Hello, this is my first post here. I asked this same question on Reddit but only got one reply, and I'm looking for more perspectives.
I work for a high school/whole school. This is my first year in an official tech position there, but last year I was sort of paid to do theater tech stuff there. I'm a little inexperienced, but I have taken some college classes on theater stuff (including one on lighting), and have led the tech crew for 5 shows now.
We are receiving a donation for lighting of around $12k (USD, I'm in the US) and I want to use it to revamp our smallest indoor space. It's a proscenium stage where the proscenium is 24' wide and 10' tall. The stage is very deep since it is actually the backside of the larger indoor stage, but most of the "action" happens in the front 10' of the stage (especially the first 8'). There is a bar we can hang from that is 10' above the stage and 10' out into the audience. There is another bar at a height of 13.5' above the stage behind the proscenium. This means that the longest throw distance would be from the FOH bar, at around 20' (5' up accounting for the height of the actors, 20' long).
I would like to use the money to start our transition to LED color changers since our most modern instruments are conventional Source 4s. I was looking at the Colorsource Spot Jr. as an option, but my worry is that it won't be enough light. I have heard reports that it is a little dim, however those reports were a situation where the Spot Jrs were used at a throw distance of 50'.
The current plan is to have two Spot Jrs per lighting area as front lights (front left, front right), with 3 lighting areas across the front of the stage. Then an additional Colorsource PAR as top light for each lighting area.
The last thing I want to address is why I'm considering ETC products. I understand they come at a bit of a premium, and I'm working with a limited budget, but I really want these things to last. ETC seems to have a really good warranty, and I've read about why they rate their lifetime so high. I just trust them. We have an ETC board and dimmers already, so they are a brand I know and trust. With all that being said, I would consider other brands.
What do you all think about this idea? Is the Colorsource Spot Jr effective at a max throw distance of 20'? Are there better/cheaper alternatives I should be considering?
Thanks in advance!!
I work for a high school/whole school. This is my first year in an official tech position there, but last year I was sort of paid to do theater tech stuff there. I'm a little inexperienced, but I have taken some college classes on theater stuff (including one on lighting), and have led the tech crew for 5 shows now.
We are receiving a donation for lighting of around $12k (USD, I'm in the US) and I want to use it to revamp our smallest indoor space. It's a proscenium stage where the proscenium is 24' wide and 10' tall. The stage is very deep since it is actually the backside of the larger indoor stage, but most of the "action" happens in the front 10' of the stage (especially the first 8'). There is a bar we can hang from that is 10' above the stage and 10' out into the audience. There is another bar at a height of 13.5' above the stage behind the proscenium. This means that the longest throw distance would be from the FOH bar, at around 20' (5' up accounting for the height of the actors, 20' long).
I would like to use the money to start our transition to LED color changers since our most modern instruments are conventional Source 4s. I was looking at the Colorsource Spot Jr. as an option, but my worry is that it won't be enough light. I have heard reports that it is a little dim, however those reports were a situation where the Spot Jrs were used at a throw distance of 50'.
The current plan is to have two Spot Jrs per lighting area as front lights (front left, front right), with 3 lighting areas across the front of the stage. Then an additional Colorsource PAR as top light for each lighting area.
The last thing I want to address is why I'm considering ETC products. I understand they come at a bit of a premium, and I'm working with a limited budget, but I really want these things to last. ETC seems to have a really good warranty, and I've read about why they rate their lifetime so high. I just trust them. We have an ETC board and dimmers already, so they are a brand I know and trust. With all that being said, I would consider other brands.
What do you all think about this idea? Is the Colorsource Spot Jr effective at a max throw distance of 20'? Are there better/cheaper alternatives I should be considering?
Thanks in advance!!
