my haze!

 

Any idea what power you have to pay with ?

[Yorkie]

The site is regularly used for large events and has hard-wired power supplies available for use, ranging from 16 / 32 / 64 Amp supplies.

Any idea what power you have to pay with ?

Knowing the total supply, whether it's single or three phase and whether the same supply will feed catering, funfair rides etc will help us suggest lighting types. If we know where in the UK you are it might be beneficial to you too

[simonduv]

Three phase, catering is using a sepearte feed and the fair ground is all independently powered from their own generators

1358639683[/url]' post='462120']

1358636529[/url]' post='462119']

The site is regularly used for large events and has hard-wired power supplies available for use, ranging from 16 / 32 / 64 Amp supplies.

1358632666[/url]' post='462118']

Any idea what power you have to pay with ?

Knowing the total supply, whether it's single or three phase and whether the same supply will feed catering, funfair rides etc will help us suggest lighting types

[kerry davies]

Far too many variables to answer fully. Much depends on what style of tent you have, and as the company is used to dealing with stages and lighting they may be the best to ask for advice, certainly on rigging since they will have seen it all.

 

However, as with all these questions, the budget and your skills levels are the greatest determinant along with what level the artistes are. One thing I will say is that if it isn't to look cheap and you go the aerial rigging route it is not going to be peanuts and you are not going to do it alone. You probably need a few decent crew in any circus style tent anyway with at least one good rigger.

 

You can do a good job with trussing on stands and floor/low-level mounted movers and two decent smokers. For charity I would keep it relatively simple.

[son of lx dad]

Hiho Simonduv, you've had lots of bitty posts giving various thoughts but lets try and tie it all together to give you somewhere to start.

 

Some things you must know before you make any creative decisions (sic).

 

1. What exact power you have

2. Rigging. Will you be able to hang from the tent roof? Where? Between the king poles, around the king poles? over the stage? Or is it a clearspan tent without poles and you need Cader Clamp rigging?

3. Will you need to provide audience lighting?

4. Will you need to provide emergency exit lighting, maintained? Will you need to provide exit signs?

5. Will you need to light a bar area and the bar?

6. Will you need to provide light and power to backstage areas?

7. Crewing, no point having 2 45ft of free kit if you have nobody to empty the truck. Or its only you and 2 mates to do everything?

 

Answering some of these questions will actually begin to answer the question of 'designing' this show depending on the 'must haves'.

 

For a gig in a tent thats mostly DJ's during at least some daylight hours I would spend my money on some beefy smoke and haze, then a lot of eye candy such as 'beam type' moving lights and maybe some LED strips pointing out into the audience. Some 2 or 4 light moles to light the tent in bump moments.

[paulears]

In the seventies when the 'lighting' on my CV for the BBC Seaside specials really consisted of dealing with mud and damp issues, as I was really a cable basher. I remember well jury rigged distros fizzing away, wet to the touch from condensation. Warm the tent up from inside on a cold day and everything gets wet. Thinking back to how lights were suspended then makes me thing that it would be far easier nowadays to ground mount everything. I think I might even consider a few hired in scaff towers, that could be used as support, but with the easy access to focus and relamp.