Blacklight Tornado Dancers

[LightingtheWorld]

PreNote: I have read the topic: ultraviolet

I am designing the lighting and effects for our high school production of The Wiz. In the opening Prologue, Dorothy is swept away by a tornado. Our director has dancers with ribbons spinning around the house and moving set pieces as a scene change during the Tornado. I want the dancers to have UV luminescent ribbons and blacklights to illuminate the ribbons.

I need help in finding moderately low budget options for the UV dye or paint for the ribbons. I already have three flourescent UV lights, built into floor based troughs. I also need to know whether or not there are special rules for patching flourescent bulbs into the dimmer system. (DMX-512, ETC Insight 2 console) I do have adapters from Edision to stage pin.

As a side note, I will have occasionally "lightning" strobe flashes.
Thanks for your help in advance.
HKD

 

[ship]

Shouldn't be a problem on the fluorescents to the dimmers. You might even be able to dim them to 80% or more depending upon the ballast before they flicker out.

Wildfire http://www.wildfirefx.com/ and possibly Rosco www.rosco.com, Technilux http://www.techni-lux.com/, TMB http://www.tmb.com/, Rosebrand http://www.rosebrand.com/, Premere Stage Lighting http://www.premier-lighting.com/, Production Advantage http://www.proadv.com/, and BMI http://www.bmisupply.com/ amongst the larger suppliers might have their own brands of UV products besides Rosco and Wildfire. Most theaterical suppliers at least carry the Rosco line if not the Wildfire line of paints and I believe dies also, than Rosebrand in addition to Rosco would be most likely to carry UV fabrics for ribbons. White silk or silky materials would be otherwise a good substitute if not an experiment with more reflective surfaces.

If the foot lights are going to have enough output or not both in that position and for the lamp type is another question subject to play testing however. You might want to test it as soon as possible and keep a reserve fund in place for a possible rental of a Wildfire or many other brand including Altman UV light for more punch depending upon your needs.

 

[LightingtheWorld]

Thanks for you help. I'll get working on it today.

HKD