Continental vs. US masking
- Thread starterderekleffew
- Start date
Our space is a 38w x20h proscenium, with black velour'ish legs at +28ft tall. Thus we run borders DS of Legs to avoid seeing the leg pipe at certain trims. Granted they have to be REALLY HIGH trims to see the leg pipes, but folks have asked for that height.
As the LD, I really don't have a preference.
As the LD, I really don't have a preference.
I almost always see borders downstage of legs, for the reasons others have pointed out. In most venues I work in, the sightline seats are quite close to the front of the stage and the proscenium is around 30' high, so the legs would have to be impractically tall for the battens to not be in view. I've always kind of been taught that borders are DS of legs, so I've never really had cause to question it. Of course what's really nice is when the show can afford to have custom draperies made where the border and legs are the same piece. 
As an LD, I really don't care, although I guess having the border DS of the legs does allow you to put an electric on the next lineset immediately US of the legs, instead of needing to to kill another batten in between.
As an LD, I really don't care, although I guess having the border DS of the legs does allow you to put an electric on the next lineset immediately US of the legs, instead of needing to to kill another batten in between.
jglodeklights
Well-Known Member
Regardless of which piece is US, there are going to be two shadow lines somewhere on each set unless you are extremely anal with cuts, have no light leak or flare from any fixtures, run the entire rig at no more than 25% and have an entirely black set made from excellent velour.
Aesthetically, my view is that two legs and a border is part of the entire picture frame we create. Our minds expect that, when we do look up into blacks, we will view them up, hit the border and stop going up. If the line continues beyond we can just keep going up and up. Then again, does it really matter? We're obviously doing something quite wrong if it is the blacks the audience is looking at!
Aesthetically, my view is that two legs and a border is part of the entire picture frame we create. Our minds expect that, when we do look up into blacks, we will view them up, hit the border and stop going up. If the line continues beyond we can just keep going up and up. Then again, does it really matter? We're obviously doing something quite wrong if it is the blacks the audience is looking at!
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