Creating Breakup Wash?

[rshakespeare]

Hey everyone!

Until recently I've shied away from using gobos because its so easy to make them look tacky. I want to use them in two ways: a) to create a forest setting, and b) in a soloist-concert situation. Different shows. Do you have any tips for creating a break-up wash? How many instruments do you think I'll need? And ideally where should they be hung?

Thanks!

[Les]

If I am just doing a basic wash, I can usually get away with using no less than 3 instruments, front of house. I usually put one house left, one center and one house right. I might cross them, it just depends on the needs of the show and what degree lights I have on hand. It depends on the throw, but I usually go for a middle-of-the-road degree such as a 26 or 36 degree.

For breakups over the stage, you can get a lot of bang for the buck by placing the gobos in 26* or 36* instruments and using them as high sides. Nothing straight down necessarily unless it's really wide and/or the look you are going for. If doing an outdoor night wash, try washing all gobos from one direction, so as to simulate moonlight coming through trees.

[rochem]

Originally Posted by Les

If doing an outdoor night wash, try washing all gobos from one direction, so as to simulate moonlight coming through trees.

Absolutely agree, this is one of my favorite techniques to use. A blue key light with gobos from one side and very little fill can make a very dramatic night scene. It can also bring out some interesting textures on the set. For a more general full stage temp wash, like for a rep plot or a concert, I like to hang 50* units as Hi Sides in two areas per zone (SL and SR, then continuing upstage), with two units per area, coming from SL and SR respectively. I usually leave these N/C so they get maximum punch. This gives me flexibility to switch between a full stage temp wash or keying with the temps from just one side or even isolating a certain area or zone. Nothing fancy, but it works.

Because I primarily design in smaller theatres, the two 50* units work best to cover the whole stage and not use up my entire inventory. Depending on your venue, you might be able to go with two 36* or, if you have the instrumentation, three 26* per zone from each side would let you really isolate your areas. A minimal, one-side temp wash might use between 4 and 6 units, depending on the width and depth of your stage.

[MSLD]

I do more concert lighting than anything. If i have a traditional stage plot, Kit, bass and GTR riser, i put gobos in 50 degree S4s and make them N/C. Sometimes i will put them on the ground behind the kit and focus them up for a different angle of light. As for a forest look, i agree with the first two posts. I'v never done it but their logic makes since.

Hope it helps

[MNBallet]

I really like the Rosco colorizers - blue/green/lav stippled as a breakup wash. They are more expensive than gobos, but they offer so much more depth. A gobo just offers you a light / no light relationship for creating shadows. A Colorizer gives you 100% light but gives you shadows of color and several differet shades of that shadow area. Much more dynamic on stage, but again more expensive.

[icewolf08]

I see and use many of the aforementioned techniques on a regular basis. There is no "Right" way to create a look, it is up to you, the designer, to create a look that you like and works with the show. Also, I can't think of a professional theatre production that I have seen that hasn't had at least one template wash in the show. Most of our shows have more than one system of templates.

As for how to do it, that depends on a lot of factors. First and foremost, the size of your space. If you have a 20' stage it is going to be different from the guy with a 50' stage. Second will depend on what gear you have available and what kind of money you are willing to spend. Third will depend on where your lighting positions are and how many you have, as well as the distribution within the space. After that, it comes down to asthetics, how do you want it to look?

So if you tell us a little more about the shows, the space, and what you have in mind, we can probably help you out with how to execute it.

[NevilleLighting]

I have to agree with Ice's post above. There's no one way to do things. It comes down to aesthetics and venue capabilities. For my own tastes I prefer to focus the gobos a touch on the soft side. If you take the lens barrel to the very sharp position and then slide it inward just a touch from that you will see the shadow portions of the pattern get darker and the edges of the shapes get a little softer. This helps the gobos from being quite so literal and helps turn them into a texture rather than a statement. Now that you've created a texture add a nice, saturated wash from the same or similar angle to fill the shadow regions with color. My favorite leafy wash is R7774, Blossoms. I also like the Rosco medium and large leaf breakups, but blossoms is still my favorite because the edges of the pattern don't form a circle. If I want something really organic it is important to me to not see the edges of the beam.

Hope this helps and I should really get back to drafting. My assistant is going to be nagging me for a plot in the morning.