Party Rocker
Member
Hello everyone, I consider myself to be an amateur lighting designer and theater technician. No education really except for what I have learned through the internet.
For the past four years now, and now permanently, I have a job as a lighting designer for a dance recital performance. The company that hires me is a small dance studio. They rent the local high school theater for their annual performance. The theater is already equipped with a lighting system; however, I feel it doesn't do what I want it to do. Most of the lighting seems old. I have been using their board, a Leprecon LP-1600 with a total of 72 actual sliders on the board.
Each year, I hope and try to incorporate new designs for lighting; however, things always turn out very simplistic because the lights I need just aren't there. It is mostly I use all the fixtures at their maximum intensity, or maybe some darker preset and that is just about it.
I would love to add more color specific presets like mostly blue lighting for a specific scene; however, when I program all of those lights it comes out too dark. I also like to add more effects or light transitions.
I was thinking of getting my own equipment to setup in the theater. I've come to realize, I have been wanting my own equipment for quite some time but I've always wanted to buy everything I want all at once and I just never have the money. So I recently decided to get things in parts as I can afford them.
I realize I get what I pay for, but ideally I want to start with this one show and hopefully start my own business kind of like a DJ, but just lighting. I know another theater that I might be able to do their performances provided I can get the equipment. Either way, I want to start with this one show and build on to my own personal lighting system.
I have been trying figure out what would meet my needs best, and right now my needs are basic. I just want the following:
- Clear Strong Colors Flooding the Stage
- Clear Crisp Spot Lighting
- Some Uplighting for Black Curtains
- Some Effects (Ex: Strobes, Black Lights, etc.)
Since my budget is virtually nothing, I wanted to get the basic essential key equipment first. I ordered a Elation Stage Setter 24 board as a starting point. I am planning on daisy chaining some DMX LED Par Cans and a few effect lights such as black lights and strobe lights together and into the board for most of the lighting.
I was planning on having multiple fixtures on the same channels. Like I wanted six of the LED par cans to project lighting on the six of the black curtains, three on each wing of the stage. I was looking at a par can that took up four channels that way all six of those fixtures can be addressed to the same four channels, to save space on the board.
I am looking for help for finding the right board and light fixtures for what I need now. I know I already bought a board, but I want to know what would be best for my needs right now.
Also, whatever equipment I get that does not get used, will be donated to the school. I do want to help them out some.
For the past four years now, and now permanently, I have a job as a lighting designer for a dance recital performance. The company that hires me is a small dance studio. They rent the local high school theater for their annual performance. The theater is already equipped with a lighting system; however, I feel it doesn't do what I want it to do. Most of the lighting seems old. I have been using their board, a Leprecon LP-1600 with a total of 72 actual sliders on the board.
Each year, I hope and try to incorporate new designs for lighting; however, things always turn out very simplistic because the lights I need just aren't there. It is mostly I use all the fixtures at their maximum intensity, or maybe some darker preset and that is just about it.
I would love to add more color specific presets like mostly blue lighting for a specific scene; however, when I program all of those lights it comes out too dark. I also like to add more effects or light transitions.
I was thinking of getting my own equipment to setup in the theater. I've come to realize, I have been wanting my own equipment for quite some time but I've always wanted to buy everything I want all at once and I just never have the money. So I recently decided to get things in parts as I can afford them.
I realize I get what I pay for, but ideally I want to start with this one show and hopefully start my own business kind of like a DJ, but just lighting. I know another theater that I might be able to do their performances provided I can get the equipment. Either way, I want to start with this one show and build on to my own personal lighting system.
I have been trying figure out what would meet my needs best, and right now my needs are basic. I just want the following:
- Clear Strong Colors Flooding the Stage
- Clear Crisp Spot Lighting
- Some Uplighting for Black Curtains
- Some Effects (Ex: Strobes, Black Lights, etc.)
Since my budget is virtually nothing, I wanted to get the basic essential key equipment first. I ordered a Elation Stage Setter 24 board as a starting point. I am planning on daisy chaining some DMX LED Par Cans and a few effect lights such as black lights and strobe lights together and into the board for most of the lighting.
I was planning on having multiple fixtures on the same channels. Like I wanted six of the LED par cans to project lighting on the six of the black curtains, three on each wing of the stage. I was looking at a par can that took up four channels that way all six of those fixtures can be addressed to the same four channels, to save space on the board.
I am looking for help for finding the right board and light fixtures for what I need now. I know I already bought a board, but I want to know what would be best for my needs right now.
Also, whatever equipment I get that does not get used, will be donated to the school. I do want to help them out some.
