follow spot

[vera j]

I am looking for a follow spot that can be operated using one hand ( it's an equal opportunities issue ).

[david.elsbury]

Some follow spots allow DMX control of iris, colour , dimmer. Can't post links sorry as on mobile. This would allow one person to contrpl position and another (your lighting desk op) to do the rest. Would that be an option?

[vera j]

Yes that's an option although the venue is small and may not be able to afford a good quality spot. I wonder if there is any way of adapting what they already have.

[peza2010]

Yes that's an option although the venue is small and may not be able to afford a good quality spot. I wonder if there is any way of adapting what they already have.

 

Analogue Dimmer and a volume pedal adapted to give out 0-10v? dimmer control with your foot.

[the kid]

I think you would be hard pushed to find anything "made to measure", knowing a few people with lower arm issues they have adaptations made and fitted to measure.

 

It depends on exactly what "one hand" is, is it full arm, elbow, wrist or deformity/mobility, and most importantly left or right hand (spots are 99% right hand siuted) a prosthesis with a grip I should imagine would be a good start, leaving the other hand for iris and colour, I know a couple of companies provide foot operated dimmers which are good.

 

In all honesty if you have done everything in your power to find something usable and safe, (attach the prosthesis but for gods sake make sure they can get out of it if needed) then perhaps followspotting is not the best option given the budget. Sometimes no is the answer.

[vera j]

That was my next point. It would need to be a left handed op. Can you send me a link for foot operated dimmers? That could be an option.

[csg]

my venerable ( old...) Lycian superarc 1266's have a rear follow handle that is also the douser. You would still have the issue of iris size control, however if this can be pre-selected prior to dimming in, then they would be usable one handed by either hand. They are small. light, well balanced and crop up second hand from time to time for not a lot of money.

[theatretechie]

I use to be a Technical Manager in a small recieving house. During the whole building mods for disabled access (Lifts, Ramps, Toilets etc) I was approached with a question from the powers that be about installing a lift for wheel chair access to the fly floor.

 

After a long conversation they finally realised that with all the best intentions in the world a wheel chair bound flyman would just not be a feesable or safe thing to even consider.

 

However this followspot idea you have really has merit and I'm glad to see its being discussed.

 

Would a Clay Paky Shadow spot be useful for this application?

They made two versions QS-LT (long throw) and QS-ST (Short Throw). The control board mounted on the back was a basic DMX console. This allows the unit to be used as a conventional Followspot, fully controlled by the user. Or hook in a DMX line and have it controlled by the console (or sometimes the 2nd spot op).

 

The control included - Dimmer, Strobe, Iris, Colour and frost)

 

The shadow was basically a Goldenscan insides without the Gobo module.

 

Here is a LINK

[paulears]

We have a left hander, and being mean (and cheap) we bought the Chinese version of the Clay Paky unit - we bought two, and then the roof leaked into one and ruined it and bought another.

 

They are quite able to be operated one handed with a bit of dexterity. The operating position is at the rear, rather than the sides. Our research at the time concluded that only the very expensive end of the follow spot market could be converted to left hand operation, and even then, it was a fudge. The work from the rear versions need you to just be able to use two faders - dimmer and iris, and instead of holding the rear handle with one hand and 'fade ring' with the other, you can find a hand position that works better. We have two hook clamps on the front handles of ours which just makes them nose heavy enough to put a little rising pressure on the panel against your hands. We did actually try the remoting the control idea - and it failed miserably. cues were never as tight, and you needed to keep talking things through all the time - the ops would sometimes not be ready, and perhaps off their target when the dimmer was opened, and the op wouldn't notice they were on, unless the board op yelled at them - and with two, the idea of having perfectly coordinated light ups and black outs was offset by poor panning and tilting. It seemed that when you do the dimmer yourself, you can see the beam before anyone else, and make small correction movements. When the light comes on on it's own, it's harder - and almost impossible when both lights come up on the same subject - you lose the ability to know which circle is yours. Snap blackouts were brilliant, though.

[vera j]

This sounds like a sensible option. I was indeed concerned about the remote control. But if the one hand is dextous enough it may be possible. Concentration and attention in our follow spot ops is not great!

Also what a coincidence that we can afford this using insurance money from a leaking roof on our current spots.

thanks

 

We have a left hander, and being mean (and cheap) we bought the Chinese version of the Clay Paky unit - we bought two, and then the roof leaked into one and ruined it and bought another.

 

They are quite able to be operated one handed with a bit of dexterity. The operating position is at the rear, rather than the sides. Our research at the time concluded that only the very expensive end of the follow spot market could be converted to left hand operation, and even then, it was a fudge. The work from the rear versions need you to just be able to use two faders - dimmer and iris, and instead of holding the rear handle with one hand and 'fade ring' with the other, you can find a hand position that works better. We have two hook clamps on the front handles of ours which just makes them nose heavy enough to put a little rising pressure on the panel against your hands. We did actually try the remoting the control idea - and it failed miserably. cues were never as tight, and you needed to keep talking things through all the time - the ops would sometimes not be ready, and perhaps off their target when the dimmer was opened, and the op wouldn't notice they were on, unless the board op yelled at them - and with two, the idea of having perfectly coordinated light ups and black outs was offset by poor panning and tilting. It seemed that when you do the dimmer yourself, you can see the beam before anyone else, and make small correction movements. When the light comes on on it's own, it's harder - and almost impossible when both lights come up on the same subject - you lose the ability to know which circle is yours. Snap blackouts were brilliant, though.

[medina]

Why not drop a spot down to a local tech college, I'm sure some students could use little pulleys and steel wire to make all the functions accessible for 1 hand.would make a nice little project for someone

[paulears]

Sadly these kinds of thing are far less possible now, because of all the concerns with planned delivery. Some of the staff might be happy to get involved, and maybe some students might volunteer, but by and large, the days of scrapping projects planned months previously to cover particular criteria in favour of a worthy cause like this, usually just can't be done. We used to bend the spec to take in opportunities like this, but since the arrival of OFSTED - it takes a brave member of staff to do it.

 

Nice projects, though eminently worthy, have to fit with things planned maybe a year ago or there just isn't time to get through the spec in the reduced hours every college seems to have nowadays.