Deep Blue

[briancon7]

I'm looking to find a good deep blue gel for use in 1k par 64s. I'm looking to create a nice night time look from them. Right now I am thinking of using L710. I wanted to use congo blue, but am afraid it will burn out. Any ideas are very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Brian

 

[JD]

It is very hard to get a gel that has less than 1% transmission (especially blue) to last on a 1k PAR64. You may want to consider using a dichroic blue filter such as a Lee LD071 to remove most of the spectrum, then in a second frame in front to further filter the blue down using a conventional gel. (leave an air gap between them.)

Of course if you are willing to step away from a 1k PAR64, you can get plenty of kick in the blue region from LED fixtures. That's one area they really excel at!

 

[Esoteric]

I remember designing a show with 64 1kW PAR64 in Congo Blue for a wash. They had to replace the gel every day during dimmer check. Glad it came out of the Art Center's gel budget and not my show budget.

But yeah, you will burn them out very quick. Dichroics are great. And depending on your pickyness level LEDs can be a great solution.

 

[briancon7]

I would have loved to use LEDs, but they are not an option. The rep plot has 1k par 64s. All I really can do is gel them. I would also be fine with using a purple if you think that could expand my options in a deep color.

 

[BobHealey]

Roscolux 74 + Heatshield. Most excellent blue. Nice deep blue, but not quite into the barely visible congo territory.

 

[np18358]

For the show I working on now, I want to use a High Temp Congo Blue (LHT181) as a backlight wash, but I am still worried about burning. It will have to run strong for 8n shows plus 5 rehearsals and a good amount of cueing. I have also considered purchasing color extenders, and even placing additional heatshield in the gel slot, with the congo in the front of the extender, but I also want to use a tophat. Can I still use a (non-stacker) tophat on the end of a color extender, or is that dangerous. I imagine it would certainly make the instrument front heavy, but a good tightening should make that a non-issue. Do you think that with all this, the color will be fine?? Are there congo blue dichroics?
Thanks

 

[derekleffew]

In what kind of fixtures? Rather than a color extender AND top hat (which will very likely impede the beam), just tape the color on the stage end of the hat (which is what we used to do before color extenders). Yes, they make Congo dichroics, at a cost of around $100 for a 10"x10".

 

[rochem]

What advantage would you get from taping the color to the front of a tophat, versus just putting it in a color extender? Suffice to say, a tophat on top of a color extender probably isn't a great idea - just too many things involved, and unless you're using VNSP lamps, it will definitely cut off the beam. If you're trying to keep the audience from seeing the source, you could try using barndoors, putting heat shield in the color frame with the barndoors, and put the color in the slot in the barndoor unit. This would keep the air gap between the HS and the gel and would also help a little bit to mask the source.

If you have the money, a lot of designers I work with use Devon glass for deep colors - http://www.grayglass.net/glass.cfm/Gray-Glass/Devon-Theatrical-Lighting-Filters/catid/5/conid/5. Might be worth looking into if these will be reused a lot.

 

[WooferHound]

I have about 8 Congo Blue dichroics that fit a par64 fixture. Lots of light comes out of them, you can even see the beams. But I don't have a use for them . . .

 

[np18358]

They are Source Four Pars.

 

[afreeradical]

I think L200 makes a very nice top/backlight
It's not too dark but still looks like night and won't burn out as fast
Plus it has enough transmission that the talent are well lit.
It can be very striking without ever looking too dark even at low levels.

 

[np18358]

L200 is very light Double CTB, vs L181 which is the darkest blue. I do frequently use L200/L201/L500 as backlight for a 6000K lighting look, but it is not really interchangeable.

 

[robmerow]

Indeed, L200 to the untrained eye looks "super white". I would try Rosco 383. 4% transmission, but definitely a deep blue with some UV properties.

 

[derekleffew]

They are Source Four Pars.

EA or MCM? Which lens? 575 or 750W? Standard or long-life lamp?

Worst case scenario: EA, WFL, 750, standard: I'd feel comfortable with Apollo Gelshield (the best heatshield, IMHO) in the normal colorframe and LHT181 taped to the front of a 6" top hat (or at the end of a six inch color extender), though either will impact the beam.

Having said that, gel is cheap so order double the amount required. What can having extra sheets of Congo Blue around hurt?

 

[np18358]

They are S4 Pars EA, With Narrows, 575. My concern isn't cost, but the fact that there will be scenery in that way that will block any and all access to the instruments for regel. We already have stock of a dozen sheets or so. Is the cost usually significantly higher with the apollo heat shield than Lee?

 

[derekleffew]

MSRP for 8"x8" cut of Apollo Gel Shield is $12.50.
MSRP for 21"x24" sheet of L269 Heat Shield is $12.95.

 

[np18358]

So a bit pricey. I mean in for a penny in for a pound I guess. Haha