The company I work for is opening our own space and we are currently in the process of creating a lighting inventory for the new space.
The space will house several theatre and dance companies with very little change over time between productions so we are needing to create a rep plot that allows for extreme flexibility.
It is going to be a convertible space with a central playing space that stays the same for all configurations, in order to convert to thrust the movable deck platforms making up the wing space can be removed and reconfigured into seating platforms, with chairs being removed from the back of the house and moved to the side sections. Same goes for the furthest upstage and crossover space deck platforms should we want to convert to arena seating. The grid of the theatre will be at 18' above the deck, with a 30' wide proscenium, and 24' deep playing space.
We've been running the numbers and it looks like what will make the most financial sense is to create a plot that involves a basic CYA plot of source fours creating basic washes from the front, back and sides but letting the main workhorses of the plot be washes created by a large number of moving fixtures with a series of pre-programed focus pallets.
One of our resident designers has created a light plot modeled after the ones most commercial productions currently use, which involves:
-4 over stage electrics each with 5 moving arc spot fixtures (he suggests Martin Mac 2000 Performances) and 4 moving Tungsten wash fixtures (he suggests Martin TW1's, VL500s or something slightly older) alternating across the width of the space
-2 FOH electrics with 3 tungsten spot fixtures (He suggests VL1000's)
-4 FOH of house arc spot fixtures (he suggests Martin Mac 2000 Performances again) 2 on the HL Boom box and 2 on the HR
His logic on this that comparative to a plot of almost entirely Source Four Luster 2's with enough moving fixtures to use as specials, the purchasing cost is roughly the same, with the moving light plot allowing us to buy mostly good condition used fixtures for significantly less than they would be new. The numbers are relatively the same in regards to a plot of source fours with color scrollers as we would have to purchase significantly more dimmers. In terms of day to day operation, the numbers show it is going to be much cheeper for us to stock enough spares and parts and hire a full time in house light technician who can routinely swap out fixtures with spares to perform maintenance regularly than it would be to have to hire a full electrics crew to strike source fours and re-hang them in a new plot between groups and when we re-orient the space and have to have a focus call involving teams with ladders as opposed to a programmer at the board.
All in all I think its a pretty good plan, but I have a series of questions about this proposal I would love some thoughts on:
-The biggest question: How important will it be to us to have shuttered fixtures over the stage in regards to creating high side washes? We could sub out the over-stage Mac 2000 performance's for something lighter, less hard to maintain and cheeper if we deem that feature less important.
-Is one full time technician and a few part time interns enough to maintain a plot this extensive?
-Is this an overkill number of fixtures for what we are trying to do? Could we get by with 3 over-stage electrics or less fixtures on each batten in the size space we have?
-Are the fixture suggestions in the right ballpark for what we are trying to do or would anyone suggest other fixtures that would be better suited, cheeper, easier to maintain, lighter or more reliable or are these the best for us?
-Would you suggest adding a system of low hanging side fixtures in the wings that could be used as face-light in another configuration?
-What should we be planning on in regards to noise? is the a particularily loud group of fixtures when you get this many together. If so, what can we do to counteract that?
-Is there some massive hole in this plan that none of us our seeing?
Thank you all for making your way through a rather long and rambling post. This is way bigger of a plot than I have ever dealt with so I am a tad in the dark. any advice and guidance is appreciated
The space will house several theatre and dance companies with very little change over time between productions so we are needing to create a rep plot that allows for extreme flexibility.
It is going to be a convertible space with a central playing space that stays the same for all configurations, in order to convert to thrust the movable deck platforms making up the wing space can be removed and reconfigured into seating platforms, with chairs being removed from the back of the house and moved to the side sections. Same goes for the furthest upstage and crossover space deck platforms should we want to convert to arena seating. The grid of the theatre will be at 18' above the deck, with a 30' wide proscenium, and 24' deep playing space.
We've been running the numbers and it looks like what will make the most financial sense is to create a plot that involves a basic CYA plot of source fours creating basic washes from the front, back and sides but letting the main workhorses of the plot be washes created by a large number of moving fixtures with a series of pre-programed focus pallets.
One of our resident designers has created a light plot modeled after the ones most commercial productions currently use, which involves:
-4 over stage electrics each with 5 moving arc spot fixtures (he suggests Martin Mac 2000 Performances) and 4 moving Tungsten wash fixtures (he suggests Martin TW1's, VL500s or something slightly older) alternating across the width of the space
-2 FOH electrics with 3 tungsten spot fixtures (He suggests VL1000's)
-4 FOH of house arc spot fixtures (he suggests Martin Mac 2000 Performances again) 2 on the HL Boom box and 2 on the HR
His logic on this that comparative to a plot of almost entirely Source Four Luster 2's with enough moving fixtures to use as specials, the purchasing cost is roughly the same, with the moving light plot allowing us to buy mostly good condition used fixtures for significantly less than they would be new. The numbers are relatively the same in regards to a plot of source fours with color scrollers as we would have to purchase significantly more dimmers. In terms of day to day operation, the numbers show it is going to be much cheeper for us to stock enough spares and parts and hire a full time in house light technician who can routinely swap out fixtures with spares to perform maintenance regularly than it would be to have to hire a full electrics crew to strike source fours and re-hang them in a new plot between groups and when we re-orient the space and have to have a focus call involving teams with ladders as opposed to a programmer at the board.
All in all I think its a pretty good plan, but I have a series of questions about this proposal I would love some thoughts on:
-The biggest question: How important will it be to us to have shuttered fixtures over the stage in regards to creating high side washes? We could sub out the over-stage Mac 2000 performance's for something lighter, less hard to maintain and cheeper if we deem that feature less important.
-Is one full time technician and a few part time interns enough to maintain a plot this extensive?
-Is this an overkill number of fixtures for what we are trying to do? Could we get by with 3 over-stage electrics or less fixtures on each batten in the size space we have?
-Are the fixture suggestions in the right ballpark for what we are trying to do or would anyone suggest other fixtures that would be better suited, cheeper, easier to maintain, lighter or more reliable or are these the best for us?
-Would you suggest adding a system of low hanging side fixtures in the wings that could be used as face-light in another configuration?
-What should we be planning on in regards to noise? is the a particularily loud group of fixtures when you get this many together. If so, what can we do to counteract that?
-Is there some massive hole in this plan that none of us our seeing?
Thank you all for making your way through a rather long and rambling post. This is way bigger of a plot than I have ever dealt with so I am a tad in the dark. any advice and guidance is appreciated
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