Electrics and Borders

[readwritespin]

In my auditorium, I have fixed electrics and batons. The lights and baton hangdown below the border. (see picture below) I feel that it is unprofessional and would like it changed. My school is less than convinced, they (non theatre people) seem to think it is fine.

What can I say/show them to help prove my point? Help me advocate!'

MY Theatre

• readwritespin
• Nov 9, 2015

 

[readwritespin]

In my auditorium, I have fixed electrics and batons. The lights and baton hand down below the border. (see picture below) I feel that it is unprofessional and would like it changed. My school is less than convinced, they (non theatre people) seem to think it is fine.

What can I say/show them to help prove my point? Help me advocate!

MY Theatre

• readwritespin
• Nov 9, 2015

 

[robartsd]

It is amazing to me how little distraction unmasked fixtures are to many audience members. I'm sure there are plenty examples of profesional productions where they have decided not to mask the audience's view of the fixtures. If you are a student at this school, I would just accept that this is the way the space is and factor that into any of your designs. Personally I'm more concerned about the appearance of the backdrop in the photo.

 

[MNicolai]

Appearance of the cyc is hands down your biggest issue.

If your borders are tall enough, lowering the height they're dead-hung at requires relatively minimal labor.

My personal feeling is that I expect to see fixtures in a theater, especially sitting in the front row, but I prefer not to see the entire fixture and all of the cabling.

I try to set border heights so that the first few rows see the ends of some of the more prominent fixtures. Middle of the theater should only see a couple fixtures that cannot be masked for extraordinary circumstances, and the rear of the theater typically shouldn't see fixtures.

But again, I expect to see fixtures at a theater. Doesn't particularly bother me if the borders don't jive with the trim heights of the electrics unless the particular way the fixtures are gelled/focused makes them an irritating distraction during the calmer parts of a performance.

 

[mikeydoesstuff]

If you want it changed the best way to show them is to show them. Move your borders! If you're in a fly house thats the easiest thing in the world.

If you're not sure where exactly to lower them to have someone sit in the front row and tell you to stop just when they cant' see the fixture anymore, or maybe the ends of the barrels are all thats left as suggested above. If thats too low for the focus nudge them back out just enough for the beam.


Thirded on that backdrop being an issue. If thats your cyc it needs some love, I cant imagine it looks good under light.. but that gets into some money spending. (unless there are good ways to clean a cyc - I dont know.)

 

[chausman]

If you want it changed the best way to show them is to show them. Move your borders! If you're in a fly house thats the easiest thing in the world.

Having dead hung battens makes that slightly more complicated though.

 

[derekleffew]

If you're in a fly house thats the easiest thing in the world.

In my auditorium, I have fixed electrics and batons.

The term is batten, not baton. Depending on how they're dead-hung, it's likely easier to lower the border than raise the electric, but the latter is usually preferred. Note that this may cause issues with focus. An accurate vertical section will tell most of the tale.

My personal feeling is that I expect to see fixtures in a theater,

In a black box or similar I agree, not not in a "picture frame" proscenium theatre.

 

[RickR]

Seeing fixtures is becoming ever more acceptable. Maybe it's statement of our post industrial, less romantic times. Maybe it's just that with all the renovation of even the most glorious venues we wind up seeing 'black stuff' out in the house. This summer the Kennedy Center's main stage had a truss over the apron with some movers. Very little tech visible otherwise but here it was, for Grand Opera in a world class facility!

In a school with limited resources and limited technical knowledge (judging from the cyc and fixtures outlines), seeing the fixtures is a very minor thing.

 

[JD]

Like "open ceiling" architecture in many restaurants, some love it. I hate it. Last thing I want to see when I'm eating is the HVAC system.
My background is primarily Rock/Concert, where much is wide open. Maybe that's why I like things hidden in theater.

 

[AudJ]

Based on the picture, there might be some curtains missing that would have originally hidden the fixtures among other things. Are there empty bars that might have accommodated more curtains? If that were the case, getting replacements would be the easiest solution.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

As a theatre consultant, when I hear this kind of question, I only wonder how many other things need help.

I'm in the OK to see them camp but certainly hear and respect the hide it all view. (What I don't want to see is people backstage not performing. That needs to be masked - the nose pickers and prop preparers, etc.)

If you want them hidden you need a complete plan. If the PTB don't care, maybe you need to learn to love it and use it. Maybe every unit needs to be always on - even if at a glow do it looks on but doesn't illuminate anything.

 

[petercav17]

You could always yoke the units up at a 90 degree angle and gain 8" or so of clearance. However, depending on the stability of your batten, it might roll under the torque of the offset weights of the lights, and then you'd have to have every other unit yoked opposite, so one US, then on DS, and so on. This could cause focus issues though.

 

[TheaterEd]

I have the same issue, but I have learned to embrace it as it opens up sight lines for my fixtures. I was able to get my DS and US borders switched out for longer ones that masked things without getting in the way of the lights though. If you can at least get your DS border lowered you will be in a much better position, but you will hamper your ability to hit upstage from your Catwalk.

Side note: just want to echo that your cyc is worrying...

 

[DrPinto]

We actually removed our boarders. That greatly improved our ability to aim the instruments where we wanted to without worrying about the boarders getting in the way. I'm willing to bet that your stage originally had the boarders trimmed to hide the electrics and someone either lowered the electrics or raised the boarders to improve the sight lines for the lights.

 

[venuetech]

We actually removed our boarders. That greatly improved our ability to aim the instruments where we wanted to without worrying about the boarders getting in the way. I'm willing to bet that your stage originally had the boarders trimmed to hide the electrics and someone either lowered the electrics or raised the boarders to improve the sight lines for the lights.

That's a good thing, I hope the surfers were not too upset. my problem these days is all the long boards that the sidewalk surfers leave laying around. Having all those long boarders hanging around back stage really does screwup the sight lines, but it does keep them off the streets. With the snow board season upon us all the plaid boarder fashion becomes a real distraction.

 

[kicknargel]

The term is batten, not baton. Depending on how they're dead-hung, it's likely easier to lower the border than raise the electric, but the latter is usually preferred. Note that this may cause issues with focus. An accurate vertical section will tell most of the tale.


In a black box or similar I agree, not not in a "picture frame" proscenium theatre.

The term is "but not," not "not not."

Couldn't resist taking a little shot at your glass house.

 

[DrPinto]

That's a good thing, I hope the surfers were not too upset. my problem these days is all the long boards that the sidewalk surfers leave laying around. Having all those long boarders hanging around back stage really does screwup the sight lines, but it does keep them off the streets. With the snow board season upon us all the plaid boarder fashion becomes a real distraction.

I just have to yolk up the boarders so the jells have a good site line.

This is what happens when I don't proof-read and depend on spell-check!