Design Check Out My Plot

[derekleffew]

Again, historical evolution (and [user]SteveB[/user] may be correct--unit numbers may someday run SR to SL, though I think it's more likely unit numbers will dissapear altogether--most rock shows don't use unit numbers or Lightwright).

It's more logical for an electrician, who does most of his/her work ON stage, to have unit numbers starting SL.
It's more logical for a designer and board operator, who look AT the stage, to have channel/user numbers starting SR.

 

[wfor]

I love threads like this, because it offers so much learning.

Some one mentioned seeing if booms could be used at any cost, but the question of appearance of a rig was raised.

Could you have Shins mounted on the floor, and then one or two highs mounted on booms rigged from the catwalks?

--

On a side note, what exactly are "Congo down lights"?

 

[willbb123]

On a side note, what exactly are "Congo down lights"?

Congo is a blue, Lee 181. I've mainly seen it in rock concerts.

 

[wfor]

Ah, thank you.

My lack of a Lee Swatch book leads me to my nifty apollo slide rule, which tells me its close to AP3800 and R382.

 

[derekleffew]

...Could you have Shins mounted on the floor...? ...

Remember that the space in question is a 3/4 thrust, with audience on three side of the performance space. The one-third of the audience on each side would most likely not appreciate the artistic intent while being blinded from a floor light. Those fortunate enough to sit in the center probably wouldn't mind, but could still be distracted by all the light on the side sections.

 

[wfor]

True.

It would have to be low intensity.

But they have used booms before.

You could play around with egg crate inserts...

 

[SteveB]

"I still expect ML#1 to be on the SL end of a hanging position

Pretty much every time I see a rig with ML's (that's not mine), the ML's are numbered from SR to SL. Ditto scrollers. Part of the reason is the way that assorted consoles let you lay out the rig on an LCD touch screen, and every operator (I've seen) lays out the rig with fixture 1 as DR, with the console in the back of the orchestra and facing the stage. Thus the addressing follows the console setup, and the plot follows the addressing.

My own modest setup of 5 Studio Spots sets up and reads this way on the Emphasis/WYSIWYG screen - H(ouse)L to HR on the screen as you view the stage. Thus that's how the fixtures are addressed and labeled. To then have a plot labeling the ML's as SL to SR adds confusion. Every newbie then asks me why the conventionals are labeled SL to SR on the plot, with the ML's SR to SL. I tell them the "Conventionals follow Convention, while the ML's are too new to know better".

On the same topic, I had a discussion with a follow spot operator the other day about which lamp he'd been running (and that needed a new xenon lamp) and he told me "Spot 1". Turns out that every time he'd run spots, the House Left lamp was called Spot 1 by the LD calling the show. My plot and hookup and all other references call that machine Spot 2 -following "convention" from SL to SR. Seems convention changes with every other LD.

Steve B.

 

[willbb123]

On the same topic, I had a discussion with a follow spot operator the other day about which lamp he'd been running (and that needed a new xenon lamp) and he told me "Spot 1". Turns out that every time he'd run spots, the House Left lamp was called Spot 1 by the LD calling the show. My plot and hookup and all other references call that machine Spot 2 -following "convention" from SL to SR. Seems convention changes with every other LD.

Steve B.

I was thinking about this the other day. I'm starting to write numbers on our follow spots. We used to only use 2 in the booth, so it was easy enough to say house right or house left. Well now we are getting all 4 ready for use. I am having to swap parts between them, so its a lot easier to say I took the ballast from spot 1 and tried it on spot 2.

I had a hard time deciding how I would number them. I ended up calling the house left spot #1 and house right spot #2. Normally I sit between the two spots so it is how I think so that is how I labeled.

 

[Esoteric]

Sorry it has been a long week!!! *lol*

I make my (procenium) plots with the cyc at the top of the page and the FOH at the bottom. I number from left to right physically on the page. I suppose that is SR to SL. So that way the ME standing on the pit can look toward the back of the stage, hold my plot, and read from left to right. Sorry for the confusion it has been a long month (Easter and all).

Again though, on my plot it says to always consult the instrument schedule.

Mike

 

[derekleffew]

From the attached document, USITT RP-2, Recommended Practice for Theatrical Lighting Design Graphics - (2006):

Luminaires on hanging positions perpendicular to
centerline (e.g., battens) are numbered from stage left
to stage right.

 

[Grog12]

Congo is a blue, Lee 181. I've mainly seen it in rock concerts.

Also it is a Rosco color R382...there's probably a Gam equivalent as well.

 

[awhaley]

I love threads like this, because it offers so much learning.

I agree completely Wfor! And I really appreciate how the CB community is respectful of other viewpoints... even if they're in strong disagreement.

I really liked the statement about movers being too new to know any better. Much simpler than explaining everything to non-lighting majors who don't really have to understand that every number attached to a light is for a specific person - MLs are numbered for the programmer, Conventionals are numbered for the elecs and channeled for the designer... etc.

Art Whaley
www.artwhaley.com

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Finaly, I have some great pictures to show for it! My photographer went so far as to edit out the spike tape from them!

 

[Pie4Weebl]

And in case anyone is interested in the process here are the valuable things I learned:

Proper planning is essential! I had every dance pre-cued and in the board before load in. I also plotted out how I was going to use the moving lights. For those not familiar with the show, I had from 9pm sunday, to dancers on stage at 6 on Monday. In this time I had to strike the last plot and rehang and focus the new plot (220 fixtures including 16 movers and 25 scrollers) Having the cues in the board allowed me to get a jump on cueing, since it was all layed out for me to some extent. Having the cues done early also helped with my stage manager. The dancers did three full runs of the show in the dance studio before load in, and these times were utilized to teach the SM the cues. This helped me in tech, because she could keep me on track when I lost where we were.

Planning with the movers is so essential, I bit off a lot by using so many, and working to insure the ease of load in and programming helped save the show. The only place we slipped with this was my ME did not ensure the board had profiles for all the lights, even after calls and emails to ETC we still could not get 4 of the lights working.

Communication and collaboration with choreographers was also something which made the show. I only have so much to draw from when designing, and merging my idea pools with those of the choreographers for each dance allowed every dance to have its own distinct look.