change1211
Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2005
At the theare where I work we just picked up two smallish (750W) followspots. I'm just wondering if anyone here uses a special tool or setup to help with aiming.
Much appreciated
Much appreciated
Nope not so old - though I have never once used one - he he he. Just different places worked, not that I’m that old perhaps but been around a bit. The current community theater I help at when I have time uses a carbon arc over their Altman 1000 for their 50' throw - no idea why given I could very possibly soup up their 1K FEL fixture to a 1.2Kw internal reflector in the lamp spot (given the lamp is still available), ventillation for the carbon arc spot would help also. - One of the things they will get around to... At some point I should find some time and tinker with the thing. Saw three like 10' long follow spots come back with a show once a few months back, a crew chief made a deal with a theater getting rid of them. Them’s spots, glad I didn’t have to lug them down the stairs. The shop manager once he saw them went into great remembrances of many years spent at the rear of such contraptions. Been around them but never had to use one for good or bad - probably for bad or was that good. I do on the other hand personally own a 3Kw incandescent Kliegl Dynabeam with working lamp and original gel. I’m absolutely itching to plug It in and see what the beam of light looks like.Ok here's one that I used to use at an outdoor theatre I used to work at. We had a couple of Carbon arc Super Troupers. yes i'm old now stop laughing and I'll finish my suggestion. On the back end there was a label plate that was held in with 3 screws, this was also an access hole for getting to the back of the reflector. Well we would remove 1 screw then aim the spot at one of our pick up points. We would then place a smallish peice of tape on the back wall of the spot bay with the cue # on it, mine were color coded to even help remind me of color, size,shot,focus. To prep for the cue you'd just put the dot of light on the tape then look down the spot for the pick up. Now days it's really much more like hip firing a rifle I can hit a head shot on a kid from 300 feet away < not really, but almost. > but I've got over 1200 hrs on the carbon arc and that trick sure did help get the cues down real quick. I can only guess that today you could rig a laser pointer to do the same thing or perhaps rig it to shoot straight down at the floor and put your cue points right there under the spot itself, if it's not in a bay. Good luck, Hope that helps. Can't wait to see what other suggestions you get.
There is an interesting idea, helps one get a certain rythm also with the smoothness. So is following your buddy in playing chase. Granted this method is frouned upon due to the amount of those attempting to escape the light falling into the pit.
At one show we used cuttings from a clothes hanger bent out straight except for the little end where you made a tiny loop. Make two of those and (in the case of a super trooper) tape one on each side of the boomerang and align them by looking through the two little loops as sort of a poor mans sight.At the theare where I work we just picked up two smallish (750W) followspots. I'm just wondering if anyone here uses a special tool or setup to help with aiming.
Much appreciated
The above is what I use every time I run a light. My building owns 4 sights known as "Telrad" which are available to those who wish to borrow them. Telrads are adequate and less expensive, but I prefer the SpotDot2000. As long as I'm on the subject, I'd like to put to rest forever those who say "A good operator doesn't need a sight" or words to that effect. At the end of one concert I did, the LD told us to put our gelframes and headsets on the backpacks, and don't forget the sights either. I questioned him while looking in the backpack, as I wasn't going to put MY sight in HIS packpack, and saw that each backpack contained a Telrad. It is common for someone to install color and headsets in the afternoon, and the operators arrive at half-hour.
What a great idea! Once while running an ice show, after a rehearsal the LD asked if we had any problems or questions, it was going to be nationally televised, an Op other than me asked "Can you have them skate slower?" Touche.There is always the put the crew on stage with a frisby method of training...
You ran an exceptional member of your state's highway patrol? I believe you meant to type Super Trouper....I ran a super trooper...
He said mid-seventies, I wouldn't expect him to remember perfectly.You ran an exceptional member of your state's highway patrol? I believe you meant to type Super Trouper.
Totally agree with the gist of what you're saying. Back when I was working a Celebrity Room, we had the same household name acts over and over. LDs loved coming because they barely had to call the show and we'd even offer suggestions to enhance the lighting. We perpetuated the "bone out." "Overlays" in just about every slow song. LDs would tell us they were happy other places if the SpotOps could keep the star's face lit.
I believe you used what is referred to as the Zen method, according to this website:
http://blogidaho.biz/earthlink/spotlite.htm
"Become one with the light."
Spotfully yours,