Using shutters as an iris?

[Charc]

I was looking into the VL1000T because from my understanding it would be perfect (hypothetically) for our high school. It seems like it is low-cost, with an incandescent lamp, and a bunch of nice features as well. It really looks like a great moving light. The one option there is to consider (again, hypothetically) is shutters vs. iris. I read somewhere, can't find the link now, that you can effectively use shutters, as an iris, which makes absolutely no sense to me, unless you want a square light. To me it seemed like the iris would be a better option, because on first thought I couldn't think of a situation where I'd need to shutter off a moving light (but then again I have never worked with one). Then I thought, well shuttering off would be great, because it allows so much more control over the light. Well then I looked at the beam angle. Lowest is 19º. That didn't thrill me too much. I mean, I was (hypothetically ) hoping to get a little smaller diameter, but I know from our 19º S4s, that it's a pretty wide angle for our throws. Now I don't know if this was designed as a wash moving light, or a spot moving light (too which I still don't understand the difference. I mean, one is narrower, right? Why would you need a huge angle on a moving light? I mean, if it's that big, where the heck is it supposed to move to?) it just seems like they are both two great features, and I can't figure out which would be better in the long run. So anyways, I was trying to hypothetically consider which option would be of more use.

[DarSax]

You think 19deg is huge?

o.o

A Mac 700 Prof will go to 14deg at its smallest zoom. What on earth is your throw?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

I was looking into the VL1000T because from my understanding it would be perfect (hypothetically) for our high school. It seems like it is low-cost, with an incandescent lamp, and a bunch of nice features as well. It really looks like a great moving light. The one option there is to consider (again, hypothetically) is shutters vs. iris. I read somewhere, can't find the link now, that you can effectively use shutters, as an iris, which makes absolutely no sense to me, unless you want a square light. To me it seemed like the iris would be a better option, because on first thought I couldn't think of a situation where I'd need to shutter off a moving light (but then again I have never worked with one). Then I thought, well shuttering off would be great, because it allows so much more control over the light. Well then I looked at the beam angle. Lowest is 19º. That didn't thrill me too much. I mean, I was (hypothetically ) hoping to get a little smaller diameter, but I know from our 19º S4s, that it's a pretty wide angle for our throws. Now I don't know if this was designed as a wash moving light, or a spot moving light (too which I still don't understand the difference. I mean, one is narrower, right? Why would you need a huge angle on a moving light? I mean, if it's that big, where the heck is it supposed to move to?) it just seems like they are both two great features, and I can't figure out which would be better in the long run. So anyways, I was trying to hypothetically consider which option would be of more use.

A VL1000 is a "leko" moving light
A "wash" fixture would be like a "fresnel" moving light--soft edged

You don't typically hang a 5° on an electric when you need a smaller special, you hang a 19° and shutter it down. Same thing.

--Sean

[Footer]

Originally Posted by Sean

A VL1000 is a "leko" moving light
A "wash" fixture would be like a "fresnel" moving light--soft edged
You don't typically hang a 5° on an electric when you need a smaller special, you hang a 19° and shutter it down. Same thing.
--Sean

Most places if you plot a 5 deg on a onstage electric the actors would be hitting their heads on it... and have fun trimming that one...

[Charc]

Uh... I guess this thread as completely exposed my lack of knowledge.

Uh... it's not an onstage electric... And no 19º isn't huge, it's just bigger than I'd want. The throw, I believe it to be around 50 feet (Plus or minus 15 feet). This would be from about our 3rd or 4th FOH slot.

Oh, okay, so maybe a terrible question, but would a Mac 700 also be considered a "leko moving light", or what not?

[icewolf08]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Uh... I guess this thread as completely exposed my lack of knowledge.
Uh... it's not an onstage electric... And no 19º isn't huge, it's just bigger than I'd want. The throw, I believe it to be around 50 feet (Plus or minus 15 feet). This would be from about our 3rd or 4th FOH slot.
Oh, okay, so maybe a terrible question, but would a Mac 700 also be considered a "leko moving light", or what not?

Yes, a Mac 700 is essentially a "leko moving light". Basically, when you look at MLs (especially martins), if they are called Profiles they are like lekos, if they are washes then they are just that.

In my opinion, irises are more useful. In working in theatre, I have yet to come across a need for shutters in an ML, but people must use them or they wouldn't make them.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by icewolf08

Yes, a Mac 700 is essentially a "leko moving light". Basically, when you look at MLs (especially martins), if they are called Profiles they are like lekos, if they are washes then they are just that.
In my opinion, irises are more useful. In working in theatre, I have yet to come across a need for shutters in an ML, but people must use them or they wouldn't make them.

Not to totally disagree with Alex....

We're ALWAYS using shutters on ML's. Of course, in our design esthetic we don't have a lot of "lights moving", so they get used as "moveable specials". We figure for each Revolution in the plot we saved using 5-20 conventional specials. Irises are certainly useful, especially when used "live," but I've found that most of the LD's are pleased when they hear we have the shutter modules.

--Sean

[Footer]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Uh... I guess this thread as completely exposed my lack of knowledge.
Uh... it's not an onstage electric... And no 19º isn't huge, it's just bigger than I'd want. The throw, I believe it to be around 50 feet (Plus or minus 15 feet). This would be from about our 3rd or 4th FOH slot.
Oh, okay, so maybe a terrible question, but would a Mac 700 also be considered a "leko moving light", or what not?

Very rarely are movers ever used from a FOH throw that is that far. Usually, there is more then enough space FOH for whatever pleases you. Onstage or a AP electric they are very useful due to saved pipe space. Also, you would be better off buying 20 source fours or a handful of seachangers then put a VL1000 in a cove position. Then on top of that, I doubt you would have clearance for the fixture, VL1000 are HUGE.

[Charc]

Originally Posted by Footer4321

Very rarely are movers ever used from a FOH throw that is that far. Usually, there is more then enough space FOH for whatever pleases you. Onstage or a AP electric they are very useful due to saved pipe space. Also, you would be better off buying 20 source fours or a handful of seachangers then put a VL1000 in a cove position. Then on top of that, I doubt you would have clearance for the fixture, VL1000 are HUGE.

Good point on the huge part. Yea see FOH is really the only position because of our awkward theater design. Basically, it's a thrust proscenium stage, but the audience is only on the front, not the sides. 90% or more of all acting done in our theater is downstage of the proscenium, because u.s. of the proscenium is about 1/3 to a 1/4 of the total length of the stage. We can't really act upstage because of some weird sightlines, plus a whole bunch of empty stage in between the audience and the action, as well as a lack of lighting positions that hit the upstage area. We have two electrics, that are really only used for CYC, and the other electric is primarily used for backlighting from some old cyc/wash fixtures. Our FOH positions are basically all we have. The first slot is directly over the stage. Anyways, that's why we'd have to use a FOH position. I've seen another school in our area do a similar thing. They had four MLs from a very large throw, in the back of the house. I'm sure we could (hypothetically) get this in if we wanted to. It might involve some pipe drop down, and some scaffolding put up in the house.

[len]

When talking moving lights, a "spot" typically refers to a hard edge, and they usually have a gobo wheel in them. A "wash" typically means no gobo wheel, a softer edge, and CMY mixing.