Positioning Technobeams

[MKE]

We are about to get started on our school production Footloose. We are going to hire 8 Technobeams and a Jands Event 408. As I have only used moving yokes before I am unsure which way to position them. I want to have the ability to be able to sweep them op onto the audience. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Mayhem]

Hi Mike,

Let me start out by saying that I do not do theatre and my method of doing this (whilst I think it would be the same) may not be the best method for you.

Essentially, my main application for this is as a mobile DJ, so my intels need to start off at the back of the dancefloor (closest to me and where the lights are), sweep towards the front of the dancefloor and then continue so that they hit the far wall. This will give the people on the dance floor the feeling that the light is being "thrown" at them.

To do this, I hang the lights 'head up', so the mirror is at the top. I angle them so that when the mirror is in its down-most tilt position the light projected is on the floor, about 3' in front of the light. Then when the mirror is in the up-most tilt position, the light projected is out over the heads of anyone on the dance floor.

For stage work (someone may have to help me here) you will need to decide how much light you need on the stage v how much light you need to sweep and scan the audience.

I use mine in the 'head up' position because I do not need any light behind the position in which my lights are hung. However, If you do need to cover the entire depth of the stage, you may want to hang them 'head down'.

Reding my response make me wonder if I am just going to confuse the issue even more. I certainly hope not. Perhaps you could hang 2 (one each way) to test them and see what works best for you.

I doubt it, but I do hope that this is somewhat helpful to get you started.

Oh - by the way - Welcome to CBDC. Don't forget to post a little introduction in the new member board.

Cheers,

[dj_illusions]

a theatre that is quite local to me has a couple of old techno beams... on the rare occasion that i have pulled them out to have a bit of a fiddle for dance concerts that i have done there and such things, i have found the best way to position them was parallel (yeah im aware i cant spell), this way allowed me to go to the back and front of the stage and to the sides a bit, but it sounds like you are mainly trying to achieve the scanning up and down the stage.
i have never been too fond of moving mirrors, but if you pick the right spots for them you should get pretty good coverage of the area's that you wanna get keeping in mind they are gonna go further out the sides than up and down

[digitaltec]

You will find with almost all moving mirror fixtures, that hanging them upside down will give you the best play. if you want to do sweep ups and scans. Unless you have them at a higher elevation and really onmy need them to sweep a stage. I have hung them every wich way.

The best answer is first plan where you want your mirrors to positon to. Then hang the fixture in the best practical way. It's just like aiming a conventional, point and shoot, except this time you have some play where the beam goes.

[rgsw]

from my experience of using technobeams there where one of the grumpiest ml's as they get confused very easily and cannot ever seem to remember the mirror callibration.

they can however be very good for certain effects but for the rig space they require i personally do not spec them