Color for general wash

LightsKid1

Member
Hi.
I just took over my high schools lighting department and I'm looking to do things differently then the last guy (left our department a mess with DMX cables in the mic cables, and extension cords broken... oh, and BROKEN MAC 250s!!!!! 4 OF THEM!!!!) But, I was looking for some tips on a new wash that I have to set this week and was reading this thinking...
"Am I the only weirdo who's using just white light for his wash?"
What are some disadvantages to using just white light and is it OK to continue using it?
 
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Re: White Light???

Could a mod perhaps move this to a new thread? Thanks.

Hi LightsKid1, welcome to CB! Be sure to stop by the New Members forum and introduce yourself.

As with most design-related ideas, it's not "wrong" as long as you like how it looks! Even on huge-budget broadway shows, plenty of designers choose to leave lights uncolored for certain looks. Now a common argument that you'd hear against uncolored frontlight is that it is very harsh. Often even a small tint of color will do wonders for making skin tones appear more natural and less harsh.

Personally, if I had just one color of frontlight for a general wash, I'd gel it in a light blue like Lee 202. The blue will take some of the harshness out of the light, and also, if you dim the light down, the Amber Drift will make it look more white, instead of making it much warmer. Other common colors are R51, R60, or R02.

If you want to try experimenting with color, I'd encourage you to do so, or if you really like how your No Color wash looks now, then stick with that! As long as you like how it looks, it's perfectly fine.
 
Re: White Light???

Personally, if I had just one color of frontlight for a general wash, I'd gel it in a light blue like Lee 202. The blue will take some of the harshness out of the light, and also, if you dim the light down, the Amber Drift will make it look more white.

Excellent idea and I have used it before with Roscolux 373 on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. When at full, a blue tint exists but when dimmed down there is some but not as much amber drift. Worked well going between the interior and forest scenes. It was also really appreciated with fixtures that would only take long-life, lower color temp lamps.
 
You have Mac 250s at a high school? My, how times have changed.

Question 1: Is a white front wash common? I propose yes and no. I'd say it's pretty common in junior highs and lower, in churches, and even in some high schools. Most of those times, I think it's used by default far more than chosen for its artistic value. At high schools, less common than the others; and at universities and actual theatre companies, relatively uncommon, though I wouldn't be surprised to see it at smaller community theatres. The more putting color in the front wash(es) is practical, the more likely it is to be done.

Question 2: Is it OK? Absolutely, as so many people have said. I haven't done that in ages, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

R373? Oh, that must be one of the three newfangled "theatre booster" colors. I've never tried them, but I do pretty commonly use 62, 362, and Lee 201, which are similar. The advantages to cool fronts are, as noted, they drift down less, and most importantly for me in the space I light most, I can cheat them into a night scene without them being out of place. When you just get one frontlight system, that can be a defining factor.

You can use several less-saturated colors from the amber/pink/lavender/blue range pretty safely on frontlight duty. The lavenders are quite safe, being more neutral than warm or cool.
 
R373? Oh, that must be one of the three newfangled "theatre booster" colors. I've never tried them, but I do pretty commonly use 62, 362, and Lee 201, which are similar. The advantages to cool fronts are, as noted, they drift down less, and most importantly for me in the space I light most, I can cheat them into a night scene without them being out of place. When you just get one frontlight system, that can be a defining factor.

I think it is the lightest blue Rosco offers outside of the color correction gels in the front of the book.
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I use no-color washes all the time, and I work in professional theatre. It's not fair to say that the choice to omit gel is only made out of necessity. For instance, how better to get an incandescent look than with an unaltered incandescent source? My old 360's and 360Q's are great for that. How better to get sunlight than with a full spectrum of unfiltered light? My Source Fours do a wonderful job. It doesn't work all the time and a lot of it depends on amber shift, but it's always best to evaluate what works in your particular space, and not go on what you're "supposed" to do.
 
BROKEN MAC 250s!!!!! 4 OF THEM!!!!
This is why we generally try to dissuade buying movers for HSs because many times they don't how to maintain or can't afford to maintain them once they have them.
As far as white in the fronts, I went my HS carreer with no gel at all. I did everything with white lights, border strips and intensity. As noted, many times it is a default but it can be a choice. The downside is it is hard to make things look natural with no color. Also it has been said many times here, there is no wrong way to do something in lighting if it does what you want.
 

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