Design Face light issues

[11Johnsonn]

OK so I am the TD for a performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show... and we have the movie playing on a screen behind us and our projector for the movie can only be placed in front of the screen. We also don't have enough money in our budget for a dual sided screen. So my issue here is that we have really ****ty lights that are about 20 years old from a single cat. Im using a 120v and an Element light board. If you have any ideas on how to get face light on the cast with out washing out the movie. That would be great!

 

[BillESC]

How about lekos down stage left and right on booms cropped off the screen.

 

[Les]

Even with the best lights, it's going to be hard to achieve what you're after. How far is your catwalk from the area you want to light, and what kind of angle are we looking at? What do you mean by "you're using a 120v"?

A few ideas I can throw at you is maybe adding side lighting and top lights (extremely sparingly, if at all). Other than that, it usually takes some creative shutter cuts and one heck of a powerful projector. I usually encourage whoever is in charge to "get the screen as far upstage as possible".

The Source Four turns 20 in a few years -_-

 

[rochem]

This is somewhat of a design issue, so people will have varying opinions, but your best bet is probably to use high sides for this scene. Put them on the ends of your 1st Electric, ideally at a 45 degree angle up and directly SL/SR of the acting area(s). Done correctly, these can still give you great visibility, and it actually looks better than just blasting the cast with direct frontlight. Shutter them off of the projection screen, and you won't have nearly as much spill onto the screen as you will with straight-in fronts.

 

[Footer]

Ideally in projection situations you would light as high as possible. Also, you want the screen to be at least 6' above the floor. With this situation, you cut to the bottom of the screen and you are good to go. Odds are you screen is where it is and your playing space and catwalk is where it is so there is probably no way to do this and still get any light on the actors. Therefore, there is one other way to go with this. Clip Lights.

Its what we used to use in college when we invaded the local movie theatre to do Rocky Horror. They can be bought for 5 bucks a piece at Home Depot/Lowes. Harbor Freight also has them for a bit cheaper if they are in stock. Place a few on the front of the stage as footlights, put a few on mic stands to act as a somewhat side/front light. Have some people hold them and move around with them.... Its Rocky Horror, it does not have to make sense!

Where are you performing at?

 

[jglodeklights]

And then he said, "Let us deploy the Clip Light ARMY!!!!!!!!!!"

Clip lights really can be your friend (as can MR16 Birdies). You can hide them off to the side behind set pieces or small reveals you make. Yes, Lekos are ideal, but with some blacktack and blackwrap you can turn clip lights and birdies into usable wash units that don't kill you on your screen (at least totally).

If you add some clip lights in, I highly recommend purchasing some PAR 38 flood lamps for them. Anything else will be even more uncontrollable, and much less bright. You may need some tie line to hold the clip lights up, though.......

 

[Brandofhawk]

As was said before, if you can get the screen up off the ground and towards the back of the space it would work better.

Another solution to look at is, instead of using an actual projector screen, using a large white or cream bed sheet, back lit with the projector if your projector can do this. Though it can seriously limit the amount of backstage space... it can allow for a greater coverage of the lights in the front. It also negates some of the light bleed from reflection of the stage.

Some might complain that it would reduce the picture quality, but... it shouldn't be that bad. Most audience members wouldn't pick up on it anyways... plus there are live actors on stage!

Just a thought.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[phenry]

High and tight. I was on cast as stage manager/ props master/ M.E. for 5 years and it is a difficult shot. The basic theory we had to go on was keep the lights small, shutter down to just hit the actor, go from the most extreme angle you can use and still get a good shot. We used mostly follow spots and handheld fixtures so that we could track the actors and keep the rest of the screen dark. We did also have the advantage of having our screen a little further upstage than a standard movie theater, so if you can move it back, do. I know that may not be a possibility because depending on the theater you are using, you may not even be allowed to touch the screen. We were reminded every few months by theater management that the screen cost $15,000 and we would be liable for it.

 

[Esoteric]

We do lighting with video all the time. We use a combination of high angles, lights offset from center, side fill, and getting the projection off the floor as much as possible. But we shoot for at least 60-70 ftL (with 100+ preferable).

 

[Footer]

High and tight. I was on cast as stage manager/ props master/ M.E. for 5 years and it is a difficult shot. The basic theory we had to go on was keep the lights small, shutter down to just hit the actor, go from the most extreme angle you can use and still get a good shot. We used mostly follow spots and handheld fixtures so that we could track the actors and keep the rest of the screen dark. We did also have the advantage of having our screen a little further upstage than a standard movie theater, so if you can move it back, do. I know that may not be a possibility because depending on the theater you are using, you may not even be allowed to touch the screen. We were reminded every few months by theater management that the screen cost $15,000 and we would be liable for it.

Exactly!

When your dealing show a movie/show that calls for popcorn & rice to be thrown, water guns shot, newspaper head coverings, rubber gloves dawned, TP thrown, and a crap-ton of other stuff done you really do have to throw out traditional ideas. Remember, its about the movie first and the actors second.

 

[shiben]

Ideally in projection situations you would light as high as possible. Also, you want the screen to be at least 6' above the floor. With this situation, you cut to the bottom of the screen and you are good to go. Odds are you screen is where it is and your playing space and catwalk is where it is so there is probably no way to do this and still get any light on the actors. Therefore, there is one other way to go with this. Clip Lights.

Its what we used to use in college when we invaded the local movie theatre to do Rocky Horror. They can be bought for 5 bucks a piece at Home Depot/Lowes. Harbor Freight also has them for a bit cheaper if they are in stock. Place a few on the front of the stage as footlights, put a few on mic stands to act as a somewhat side/front light. Have some people hold them and move around with them.... Its Rocky Horror, it does not have to make sense!

Where are you performing at?

+1 and some more to this idea. Heck, you could probably collect your technicians mag-lights and gaff them to mic stands and use those. Then the one dude with the Surefire gets to be the follow spot. Throw your lekos as close to directly above your stage as you can get, throw them on low. Glowing the screen is probably not terrible as long as you have a big, powerful projector (if its a movie theater, I would suppose it might). Then as Footer says, clip lights, clip lights on mic stands, a 2x2 with a base screwed on and a plug attached can be turned into a light on a stick if you lack mic stands. Come up with fun ideas. Need gel? Gaff tape remains your friend. No need for an overly complicated thing like a gel frame. Got a more powerful light? Use blacktack! Did a show similar to this (but not the same show) with 4 1kw flood lamps from home depot, and our shop's collection of clip lights featuring MR-16 work lights, Music Stand Lights, PAR38 work lights (in both N/C and Congo Blue lamp styles), and bare 100W lamps. Also added in a couple of sockets hung on lamp cord with 150W industrial halogen lamps for house lights. Looked pretty decent. Cues were run off of an Ion, but could just as easily have been done by a dude and a row of power strips or dimmed outlets. Really cool shows and even cooler lighting need not be extensive and difficult to do, it just needs to be creative.

 

[kicknargel]

Wild and crazy ideas aside (and I'm all for wild and crazy). The OP says a single catwalk, so using high sides probably isn't possible. But I'd come as close to it as possible by moving the lights to each end of the cat and shooting them across the stage and the steepest angle possible. Then find the compromise in shutter cuts between hitting actors and missing the screen (assuming we're talking about lekos here). If you're using fresnels or PARs or something--use barn doors if available, or buy some Blackwrap and Blacktak and create them.

Direct front is your worst angle because 1) most like to hit the screen and 2) light that bounces off the floor is directed at the screen.

Now back to wild and crazy: last time I did this show in a tiny venue with little gear I used white high side from the left, green high side from the right and red frontlight. So there.