Fixture Distribution for better Coverage??

[gafftaper]

There was a good discussion about pros and cons of instruments about a year back. In the end I think we all agreed that there may be a better choice for the job, but there are often multiple options that will work. With a good selection of diffusion gels and some creativity, you can do just about everything with ellipsoidals alone. You know most of the rest of the world uses Ellipsoidals and PC's and doesn't use Fresnels. I'm a fan of the Fresnel for use in small intimate spaces. I like the way it blends for down and back light at times and it's nice for round tight specials. But you are right, you can do the same thing with the right focus on the barrel of an ERS and a touch of frost.

Further discussion should probably go to a new thread.

 

[icewolf08]

Anyways, at 80' I have found S4 19º to really be the best -- 4 instruments make a very nice, bright coverage. 14ºs are very intense from that distance, but I have found are difficult to make a nice wash without several of them. Typically I need at least 6 14º to cover just a 32' wide stage evenly. Given a 60º proscenium, it sounds like you are talking about at least 8 if not more 19º and maybe even close to 12 or more 14º to really get nice even coverage. And that's just one color!

At an 80' throw distance, a 19˚ would make a pool about 26'-9 1/4" in diameter. The footcandles at the center of the beam would be about 51, and this is with a 750w lamp. That is very huge and very dim. A 14˚ at that distance will give you triple the light output and though much more manageable a still rather large pool. We use 14˚ instruments on a regular basis for a throw of around 50'. It comes so much closer to the magical 10' area mark where the 19˚ is over 5' bigger in diameter than that, and you get more light out of the 14˚. More light is a good thing, because you can always dim down, but if you hang a 19˚ you can't get brighter if you need to. Also, having more areas gives you more control. If the OP's problem is intensity, using 19˚ as front light would be a mistake.

 

[gafftaper]

According to the etc website: a 5 degree is a 9 1/2' diameter circle at 80' and 218 foot candles so it would be ideal, with a LOT of punch. To go with an army of 5 degree's however given that it's a church seemed expensive and unlikely to happen (they run about $100 more per instrument than a 10 degree). The 10 degrees are 125 footcandles and only a 15 diameter circle so it's a very good alternative on a budget. (For the newbies, I always figure you need about 100 foot candles to be useful light).

 

[Logos]

You know most of the rest of the world uses Ellipsoidals and PC's and doesn't use Fresnels. I'm a fan of the Fresnel for use in small intimate spaces. I like the way it blends for down and back light at times and it's nice for round tight specials. But you are right, you can do the same thing with the right focus on the barrel of an ERS and a touch of frost.
Further discussion should probably go to a new thread.

Did you get that impression from me about Australia. In my experience here and in the UK we use Fresnels by preference and Parcans when we are broke. We use more zoom ERS's than you do which makes them on average more expensive so ...

 

[Mirrai]

To go on the topic of Fresnels and their use, I have always be a huge fan of using them as top light or shallow back light. I personally do not like using par cans in any respect but I do see there use as high side lighting with their beam goin in the direction of the pipe. As front light I do not like the quality of light they put out or the shape and the same goes for top light.
I much prefer using fix zoomed ers as front and side light, even back light, because they are so flexible and can be maybe to fit almost any situtation. I have even seen them used as top light for productions.
Thats my .0002 cents


what can I say I am really poor.

 

[gafftaper]

Come on and start a new thread. This is a good discussion that will never be found where it's at.

 

[Logos]

What new thread. Dripping wet source fours or Parcans versus Fresnels.

 

[gafftaper]

What new thread. Dripping wet source fours or Parcans versus Fresnels.

And you accuse me of running around the site causing havoc.

 

[Logos]

Cry Havoc and unleash the dogs of Logos.

 

[Lightingguy32]

Looks like you need 14 or 10 degree Source four lens tubes for your full size units, the Jrs appear to be zooms and could work on the first or second electric as pipends/frontlight