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The Alcock Gel Viewer


Pete Alcock

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I've always struggled looking through those gel swatch books trying to imagine what Lee 148 or whatever is really going to look like when on the front of a PAR can and shone at the stage. It's hard to get an impression by just peering through it or holding it up to the light.

 

Anyway I've come up with a gadget that helps. See what you think...

 

1. Get a cardboard tube about 3cm internal dia (bog roll is a bit large really but will do at a pinch), and about 10cm long.

 

2. Cut a 3cm square hole in the side, 1cm up from the bottom, like a window.

 

3. Rub the bottom on a Pritt Stick and press it on to a sheet of plain white card or paper. Cut the card off all the way round.

 

4. Now sit under a bright light (downlighters in the kitchen for example, or a desk lamp), and put the gel you wish to view over the open end. Look though the window in the tube at the bottom and you'll see what your colour will look like on a white stage, really easily.

 

The tube acts like a shroud and allows you to see the colour on the white card inside clearly.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/kirkup_xp/image003.gif

 

Neat huh?

 

Pete.

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nice idea...I shall try it at some appropriate moment.

 

I completely agree that the gels look rather different under theatre conditions!

 

David

 

EDIT: Have you patented it? :D

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I suppose you could also use a similar system to view how colour affects different materials by using them instead of the paper. And show up metamerism (when materials look the same under one condition but not another)
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