Stage lighting advice

[DorsetGuy]

I need to light a stage area at our local community hall  - not only for our amateur drama group but also for other hall users that want to use the stage area.

Area is approx. 8 x 3 metres and I’m looking specifically at lighting it from directly above the stage floor, not from the main hall area. Height is approx 8 metres from floor to roof level where any lights are to be hung from.

Would appreciate any tips/guidance/recommendations etc.. on suitable lights and number required to achieve a strong and even spread of light.

Anyone had experience of these following lights that I’ve been looking at ----

LEDJ Intense 9P10 RGBWA

Sol 70W Flat Par Can

Sol 90W Slim Par Can

[sandall]

With only over-stage lighting you are going to have trouble lighting faces.  

[DorsetGuy]

Aware of that. But can't hang any lights in main hall except during Drama productions - Badminton club moan like hell about lights and cables hanging down as the main hall ceiling is quite low.  Something we can't do anything about sadly.      

[kerry davies]

Your best bet is going to be lighting stands and floor mounted kit. Not just because of what Ian writes but because 8 metres is serious work at height in a village hall context when it comes to focusing, maintenance etc. You may be fine with WaH but there are infinite varieties of village hall user. 

If the main hall is low ceiling height and the stage is 8M there must also be a serious step up where fixtures could be mounted.... or am I confused again? 

[kgallen]

Oh yea I remember those days of ‘Badminton Club’ when I was living in and part of an amdram group in the Birmingham area!

My solution at the time: booms as high up on the side walls FOH as I could get. Is that something you could consider? It’s not a total solution but could give you a workable angle for some face light if not a total stage general cover.

Over stage can you fly some 6m ali bars (better still internally wired bars) at a lower height of say 4-5m?

If you can get a back light bar in there, all the better, or again maybe side booms on the stage side walls?

These combinations would give you a much wider range of rigging positions and hence lighting angles. Possibly for amdram shows these could be supplemented with some stand-mounted lights if feasible.

Then lights-wise probably 4-6 nice fresnels with barndoors, 3 each side FOH. From above, similar or some RGBW LED wash lights. On advice from @ianknight many years back I tend to prefer Showtec rather than LEDJ at the budget end.

Parcans, depending on model, might have too much of a hot spot in the centre for a general cover. Fresnel and/or wash lights from above might suit you better for a minimalist setup. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by kgallen

[Jivemaster]

The issue that I have with "disco" lights is their poor life, lack of spares, and differences between batches, these of course being most of the reason why they are cheaper than pro theatre fittings.

Where you have Work At Height issues the reduction of WAH is your first problem.

As an approximation assume that over stage lights illuminate the set and FOH lights illuminate the cast, usually FOH lights point slightly down to keep the shadows on the floor not the back wall, necessitating high level fixing.

[sunray]

My immediate thought is 8m ceiling height is a very long way up for a EDIT village community hall but then you say ceiling height is low for badminton players, 4-5m is generally considered adequate for badminton. So like Kerry I'm confused too.

 

Ironically I'm in the process of clearing out and struggling to dispose of elderly stage stuff at the demise of an AmDram group, things like Microspot 308 fresnels & Strand Minim23 spots and 4m highx6m wide blue velvet curtains and track.

Edited April 14, 2022 by sunray

[DorsetGuy]

4 hours ago, kerry davies said:

Your best bet is going to be lighting stands and floor mounted kit. Not just because of what Ian writes but because 8 metres is serious work at height in a village hall context when it comes to focusing, maintenance etc. You may be fine with WaH but there are infinite varieties of village hall user. 

If the main hall is low ceiling height and the stage is 8M there must also be a serious step up where fixtures could be mounted.... or am I confused again? 

I incorrectly stated ceiling height - it's approx 8 FEET high not 8 Metres  - senior moment!!

[DorsetGuy]

I incorrectly stated ceiling height - it's approx 8 FEET high not 8 Metres  - senior moment!!

[kerry davies]

From the sublime to the gorblimey? Eight feet is the height of my ceilings and I can touch them, you can't hang anything from that, it is way too risky and I am even more confused at playing badminton in somewhere like my living room. Can't be done.

Take a step back and try to get things right but I am generally of the same opinion as Jivemaster, general purpose theatre fixtures will be more value and more use than "disco" lights. I personally like the flexibility of stands especially for community use where they might end up in a marquee on the village green or illuminating a mayoral speech outside the local school. Keep it portable. 

Got any photos of your village hall, that might help.

E2A. I know I can come across as a miserable old scrote but in life I am very positive and well above glass half full. In work however, which to me this subject is, I was paid to seek out the worst possible scenario then prevent it. I am sure that there are solutions to your questions but I think you need to define the parameters a lot more precisely. Apologies if I seem negative. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by kerry davies
Addition

[GR1]

I wouldn't even consider hanging any equipment except maybe at the top of a side wall in a room with an 8-9ft ceiling height.

Your Risk Assessment should show an unacceptable risk of punters hitting the equipment and injuring themselves  if they are tall or jump and I would hate to think where any liabilty for injuries would lay. I would look at the solution suggested above using theatre lights on booms.

[Don Allen]

For a low ceiling consider using PAR16 or "birdies". Compact, lightweight, wide range of beam angles, low power consumption, available in stubby or short nose, barn doors available. They could be mounted in a small trough, like foot lights but on the roof. Do a sideways plan of your stage, draw in the McCandless method 45 degee angle from the actor to typical tall ceiling you get in a hall, then instead of mounting a profile on the roof, put a birdy along the light beam, where it gets to the proscenium arch. The birdy will do the same job, but because it is closer, does not have to be a high wattage. ???

I have lit several venues where roof rigging was not available, so I use a boom on each side for front light. Provides some selectivity. Instead of a counterweighted baseplate, you may be able to secure the side truss to the wall ?

[Dave m]

I was thinking the same but tank traps and poles

[Jivemaster]

For an application where many users will need the stage lights avoid DMX totally unless you are certain to have a tech op staff available at all times. Grandad can run a light switch -even a row of them! BUT if they have to be individually addressed by data you cannot rely on users to leave it working.

[sunray]

How on earth do they manage to play badminton in 8ft? IIRC the net is 5ft 6" high.

As others have said it's gonna be too hard to hang lights in 8ft.

Do you have a raised stage?