Color changing with traditional lights

[DannyC]

I am currently a senior (why didn't I find this place until I was a senior?) and I have a concert coming up that will be my last chance to do concert lighting. I was reading prosoundweb.com and i found this article. http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/inde...57/0#msg_num_8 It is an amazing high school talent show.

I was wondering if I could make those rectangular panels and create any color by mixing red, green, and blue fresnels? They wouldn't be as tall.

I know that in theory it can be done, but I dont know if it can be done, or with what gels to do it with. I have absolutely no budget to rent color changing lights. (does anyone know a ballpark price to rent them for a couple days?) I was thinking of mounting 3 fresnels on the top of the frame, and 3 on the bottom.

My resources are: 30x fresnels, 20x ellipsoidals, 4x Source Four Zooms, and 3 banks of overhead border lights consisting of red, blue, and white glass gels, and a crate full of an assortment of gels. My lighting board is a Colortran Status. If it is necissary, I can borrow an ETC Express 24/48 from our video studio.

Has anyone ever tried something like this? Any advice would be great.

Dan

[Inaki2]

I've done similar things. If you plan on using these as a light source, I have to warn you they'll reduce output a lot, and the light is so soft its virtually uncontrollable.

As for doing it, yeah, you could use 3 sources on the back, place them as close to each other as possible and you can make a good RGB panel. Gels, it depends a bit on what source you're using, lower color temp sources will require higher color temp gel, or a CTB before it.

[LDSFX]

If you plan on doing mixing with 3 different R, G and B sources, make sure your color media is really pure. For that use, I would go with GAM's series of primaries. I went to one of their seminars here in LA once and they mixed Red, Green, and Blue on a cyc and it actually came out white! Now those are some pure filters!

If youre looking for a creative projection surface to light with these colors, check out Rose Brand's Spandex Strectch Shapes. Or heck, you can even make your own (thats what we did).


-Nick

[Inaki2]

We used wax paper! He's evidently on a budget.

[BillESC]

The new LED ColorSplash 196 would be perfect for your application.



This DMX fixture features RBG color mixing and exceptional output for a fixture in the sub $ 200.00 class. Besides weighing only 3 pounds and creating no heat the best thing is it draws only 10 watts.

[Inaki2]

Whats the spread on it though? If he needs 6 of those to cover a panel the cost will be prohibitive. LED units are great, but their spread is not controllable at all, they come at a given angle, and thats that. Some manufacturers have released lenses and gel holders, but most still havent.

[DannyC]

Thank you for the responses:

Inaki2: Their purpose is to provide contrasting colors with those that are on the performers, they do not need to light anything besides themselves. According to altmanltg.com, I think the lights are only 3050 degrees kelvin at best. I will check with the teacher in charge of lighting about the bulbs, but he only buys bulbs and sets up lights for his choral concerts, he's never tried anything like this.

LDSFX: I know we already have alot of the ROSCO primaries, R27, R80, and i think some R91, but maybe not. I was reading the GAM website, and they had a good article on color theory and how to mix additive colors http://www.gamonline.com/catalog/col...y/tricolor.php. I'm planning on making my own surface. What properties are important in the fabric?

BillESC: If this was a permanent investment, I would definetly consider those, but I definetly dont have the budget to get any. Plus, our theater has no DMX infrastructure. All I have is a DMX line from a jack in the lighting booth to the dimmer rack.

Dan

[LDSFX]

As far as fabric goes, its really your choice. Spandex panels work well, but its really up to the look your going for. Check out your local Jo-Ann fabrics and then just make some fabric flats. I would also suggest backlighting the panels for more of a "glow" look.

-Nick

[Inaki2]

Well as far as material, you want something semi-translucent, and heat resistant, especially working with incandescent fixtures. Depending on your budget, Rose Brand has excelent fabrics. If not, frosted plexiglass (beware of heat, but they take it pretty well). You can always put heat filters on the gel frame.

[soundman1024]

The color mixing system most moving lights use involves the colors Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. I'm not how that translates into parts, for frensels in your case since that is subtractive mixing, and I guess what you are doing is additive mixing. Can anyone tell how using a cyan, a magenta, and a yellow light works?

Anyway props to you for trying to do a good job. It is always refereshing when someone wants to do something with excellence. Good Luck and welcome to CB.