I wish they made....

[tonytech]

Not theatrical* but we would all benefit; A Teleport. Powered by a potato (see The long Earth for reference), simple to use, no chance a big corporation could buy it up, next best thing to free.

No more traffic jams, no pollution, anyone could be anywhere in seconds - thus breaking down all the barriers so afflicting humanity.

 

 

 

 

 

*Could also be used to get followspots up to impossibly remote balconies.

 

I'm reminded of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhikers guide...

"I teleported home one night,

With Ron and Sid and Meg.

Ron stole Meggies heart away,

And I got Sidneys leg"

 

Edited to fix formating

Edited March 8, 2019 by tonytech

[TomHoward]

I have been asked on more than one occasion if we can light an area in black.

Likewise, plus "on cue everything on stage turns to black and white"

[kerry davies]

I have been asked on more than one occasion if we can light an area in black.

Likewise, plus "on cue everything on stage turns to black and white"

Did one show with the drabbest grey set ever, the cast in black and white costume and using sepia gel for one scene. Didn't quite do what you need but depressed the hell out of the audience.

 

Perfecto!

[andy_s]

I have been asked on more than one occasion if we can light an area in black.

Likewise, plus "on cue everything on stage turns to black and white"

Did one show with the drabbest grey set ever, the cast in black and white costume and using sepia gel for one scene. Didn't quite do what you need but depressed the hell out of the audience.

 

Perfecto!

I once worked on a show based on the movies of a well known director whose career in the cinema ran from the 1920s to the 1970s - first half was in black and white, the second half was glorious technicolour. black and white is perfectly possible on stage. Needs a bit of coordination / collaboration between set, costume and lighting designers.

[TomHoward]

Yes, this is supporting college shows though, and was with full colour costume and set, to be turned into back and white by the lighting.

[andy_s]

Yes, this is supporting college shows though, and was with full colour costume and set, to be turned into back and white by the lighting.

that certainly won't work, although it is possible to make things look black depending on what colour light you shine at it, for example in theory a yellow object will look black if only blue light hits it...but not with multi-coloured things, as each individual coloured object will respond differently to the colour of the light shone it it.

 

hence the need for collaboration with set and costume designer, and maybe a physics lesson for the director.

Edited March 9, 2019 by andy_s

[marktownend]

4 things I wish they made...

 

Smaller Ceeform style plugs, connectors and splitters (I'm primarily talking about 16a single phase). Because I frequently find them just too big and ugly.

 

A cheap fixing that's much quicker than a M10 machine screw (bolt) and wingnut. Something like the quarter turn fasteners that hold your Omega clamps to your movers, mainly as I've got lots of fixtures that hung or floor mounted on different jobs, and I'm constantly wasting time swapping hook clamps for floor bases or half couplers or just putting hook clamps on to kit that I've not got the room to store or transport with clamps attached. Sure something must exist in mass productions somewhere, I just don't know the thing!

 

White roundslings. For use in marquees.

 

IP rated PAR36 fixtures. For picking out architectural features etc.

[the kid]

4 things I wish they made...

 

Smaller Ceeform style plugs, connectors and splitters (I'm primarily talking about 16a single phase). Because I frequently find them just too big and ugly.

 

A cheap fixing that's much quicker than a M10 machine screw (bolt) and wingnut. Something like the quarter turn fasteners that hold your Omega clamps to your movers, mainly as I've got lots of fixtures that hung or floor mounted on different jobs, and I'm constantly wasting time swapping hook clamps for floor bases or half couplers or just putting hook clamps on to kit that I've not got the room to store or transport with clamps attached. Sure something must exist in mass productions somewhere, I just don't know the thing!

 

White roundslings. For use in marquees.

 

IP rated PAR36 fixtures. For picking out architectural features etc.

 

 

The answer to the m10 is something like a TV-spigot. its of course crazy in a cost sense, but doughty do make hooks and bases etc for all your needs. We had talked in passing about it for generics but we have so few.

[mac.calder]

 

The answer to the m10 is something like a TV-spigot. its of course crazy in a cost sense, but doughty do make hooks and bases etc for all your needs. We had talked in passing about it for generics but we have so few.

 

 

http://www.citytheatrical.com/Products/moving-light-hangers is another alternative. They should work in the inverted position.

 

Regarding smaller Cee style connectors... I mean you can look at Powercon true1 connectors... they work pretty well.

 

IP rated Par36's for architectural use - there are a bunch of IP rated LED alternatives with similar size and beam angles on alibaba and the like

 

White slings - in Australia at least, the colour of the sling denotes the SWL (with an exception that black can be 1T or 2T). It was a pain to get the old guard to accept these new fang-dangled black slings... white might be a bridge too far. What we used for marquees was "Sling Socks". A narrow lycra sleeve that you put on the sling before you rig it, and then stretch over the shackles at either end.

Edited March 11, 2019 by mac.calder

[Yorkie]

Smaller Ceeform style plugs, connectors and splitters (I'm primarily talking about 16a single phase). Because I frequently find them just too big and ugly.

 

And that is surely what Neutrik were thinking when they invented the true1

[marktownend]

Thanks for your replies 4.5 years ago! Think I'd missed them at the time.

In order...

Powercon are indeed significantly smaller than 16A Ceeform but unfortunately quite a lot more expensive.

The screw and wingnut replacement would also need to be relateively similar cost - I'm aware Doughty do various things including a folding clamp, but not for only a few pence each!

Mac's Sling Socks might be exactly what I need.

And I've finally found IP LED pinspots available in the UK - I'd bought a Eurolite 10w one from Thomann for £51 as a test last year and have just found a very similar unit, rated at 5w but not yet tried alongside the 10w one, for under £20 each - https://www.electrovision.co.uk/public/template-product-details.php?product_id=G019GB so may be stocking up with some more of them.

[themadhippy]

 

Quote

A software package that you can import your favourite audio file and EASILY set up cue markers alongside that file that you can then send to trigger specified cues your favourite LX desk, be that as MIDI or other protocol.

30 year ago a revox with the slide  syc function and a zero 88  sirus could do it fairly painlessly without the need for any computer assistance.

[adam2]

Several electrical accessories, for general use not just entertainment venues.

13 amp plugs designed to neatly and safely accept 2.5mm 3 core flex to reduce voltage drop in extension leads.

A range of fused connection units and 20 amp DP switches with GREEN indicators, more suitable than red or orange for loads intended to be left on. Including mains supply into fire or intruder alarms.

An EIGHT gang 13 amp socket for fixed installation use, not a trailing socket for extension leads. Useful when large numbers of sockets are needed. Two versions, one with a 13 amp fuse when it is desired to limit the total load, and one without any such fuse and rated at 32 or 40 amps in total.

[Andrew C]

MK used to do green indicators for the Grid Switch range.  They may still do so...

[adam2]

5 minutes ago, Andrew C said:

MK used to do green indicators for the Grid Switch range.  They may still do so...

AFAIK they are still available, but bulky and expensive if compared to a standard design of fused connection unit but with a green light instead of red/orange.