Last Minute Lighting Question

[cello_dude]

Hi, guys I am designing a play that will be performed in a ballroom converted into a theater. I was thrown into this at the last minute. The show plays one performance with no tech, no dress, one day 6 hour load-in and out. I will need to light a stage approximately 22'x15' with a 15' depth and design video. There is no electrical grid to tap into. At all. In the past they have rented a gas generator. I would rather not go that route and don't necessarily want to be connecting rented dimmer racks to a gas generator.

I was considering using all LED fixtures (6-9 ellipsoidals on trees for front light, 4-8 washes stage left and right and a row of strip lights for a cyc. I will do a site visit this weekend and I am really hoping that I can find four to six 15amp circuits to use.

circuit 1: house left 3-4 LED ellipsoidals (750-1000w)
circuit 2: house right 3-4 LED ellipsoidals (750-1000w)
circuit 3: stage left LED washes & strip lights (500-800w)
circuit 4: stage right LED washes & strip lights (500-800w)
circuit 5: followspot (750w)
circuit 6: projectors (yes they also want video)

In your experience, does this plan check out? Is there anything I am forgetting to notice?

 

[jonliles]

Ceiling height? Can you rent trusses? Throw from the trees? Seating Capacity and general dimensions of the room? Orientation of the "stage" to the room? Can you sketch it out? What LED ellipsoidals are you considering? Does these need to color change or stay single color?

1000Ws of LEDs is a proverbial boatload of LEDs. On 2 twenty amp circuits you can safely run 3 575W ERS at 100% (or 4 at a dimmed to a lessor value) using shoebox dimmers 2 circuits gives you 6 ERS - spread of the lens will need to be determined by throw - 26deg, 36deg or 50deg.

I'm sure others will chime in with more questions.

 

[cello_dude]

Ceiling height? Can you rent trusses? Throw from the trees? Seating Capacity and general dimensions of the room? Orientation of the "stage" to the room? Can you sketch it out? What LED ellipsoidals are you considering? Does these need to color change or stay single color?

1000Ws of LEDs is a proverbial boatload of LEDs. On 2 twenty amp circuits you can safely run 3 575W ERS at 100% (or 4 at a dimmed to a lessor value) using shoebox dimmers 2 circuits gives you 6 ERS - spread of the lens will need to be determined by throw - 26deg, 36deg or 50deg.

I'm sure others will chime in with more questions.

I would rather throw from trees than truss.
The ceiling is at least 30ft.
The room is a large rectangle, approximately 60'x250' the stage is centered along the longer wall. Capacity is around 500.
Color will be important so, yes they will need to change color frequently.

I was considering the Altman PHX 250W, using 6-8 of these at the back of the "house" on trees throwing about 60' to the stage. Then setting up two other trees in the wings SL and SR with some COLORado washes to provide light upstage.

 

[jonliles]

You next best bet is to reach out to your local rental house(s) to validate the inventory they have available to rent. Some of the prices may cause you to rethink your plot.

At that Height, I would suspect many LEDs would lose punch on all but the most saturated colors. Consider dropping your trim height. One place I work is a 60'X60" square balck box with 15' trim heigh. The Seladors work nicely at that trim, but have a very narrow beam spread.

For anything over the stage, I prefer truss over trees. It allows me to hang along the width of the stage

When you site visit, ask them to identify which circuits each outlet is on so you can isolate your loads.