DIY Footlights?

C Duke

Member
Just wondering if anyone has some experience making footlights? I’m doing a high school production of Chicago and wanted to go for a little vaudeville flair, without breaking the bank. Also, any thoughts on marquee lights for a sign or built into the set? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
 
Just wondering if anyone has some experience making footlights? I’m doing a high school production of Chicago and wanted to go for a little vaudeville flair, without breaking the bank. Also, any thoughts on marquee lights for a sign or built into the set? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
@C Duke A couple of comments for you: Vibration from synchronized foot-falls and dancing traveling through the floor are really tough on the filaments of footlights. A shop I was with in the mid 90's built the rock opera "Tommy" a few times. The LX designer specified 120 volt MR16's for foot lights with six or eight of them across the front of the hollow automated floor deck. Every performance the production electrician would begin with them all working and he'd be lucky if they were all still lit by interval. There would always be several out by the finale. It was even worse when we built "Tommy" for Offenbach / Frankfurt Germany in '95 and again for London, England in '96 where the LX designer insisted on us using the same 120 volt MR16's wired in series connected pairs for the 240 and 230 volt dimmers. They would have held up better with 6 or 12 volt MR16's with their larger, sturdier, filaments driven by transformers.
When you say "marquee lights", do you mean lights outlining scenery that chase with typical three or four circuit chase patterns? If so, consider purchasing manufactured strings of 120 volt lights with the sockets spaced every foot to 18" then laying out three or four strings beside each other with their beginnings staggered a few inches and power them from three or four dimmers running chase patterns from your lighting board. This has always worked out well for me.
Posting from north of Donald's walls.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
@C Duke On the cheap side, these Gam Stick up have been handy. I have used them as foot lights with gels.
For marque lights try led flat top christmas lights strings ft. 100 lights 5" o/c about 10 bucks at big box store. alternate 2 different strings, drill hole and hot glue in from back. Some dimmers may need a 50 watt ghost load in line for full dimming of the led lights. Use a chase to alternate between the light strings. Same concept for stair risers but alternate steps.
 
I built Gypsy a while back and made footlights by running Xmas lights with the large candelabra style lamps along the lip of the stage and mounting cheap plastic fancy plates in front of them so that only the top half was proud of the stage. I frosted them with silver paint and painted the bottom half flat black to blend in with the front of the stage. It created a nice scalloped effect and was quite effective.
these style plates: https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/large/201723/1086138.jpg
 
@C Duke A couple of comments for you: Vibration from synchronized foot-falls and dancing traveling through the floor are really tough on the filaments of footlights. A shop I was with in the mid 90's built the rock opera "Tommy" a few times. The LX designer specified 120 volt MR16's for foot lights with six or eight of them across the front of the hollow automated floor deck. Every performance the production electrician would begin with them all working and he'd be lucky if they were all still lit by interval. There would always be several out by the finale. It was even worse when we built "Tommy" for Offenbach / Frankfurt Germany in '95 and again for London, England in '96 where the LX designer insisted on us using the same 120 volt MR16's wired in series connected pairs for the 240 and 230 volt dimmers. They would have held up better with 6 or 12 volt MR16's with their larger, sturdier, filaments driven by transformers.
When you say "marquee lights", do you mean lights outlining scenery that chase with typical three or four circuit chase patterns? If so, consider purchasing manufactured strings of 120 volt lights with the sockets spaced every foot to 18" then laying out three or four strings beside each other with their beginnings staggered a few inches and power them from three or four dimmers running chase patterns from your lighting board. This has always worked out well for me.
Posting from north of Donald's walls.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Ron-
Great advice and ideas! A friend had suggested the string lights from HD or Costco and I can totally see your point about staggering several and running the chase through the board. Perfect! Thanks again.
C Duke
 
I built Gypsy a while back and made footlights by running Xmas lights with the large candelabra style lamps along the lip of the stage and mounting cheap plastic fancy plates in front of them so that only the top half was proud of the stage. I frosted them with silver paint and painted the bottom half flat black to blend in with the front of the stage. It created a nice scalloped effect and was quite effective.
these style plates: https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/large/201723/1086138.jpg

Tim-
Great idea about the plates, I'll definitely give it a shot, thank you!
C Duke
 
@C Duke On the cheap side, these Gam Stick up have been handy. I have used them as foot lights with gels.
For marque lights try led flat top christmas lights strings ft. 100 lights 5" o/c about 10 bucks at big box store. alternate 2 different strings, drill hole and hot glue in from back. Some dimmers may need a 50 watt ghost load in line for full dimming of the led lights. Use a chase to alternate between the light strings. Same concept for stair risers but alternate steps.
Great suggestion about the Stick Ups, I'll definitely check it out, thank you!
C Duke
 
Yes, I've seen those, but they're a little pricey for us. We have a 50' proscenium and would probably need at least a dozen. Thanks for the suggestion though!
C Duke
I have some seconds that I could sell you cheaply. Let me know your budget, which style you like and how many you need. [email protected]
 
Hi Brian-
I appreciate your reaching out. I would need about 12 and I prefer something like the F style shown on your site. We could afford $250-$300. Lmk if that's a possibility. Thanks!
C Duke
Yes we can do that for you. Call Michelle and we can get them out to you. 845.534.9120.
 

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