Hiya,
I take it you want to do a washed-out black and white look--and not just the typical "ambers" look to a set to make it seem "in the past". You truely want to make a no-colors on
stage look so everything looks like an old B&W film. I did a similar
effect once that changed to full color..
Wizard of Oz...blah.. This is a fairly complex
effect to work out because it involves MORE then just lighting technique & gels (something the
wizard of oz folks I worked with just didn't understand or plan for). It involves the costume, make-up, set & senic artists ALL working together with paints & colors for everything on
stage that will "
wash out" or react under certain gels, equally, to make that bleached grainy
effect. Then you add some hard shadow angles, that would look like a B&W flick. Additionally when doing this--it helps to have the entire
stage & theater completely dark--IOW no light bleeds from fixtures or ""ambient" light bleeding in from doorways, audience or backstage areas. All fixtures would have to be masked with black-wrap foil. It even becomes more challenging if you wish to suddenly "add" color and have the set in full color again--as if a transition. Easier to do on film of course... =)
Ever notice how some black shirts will glow "magenta" under certain blue gels? Ever notice how some colors of red will turn brown, green or black under certain other gels--but other same colors will not make the same hue? This is all in colro mixing and balance--something many lightingclasses don't teach anymore. Regardless, Its those reactive color hues that need to be used and researched by scenic & costume plus make up and lighting all together to get this to work--and make sure it is kept preserved
thru the show run. For example--black shirts washed in woolite or with a color-safe bleach/detergent like Sodium Perborate will "tint" the dyes to give the black shirt that magenta hue under the right "blue" conditions.. A show on Broadway a year or two ago did this with a show of thiers...can't remember the show but it won awards for its lighting & scenic techniques doing just this B&W to color to B&W transistions by planning in-depth about everything that went on the
stage and it scolor and dyes.
Anyways...To do this type of
stage effect--this is the starting
base you have to work from--selecting carefully the colors that go on
stage. Why not just make the set black and white? Cause even black and white have hues & tints to them, or can be reflective enough which could show some coloring that does not match the rest of the set--or worse stands out. Plus if you wish to have a transition to go to color--when you add color the set stays the same--only a little brighter and more obvious as being black and white. Remember--the set colors, make up and costumes will react with the
gel colors you use--and could make a hue or just make something stand out when it should not. To solve this--as a lighting person you need to come up with some basic gels & color corrections you plan to use. Then every color of paint, every
swatch of clothing should be looked at under these gels and selected based on that lighting for
continuity of hue. I'll have to dig up my
gel list from the show if I still have it and post that to help ya, but you should start by looking at a
gel swatch book for your idea--especially color & temp correction
gel that removes blues, red and greens to "
wash out" everything as best as possible. Do not just expect that you do not have to use gel--color temperature of a lamp at 40% will make your set look yellow or amber. Trick to this is you want to paint an even color temp
thru out as best you can and watch your lamp
intensity's to keep things consistant--and use
color correction gel to help even things out.
Lighting on this is easier from angles you use--very front, sharp focus and side light for that "one-dimensional" look...very little to no top and backlight because you want the shadows. Also, I would suggest you use as few fixtures as possible per area you light...that way you can keep the
intensity's a little more to Full and get what you need out of them. Helsp to add to that washy look...
Hope this helps answer your question and get your creative thoughts going now.
my 2cents worth of input. =)
-wolf