lighting band concert

[zac850]

Ok, I need to light a band concert in a few weeks and I need some pointers. First of all, i can't use any lights from my normal FOH positon since the light is to low and will get in the performers eyes when they try to look at the conductor. Because of this I'm going to run my front light off my FOH 2 position, which is a bit higher. The problem with this was that we originally put the lights up there to store them, and later decided that we might as well wire them in, just in cause we ever need them. It is all S4, alternating 50-36-50-36-50-36-26-50-36-26, wired in by light type. I have 2 FOH side beams, on it I have 2 reds, 2 blue's, and 2 ungelled's to help pop people out of the background (this on each side, so 4 of each total). I no longer have a rear position as that truss got taken down. I also have side positions that are mounted higher up that I think I am going to use to give top light and help them read their music stands.

any suggestions as to how to mix it and everything? i'm not going to buy any gels, just use what we have from our stock, i'll proubly use soft blue and amber to give everyone a little color.

--zac

[EPAC_Matt]

I'm not sure what your theatre's (gym?) rep plot looks like so I couldn't be much help in deciding which lights to use, but basically when I light band concerts, I just keep it pretty simple.

I'll use our blue and clear parcans hanging on the electrics to create a top-down wash, then use some amber and lavander on the ladders and create a simple apron wash with some lekos in the boxbooms.

[BenFranske]

For band/orchestra concerts I like to go with a nice even leko wash from the catwalk in light blue/amber, add two lekos to make the director's stand an area (they really like to see their music) and a whole lot of scoops for downlight. If your band has shells behind it I like to shoot some pars at them to give them some punch (make sure NOT to run these at 100% or you will blind people).

[bdesmond]

I usually just go for a nice even wash with something like an R08 which brings out skin tones pretty nicely. I don't know what your space is like, but I can easily cover our stage with the two box booms off the balcony.

I use fresnels above the stage as a back/downlight flood to further brighten everything up. Pretty simple. I don't really go for any color as we film and webcast these events.

[zac850]

Yea. I have a bunch of extra S4-PAR's, but I'm not sure if I am going to put them up. The problem is that I have a show a week for the next 3 weeks and I'm still striking out of the set-up I did for the musical. I have a talent show next friday for "grandparents day" (the little kids), then the little kids concert, then our concert, then Casablanca (adapted for the stage) 3 days after the concert.....

and on top of it all they still expect me to go to classes!!!! and in my free periods I am not allowed to work unless this one teacher is there, and we rarely have the same free periods....

[bdesmond]

Why not put some lights up that will work for everything? I've got a play, followed by two concerts, one graduation, and a bunch of other hokey stuff - play gets its own lights, and then I fudge the play lights around to work for the rest of the shows. Tear it down in the summer.

[zac850]

thats what i'm trying to do. problem is the play has a total of 16 rehearsals, 11 of which are left, so the director (a student) is trying to do everything with the actors and get them to do what they need, so I'm sorta being pushed off to the side.... I think it'll end up that the side booms will stay permeant and just the FOH which is mounted on the booth will get changed.... to much hassle to erect 3 things of scaffolding and move it around the gym.....