A Few Cyc Questions

[Sean]

Yea, to be honest a sunrise is what I'm more concerned about right now, since it's going to open the show and be much more noticeable than the sunset (which is near the end). Putting fresnels along the bottom sounds like a good idea. I've been trying to come up with ways to replicate the brightest spot in the middle of a sunrise right before the sun comes up over the horizon with strip lights, but I don't think it can be done. But doing it with fresnels or pars would work perfectly. Why didn't I think of that before??? Thanks!

The whole effect will be MUCH more effective if there's some kind of scenic groundrow. Just something to mask the bottom 12"-18" or so of the cyc. It could be something cut/painted for the show or just strips of ply painted black.

That make sense? What's the show? (or did you tell us already?)

--Sean

 

[rochem]

The show is you're a good man, charlie brown. I'm designing it such that the opening scene takes place in a sunrise and the time of day changes with each scene, then the show ends with a sunset (before the finale). I'm most likely going to have some sort of ground row, probably just something that looks kinda like really tall grass. It isn't a show that requires realistic scenery and such (quite the opposite), so having something like that will fit in nicely.

 

[lieperjp]

Thanks for all the replies.

That sounds like a good idea if I didn't have enough fixtures to get the effect I want. Definitely gonna keep that one in the back of my mind for future use. On a slightly different topic, would you hang the projector on a pipe over the stage, then run it through the board, or would you rear-project it, or would you hang it FOH? The only times I've used a projector in a show we just put it on a stand in the pit.

God, CB is awesome. Where else in the world would you be able to ask a question and get lots of varying and unique replies? Thanks!

If you have a strong enough projector and space to do so, I would rear-project, since it's easier to keep backstage people from casting shadows than it is to work the stage action around to prevent shadows...

 

[ruinexplorer]

I believe you originally said that you might not have a standard cyc, so anything that is lit from behind will show the seams. Also, a cyc will not likely be able to pass the light from a projector effectively, so I wouldn't do that even if space allowed. If you are using something like spandex (relatively cheap), or some other translucent material, rear projection will be better because of more light transmission. This gives you that nice hot spot you are looking for.

If no one will pass in front of your projector, it is safer and easier to put it in the pit. If you need the effect while you have the cast on stage (or pesky set pieces), then you will need to fly it if you have adequate means to do so.

I also agree that using some kind of cut-out to give dimension to the sunrise will make the ground row look awesome!

 

[rochem]

Yea, I'm hoping to get a seamless cyc so that I can have the ground row upstage of the cyc. Not really a big deal in this show since I'll most likely be masking it, but it will keep that option open for future shows.

I really don't have enough room upstage of the cyc, only about 10 feet and we use that as a makeshift crossover for the actors. Actors will definitely be on stage, but as of right now I think the plan is that they will be in a line on the apron. I do have the ability to fly it in I believe, so that would probably be the best option.

 

[Magnolia2011]

Noob-Alert! Colors on a Cyc

Hello CBers ---

This may be the noobest questions ever...but I am totally new to lighting a cyc. Currently we are thinking about installing some kind of cyc at our local community theater. That may be about 20 feet across and 12 feet high. We are looking at some cyc lights and have a groundrow of about 12 feet long already with various gels etc.

NOOB questions: How can do I get the colors to change slowly on the wash of the cyc as if sunrise is happening? We have a manual board that only allows the operation of 1 fader (or set of cues, scene etc) at a time. Is this even possible with a manual board?

Can anyone please explain in laymen's terms how the color washes change?

TIA,
Maggie

 

[coldnorth57]

Re: Noob-Alert! Colors on a Cyc

i have done long fades on a manual board by having percentage cues called so as the play goes on the sm calls cue #? go and then later 10% and later 20% and so on so that over time the change happens ...starts and finishes in the same place in the play happen at the right time