Non-Stage Lighting

[DarSax]

I'm not sure if there's been a thread on this already, but honestly I have no idea how I could search for one anyways.

For next year's Talent Show at my school, I really want to a lot of architectural/non-stage lighting. That is, when the audience comes in when the doors are first opened, I want them to enter an auditorium that already looks amazing, so they immediately enter the world of the show.

So far I'm planning on projecting some sort of patterns/gobos from the cats onto the walls, I want to try and light up the walkways somehow, and if I can, put some regular old fluorescents on the walls with GAM gel over them (I forget the name fo the stuff, they sell gel in fluorescent tubes). I was also thinking of hooking up some simple rope lights, but I'm afraid that might look tacky.

My question is, does anyone else have any suggestions? I want to see if I can hang some sort of diffusion/spun stuff from the ceiling and light that up...any ideas?

[Footer]

I would personaly stay awa from the rope light enless you can get it to light something with seeing the physical light. Taking a leko and puttin it on a floor mount and having it shoot up wall is a simple and effective effect. If you can haze the air that will help as well. If you have a fly expose your elecs and put lights on each end to highlight your elecs. Try steep angles on wall and that should do what you want it to.

[DarSax]

Well in past year's we've put two vertical trusses in the back of the auditorium, and put either PAR's or Technobeams (waste.) on them. The BIG problem with those was that I was always afraid of blinding the people as they came in--so all I could really do was point them...up. Or to a wall. Either way, it wasn't so cool, and they would get burned, and annoying.

[soundlight]

I think that the diffusion hung from the ceiling and lit with different color gels would look cool. It reminds me of the sound baffling material in airports, all different colors, hanging from the celing. But, with that in mind, you'd have to check with the sound people to see if that would diffuse the sound too much, depending on what material you're using.

[Peter]

Depending on the weather, you may be able to do something outside the building. For one "winter Ball" that we did lighting for, we put some lights on a T bar out across the driveway from the building aiming at the front entrance and put scrollers in them with that made big snowflakes fall down the outside of the building. It was a really cool effect and not that blinding b/c they were far enough away from the building and aiming enough above the door.

[DarSax]

Mm, you read my mind Peter, but that's a different story--there's this crazy metal awning outside that I want to hang lights/stuff off of, but I need to find out if I'm allowed to do that D: But hey, if you all have any ideas about outside lighting too, I'd love to hear those too.

[saxman0317]

i saw a tape of one of our old shows about 12 years ago. There were rope lights hanging from the celling, and the house was taken down to dark, and they chorographed the white rope lights to move to Isa Night Sprachza. You know...opening to 2001: space odyssey. Looked real good, and it just went off from there with all sorts of stuff. As far as haning stuff...mylar is evil, and expensive, and ugly...

[lightbyfire]

If you are going to use rope lights, i would suggest building some sort of trough for them to sit in that is not visible by the patrons, then line it with a reflective materieal (foil), this could run along the cats or in front of the apron/pit.

If you have wall sconces think about replacing their bulbs with flickers (only works for certain looks, and only if each sconce has independent power). The idea of sky silk also sounds interesting (maybe rope lights bracketed to the ceiling surrounded by a tube of the diffusion?)

I would stay away from using MLs (as you seem aware of) the movement is distracting more than additive, unless you are talking about gobo movement which can be pleasant under a soft breakup pattern.

If you use a main curtain play with it, breakups, complimentary colors etc.

good luck.

[DarSax]

Actually--about the ML's--As of right now, I have 6 in the pit. Last year, I put two studio colors in the pit and pointed them at the stage, and they did about double of what the hanging studio colors did, as far as lighting up the stage/performers. This year I'm putting 4 in there, and 2 Mac 700's. I may have them moving slightly and slowly, and maybe slowly fading through the colors, just as an ambience thing. I'm not sure though, as it may clash with anything else I put up.

[ricc0luke]

what color is the auditorium? what color is the ceiling? are the cat-walks exposed? what type of house lighting do you have? sconces? hanging? recessed?

how is the talent show setup? do you use the house curtain prior to the performance? what is the backdrop if not? whats the theme of the show?

its really hard to recomend anything that will look good in the space without knowing it. you need to look at the space and decided what you want to accent and what you don't. Keep in mind that you still need to keep it bright enough for the audience to read their programs prior to the performance starting.

as far as my experience goes, if the auditorium has bold colors, use white accent lights and you can keep the room still pretty bright and classy. If you want a darker look, use 2 or 3 BOLD accent colors on features in the auditorium. just throwing light up on a plain wall and making it fit in and look right... well.... it's probably not gonna happen.

but how about the stage? i've done talent shows (as well as full musicals) that don't use the house curtain prior to the show. Take full advantage of this. You can create a spectacular atmosphere without putting a single light out in the house. Think about touring shows... you walk in, like (gasp) Cats, or Rent or a number of others and the atmosphere is set by the lighting the stage (along with a little haze)

The big thing though is to look at what you've got and utilize it. Don't waste time and money with fabric hanging for a (i'm guessing) one night talent show. Save that for a musical like Camolot or Into the Woods. But take a look around and use what you have, don't go too crazy, keep in mind, the audience is there to see the show.... don't go too over board with the house lights, they are off during the show anyway.