Chocolate gel?

[derekleffew]

Many of you have in the past expressed a liking for R99, L156, or AP7100, (can't find the GAM#). Could you please explain to me why? Skeptically, I tried it once in college, and confirmed my suspicions. All it did was dim the light, and guess what they were already on a dimmer that I could control; and warm-up the light, and that happened also due to amber-drift as I ran the dimmer down. If I want a warm source but still keep the intensity, L151, L152, L153, L154, and L162 and L176, or R01-R04 have always done everything I needed them to.

If I wanted to dim a light and warm it up, R03 (Dark BA)+L210 (0.6ND) comes pretty close to R99, but I've never needed or wanted that. So please help me to understand some of you people's love of chocolate.

Maybe I don't get it because I was taught there's no such thing as "tan, brown, or gray" light. And I've never had anyone ask me to mix any of those from a CYM source either.

[Logos]

I'll answer this tomorrow when I am not stoned out of my head on prescription super strength painkillers for my teeth. I have been on them all day today and I feel very strange.

[len]

I was the ME for a tour in which one of the follow spot frames had a chocolate gel in it. I can't recall them ever using that frame. I think it was for a planned tv show, which never happened. In fact, they spec-ed a gel for every frame and I don't think they ever used but one of them. Yet the LD insisted on checking to make sure every frame had the right gel in it every night. Oh well, it wasn't my money they wasted.

[Kelite]

Not having developed the transmission, I can merely speculate why Chocolate is still around...

The possible answer is that this transmission warms the color temperature while adding a bit of neutral density. Since this color selection has been around for quite some time, it's my guess that other more measurable (and predictable) gel transmissions were developed to aid in each shift. (Color temp as well as ND)

I have been told that certain skin colors/types respond under stage lighting better with this transmission, as opposed to ambers, pinks and straws. But again, this is what I've been told. (Perhaps this is why Apollo AP-7100 Hot Cocoa does not place in the top 100 of our best-selling transmissions....)

[jmabray]

I like R99. When doing Black Box shows where I had to lay in Houselights as part of the plot, I always had them Gelled R99. There is a certain warmth to it that you can't get from other sources. It warms the light with out going too amber, especially when dimming. I have used it on stage several times as well, but usually for specials and the like.

[TimMiller]

Chocolate works really well on people who have dark skin. It doesnt wash them out.

[Logos]

Over the years I have lit a number of small scale productions of what can best be described as kitchen sink drama. English playwrights like Osbourne and Pinter. I've used a lot of Chocolate in those cases because it seems so me to recreate almost perfectly the sort of underlit English parlour effect.
I also used it once in a production of "The Boyfriend" where the Director and the set and costume designer wanted each scene to start as a tableau that looked like a sepia tone photograph. We played tricks with a gauze reveal painted like a photo frame opening onto the scenes. I used a Chocolate wash for that because I couldn't quite get the effect we all were looking for with anything else.
I also agree with jmabray, there seems to be a certain quality about the warmth that is different from everything else.
This probably comes down to something we did discuss once before about favourite colours. As designers we all have colours we like to use, others either don't like them or are neutral to them or even simply can't see why you use them but each to his own.
And in the end it doesn't always come down to the numbers. Colour temp and transmission rates don't tell the whole story for me anyway.

[phil000]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

Many of you have in the past expressed a liking for R99, L156, or AP7100, (can't find the GAM#). Could you please explain to me why? Skeptically, I tried it once in college, and confirmed my suspicions. All it did was dim the light, and guess what they were already on a dimmer that I could control; and warm-up the light, and that happened also due to amber-drift as I ran the dimmer down. If I want a warm source but still keep the intensity, L151, L152, L153, L154, and L162 and L176, or R01-R04 have always done everything I needed them to.
If I wanted to dim a light and warm it up, R03 (Dark BA)+L210 (0.6ND) comes pretty close to R99, but I've never needed or wanted that. So please help me to understand some of you people's love of chocolate.
Maybe I don't get it because I was taught there's no such thing as "tan, brown, or gray" light. And I've never had anyone ask me to mix any of those from a CYM source either.

I'm with you on this one derek, I really dislike it. it's just bleh, I used it once, and once was more than enough.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by phil000

I'm with you on this one derek, I really dislike it. it's just bleh, I used it once, and once was more than enough.

Well that's the key then. Chocolate gel doesn't work in Ohio, but is okay everywhere else.

[gafftapegreenia]

First 1/3 CTB, now Chocolate, Derek is going to disown me...

However, I'm sorry Derek, but I'm of the persuasion that likes R99. There is a unique look about Chocolate that like. I find it very similar to the Bastard Amber, but with less green. However, it's not like a worship the stuff and use it every show, but rather find that it fits a certain need. That's what I like most about it, it has a softer effect that has that sepia tone. Not perfect for every use, no, but gives a sort of "old school incandescent" feel, so it's better for scenes that don't need to be bright-bright.

I've always understood Chocolate to be an Amber of sorts, very close to R3405 Roscosun 85N.3. Regardless is it an old color. Now wether or not we can use film gels in theatre is a whole new debate.