Blackout Lights

Clifford

Active Member
...we bring a few lights on stage up to 15%, do the set change then continue the scene the changes go faster and are far more accurate. In that case, it doesn't matter if your arms are covered or not. But that's really a director's choice sort of thing.

Do you not use blackout lights? You could be wearing reflective orange and not be seen. Well, maybe then you'd be seen. Anywho, it allows set changes to be done quickly, with the run crew being able to see and the audience not so much. Even us uber pale skinned people can wear short sleeves. This is one of the major reasons our dress code is comparitavely relaxed for people on deck.
 
Re: Uniforms

Scoops with dark blue gels used during set changes. I never realized how oxymoronic it sounds. There's probably another name for them, but that's what we call them. Basically it allows for enough light onstage so that the crew can work quikly and accurately, but not enough in the house for the audience to see what's going on.
 
Let's try calling them "scene change lights", shall we? Often times scene changes are carried out in a "blue-out" rather than a black-out, for reasons exactly as you describe. And, of course, all backstage lighting must be gelled blue, as blue somehow makes everything invisible.
 
Our blackout lights, or "scene-change lights" are in the wings, so they don't really help much when onstage. In addition to those lights, we use flashlights decked out with painter's tape over the light, or a piece of tissure paper taped on.
 
Someone needs to invest in some blue diffusion gel for their flashlights.
 
I never put a working crew in the dark. Always a 10% glow of R80 or something similar depending on what's in the rig. I don't hang extra fixtures for it, but for 90% of the shows I do I've got some dark blue up there in the rig, enough to do the job.

Unless we are going to spoil some big reveal, I never opt to have a stage go full black for scene change. Not only is it safer for the crew working on the deck, but it gives the SM or anyone FOH the ability to see if something is set wrong, if there is a problem on stage, if something is about to happen, etc.

We have LED Blue Lights running backstage in the wings during all performances for run lights -- thought about having some installed over the stage, but they don't dim so well as I've found, nor would they really have the foot candles to be any help over the stage.
 
Why you kids today and your 'blue outs' and 'flashlights'! In my day we ran around in the dark, bumped into things, got stuff close to where it belonged, and we liked it!!! Now where's my Metamucil?

;)

Although, all kidding aside, if your set change crew were to acclimate themselves to the dark a few minutes before the set change(I used to cover one eye so it would be completely ready) you'd be surprised how much light aisle and exit lights put on the stage. Plus the careful use of glow tape makes dark scene changes quick and accurate without giving away the magic.
 
For the one show I SM'd, I had my whole crew close their eyes for a minute before the scene change. I implemented this after observing them watch the action from the wings before the blackout. what I discovered is that (for an inexperienced high school crew) closing their eyes acclimated their eyes to the dark and resulted in faster scene changes, (but i think it helped them focus too)
 
I only ever use scene change lights on really complex sets. For example, when I did Diary of Anne Frank, the set consisted of 5 different levels, each one a room, and then a trap door out over the pit for entrances through it. Both Meip and Kraler spent the whole show under that space, as well as Dussell unit he comes in. The whole cast actually entered that way too for the 2nd scene as well. Dimable rope light on my console for them :cool:. Anyway, with 5 different levels, the highest being 8 feet in the air with no rail around it, and going from a trashed room to a clean room, on stage costume changes, and then at the end going from clean back to trashed, scene change lights were a must. I used R83 running at about 6-8% in selective areas so as to not light the set as much as the ground. Since the whole stage was above audience sitting level, this helped a lot. Glow tape was also heavily used on the set.

Everything else, never use them. As stated, the glow from the house is generally enough. Coupled with the fact that back stage is dark, the crew's eyes are fairly well adjusted when they go on. For me to see, I generally stand out of my seat, and turn off my work lights or cover them. It helps a lot. I also try and run my work lights as low as possible, or gel them heavily with blues and/or purples. IR cameras are great as well if you have them.
 
IR cameras? Your not at a high school are you? We can't afford lamps, let alone new-fangled gadgets like that.

Scene change lights are just something we've always used, they're always up, and channels 45 & 46 on the board have always the "blackout scoops." I guess it's just what we're used to. It works, so why stop?
 
:lol: Was there not to long ago though, 3 years at this point. IR cameras are nice if you have them. I have worked in a few theatres with them and they are great, but not something I need to do my job.

As for the high school, I still got back and design shows there now and again. Budget just gets worse and worse, along with the students I am afraid to say.
 
I'm also in California, where educational funding is a bit poopy at the moment. And they're just strange. Won't buy lamps, or housings for our PARnels, but they'll install new drywall in the dressing rooms.

...

wtf?
 
My use of set change lights has really come with the crew on hand. On shows where it was volunteer hands that had maybe one rehearsal under they're belt I used set change lights (our rep plot had a system of dark blue fresnel down lights that worked great for this at 15-20%). In situations were it was a "professional" crew that was on hand for tech week and had lots of time to get used to the changes I haven't had a problem with changes in full blackout.

As a side note with the eyes closed bit, in SERE training they told us that it can take up to 45 minutes to fully acclimate to dark from bright light. But if you're in a situation were you have you start seeing well in very low light and you keep one eye closed in bright light your "night vision" will return at an amazingly fast rate. Don't have any links to back it up but they tended not to lie to us.
 
Our blackout lights, or "scene-change lights" are in the wings, so they don't really help much when onstage. In addition to those lights, we use flashlights decked out with painter's tape over the light, or a piece of tissure paper taped on.

Are you using a Maglight? Gel swatch books are the perfect size to cut a little circle and put it under the plastic lens of a Mag.

IR cameras? Your not at a high school are you? We can't afford lamps, let alone new-fangled gadgets like that.

One of the sweet toys I've managed to pick up for the theater is a night vision setup. Camera was about $400 and then got a Rosco "woods glass" filter that removes all visible light... primarly used for doing Blacklight effects. However if you then put a gel frame in front of it with heavy Red, Blue, and Green gels. No visible or UV light comes out. Just sweet I.R. The fancy glass costs about $250. Then you just need a monitor to run it through and some cable. Under $1000 your SM can have a full look at the stage in complete black. It's sweet and really helps with calling cues at the right time.

As a side note with the eyes closed bit, in SERE training they told us that it can take up to 45 minutes to fully acclimate to dark from bright light. But if you're in a situation were you have you start seeing well in very low light and you keep one eye closed in bright light your "night vision" will return at an amazingly fast rate. Don't have any links to back it up but they tended not to lie to us.

Our zoo has a special Nocturnal House with animals that only come out after dark. They have the lights inside 12 hours off so it's lit for midnight at noon in the real world. There is a whole exhibit about night vision at the entrance while you wait for your eyes to adjust to the dark. They say it takes about 2-3 minutes for your night vision to begin to work. You get most of it after 20-30 minutes. But it takes a couple hours to get 100%
 
@ gafftaper

We're using regular flashlights? I don't know, our school isn't very high-tech. I suppose cutting out something from a gel would work well, and save time, but i don't think our crew would ever think or that. Let alone our lights guy would never let our crew come at him with a bunch of scissors.
 
One of the sweet toys I've managed to pick up for the theater is a night vision setup. Camera was about $400 and then got a Rosco "woods glass" filter that removes all visible light... primarly used for doing Blacklight effects. However if you then put a gel frame in front of it with heavy Red, Blue, and Green gels. No visible or UV light comes out. Just sweet I.R. The fancy glass costs about $250. Then you just need a monitor to run it through and some cable. Under $1000 your SM can have a full look at the stage in complete black. It's sweet and really helps with calling cues at the right time.

Sounds like something that would be cool to have, but that we just don't need. (Especailly with a $200 annual budget.) If we get a grant that we're pulling for, it might become available though. I'll mention what you've said and see if it has any takers.
 
@ gafftaper

We're using regular flashlights? I don't know, our school isn't very high-tech. I suppose cutting out something from a gel would work well, and save time, but i don't think our crew would ever think or that. Let alone our lights guy would never let our crew come at him with a bunch of scissors.

Go to your local Target/Kmart/Walmart sort of store and get yourself a AA MiniMag with a handy belt carrying case for $8-$9. You can be the first one on crew to be dressed like a real technician with a Mag.
 

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