Design Car Headlights through Window

[dgoodmanedberg]

I recently saw a production at Steppenwolf (Belleville) that simulated to great effect the light from the headlights of cars moving by on a street below a couple of windows at night

The shadows of the windows moved across the space incredibly realistically.

I've never seen something like that done before, and was wondering how they might have done it, as a similar effect will be needed in a production I'm designing later in the year.

I'm guessing movers on a track of some kind?

 

[Tex]

PARs on a dolly could do that.

 

[RonHebbard]

PARs on a dolly could do that.

PAR's on a supermarket cart dragging a cable or car headlights on a supermarket cart with a car battery in the cart.

Toodleoo!
Ron

 

[Les]

I suppose you could use movers, but it's overkill. Pars are actually perfect since the color temperature is right and the lamp inside a par is essentially not much different than a big old headlight.

The trolley moving on a horizontal plane is what I'm sure made this looks really realistic as we aren't used to seeing theatrical lights move this way. I've seen them do the same thing for night time car scenes in movies. A grip had two mini-maglites on a stick and slowly walked behind the car the camera was in, and it looked like distant headlights shining through the back window.

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

Thanks!
Pars on a cart seems almost too easy...
Guess I was overthinking this one.

 

[RonHebbard]

Thanks!
Pars on a cart seems almost too easy...
Guess I was overthinking this one.

The first time I saw the shopping cart 'n battery solution was a British 'panto' touring Canada back in the 1970's.
They went to black, played a police siren effect and suddenly there was a police car running all over the stage.
When the lights came up it was a clown with a shopping cart, chunk of plywood across its front, two headlights on the wood, battery in the cart, switch on the handle and a spinning firetruck beacon on his head. It was all over in seconds but it was a great effect for their purposes.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[KyleAnderson]

I saw that show. Not only did the cars going by look very good, but the the lighting overall was just incredible. Eevery ray of light on stage looked motivated by a real source, be it sun from the windows, streetlamps outside, or lamps on stage. Especially the scenes at night. It's my favorite design for a realistically lit show.

Well done to the designer.

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

Agreed. The realism of the design was fantastic. It was utterly gorgeous, and a perfect match for the mounting tension in the play. I've never seen realistic lighting done so creatively and effectively.