Here are some suggestions to try after you have confirmed that the fixtures are correctly lensed and have been properly Bench Focused.
1) If you have
Gel extender/Top hats available, put your framed color in the far end of the
Gel extender or tape the
gel over the end of the
Tophat. If the color still doesn't last long enough try the next suggestion.
2) If you have
Gel extender/Top hats available, get some sheets of
Roscolux #101-01991 "Super
Heat Shield" OR
GAM #GC99 "
Heat Shield" and place a frame of the
Heat shield in the
gel slot of the 6x9 along with the
Gel extender. Then put the frame of your
Roscolux Chocolate out at the far end of the
Gel extender.
3) If you don't have the
Gel extenders, you can make some with metal
gel frames and some #8x1.5" machine screws and lots of #8 nuts. You will also need some of the
Heat Shield mentioned above.
Step #1 Drill a 3/16" hole
thru both bottom corners of a pair of 7.5" metal
Gel Frames for each
Gel extender. The holes should be 1/2" from the folded
edge and side
edge of the frames.
Step #2 Load one frame with the
Heat Shield, this is now the "Rear" frame. Use an Awl or large pin or
nail to make a hole in all four corners of the
Heat shield, lined up with the holes in the "Rear" frame.
Step #3 Take your empty "Front" frame and insert a #8
machine screw through one of the bottom corner holes. Thread a #8
nut all the way down the screw and tighten. Stack on more nuts to total about 1". Repeat with the other bottom corner of the "Front" frame. For the existing holes in the top corners of the frame, Insert the #8 screws through the rear hole only! This will allow you to easily insert your gels for each production, just cut off a 1" triangle from 2 corners of your
gel to fit the bottom of the "Front" frame. Repeat the #8 nuts for the 2 top screws.
Step #4 Now
line up the four screws with the "Rear" frame and push through. Attach one #8
nut on each screw and tighten securely. On your first extender, test your
bolt length/ stack of nuts and adjust the quantity of nuts to ensure the last
nut on the back of the "Rear" frame is flush with the end of the Screw.
I also like to thread a short loop of 1/16" steel
safety cable through an extra hole in the top corner of both frames. I use a
Nicopress sleeve to secure the 2" loop permanently. Then you clip the the end of the
fixture's
safety cable to the loop on the
gel frames. I also use the 1/2" size "
Binder Clip" to hold the "Front" frame closed to keep the
gel color from falling out.
Dave
Horn
Children's
Theatre Company