Cinema Lighting Effect

[FunkySi]

In an upcoming play I've got to provide a lighting effect for a scene where a number of people are in a cinema watching a movie. The actors are sat down facing the audience straight on, with the imaginary "screen" being halfway between the stage and the audience.

 

I need to provide that sort of flickering lighting effect that you can see on peoples faces while they are watching a movie / TV, but can't get anything close at the moment.

 

I don't have the luxury of intelligent lighting, and strobes are too bright. Can anyone give me any ideas about how to produce the effect I'm after ? If it can be rigged from a lighting bar all the better, but I can't put anything directly in front of the actors, or they will be obscured to the audience.

 

Thanks.

[Stu]

Keep it simple is all I say. One mid-scale, well known touring musical has an almost identical scene which just has the L201 FOH profiles flickering on the stage - sometimes the power of suggestion is good enough :D

 

HTH

Stu

[Andrew C]

I need to provide that sort of flickering lighting effect that you can see on peoples faces while they are watching a movie / TV, but can't get anything close at the moment.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've done a show (Grease) which requireds the same effect. We used a large ali disk (300mm or so) with various sized holes drilled in it rotated in front of a 500w profile at a speed that looked OK. Experiment & see...

[peternewman]

I wasn't the designer, but when we did Honk! we needed a similar effect. I think we just used a general wash and then some other colours over the top and a chase. That strikes me that it should work at least. You probably want to try and keep some illumination so its not too huge a contrast, then just bump lanterns up in a random chase.

 

HTH

 

PN

[dbuckley]

I need to provide that sort of flickering lighting effect that you can see on peoples faces while they are watching a movie / TV, but can't get anything close at the moment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You dont really get a flicker showing movies, in the sense of a strobe flicker. A typical 35mm movie projector has a two blade shutter (some have three), which at 24fps gives 48 flashes per second, with the shutter open for about 60-70% of the time. The film only advances during one of the two (or three) dark periods, but 48 flashes as second is a lot less irritating than 24.

 

What you get is the effect on people of differing lighting levels from the reflection from the screen, and that you can simulate as has been stated, a few fixtures and a chase, lots of steps, with mostly just small variations in level.

 

Of course, you might want a lot less realism than that, whereupon the disk with holes in it idea above may be more appropriate.

 

David. Part time 35mm projectionist :-)

[jamienip]

I come up with some strange ideas sometimes, if I'm being stupid, someone tell me to shut up...

 

Why not try from a different perspective... using a wide angle lantern, project from above and behind the people on stage, eg; they are facing the auditorium, in the real world the projector would be behind them, use a bit of haze, and some movement in the beam, and could have potential for a great effect. May take some experimentation, but could be good.

[mac.calder]

Good idea, but I think it would end up blinding too much of the audience.

 

However I would use a blinder (pointing onto the stage) on low intensity, and 'flicker' it up and down a couple of percent in a chase - say 20 steps with a change of up to 10% from the mean in a random fashion.... ie. with a mean of 15: 15 8 22 12 25 10...

[Tom S]

An effect I once used was 4 birdies in the following fashion:

 

--(A)--(B)--(A)--(B)--

 

(where A's are paired, and B's are paired)

 

They were aimed at the faces of the cast, and I programmed a chase to flash the following sequence:

A B A A B A B B

 

...continuously, with some arbitrary speed. It seemed to have a great effect. I'm not sure on the number of people you'll need to light though, these PAR16's were on the stage aimed upwards, from what you've described, you may need something a little bigger.

 

Hope this helps!

[allsounds]

if you have a projector I have seen it done efore where a video of a cinema style screen (i.e. crackle etc) was projected onto the stage - looked quite effective

[henny]

a verry simple way I did it once was to get my spot opps to sofen off and open up to cover all the cast at about 40% int , then wave their hand infront fo the lamp randomley for the 5min scene.

[J Pearce]

How about projecting an out of focus film onto the stage from the audience, with some 261 Tough spun over the lens. Or project onto some 273 soft reflector with the reflector facing the stage and the projector facing the audience.

 

Just some ideas

[KindredHyperion]

I think we might just be getting into the realms of the slightly too realistic here... sort of "tell you what, while we're at it, let's rip out the chairs, screen and projector from the local cinema and install them in our theatre." :huh:

 

Best to keep it simple. Some FOH profiles with coolish colours on a subtle chase will probably end up being more appropriate than a cinema-style screen mounted on the audience with a real film (hired from the local Blockbuster) being projected on it, and will require far less resources. Remember the lighting is just there for effect, and the audience will (probably) not be depending on the lighting as their only means of knowing that the scene is a cinema.

 

Adam

[DeanAU]

I know you said you can't use movers- but for someone else that might require this effect- try with 2 movers at 20-30% in about a 20% strobe. Works wonders.

 

As for conventionals - try using birdies or simular; with a A [off] B [off] loop as mentioned above.

[the kid]

I don't know of your budget...or how well it might work but what about a really badly focused film being played on to them from a projector?

[dyad]

The quick easy method is no more than a couple of FOH spots (L+R of course) on one dimmer channel. Fit each spot (doesn't matter much what you use) each with a compatible 5-wheel disc colour changer, both set to revolve simultaneously. In the old days this might have been a Patt23 with colour wheel. The apertures can be slightly out of sync with each other and the filters can be all the same or nearly so. Keep some fill light on constant to reveal the characters' faces, and hey presto you have the effect quickly cheaply and reliably. Good luck.