Lighting Assistance

Eustie

Member
I am currently helping a friend light an outdoor stage show at a festival where there will also be performances at dusk. In stock we are limited to 14 generic dmx LED wash fixtures: 35-40 degrees, generic RGB DMX Wall Washer: 30 degrees; Chauvet DJ 4 Light tripod: Beam Angle: 21°• Field Angle: 33°.

We are able to hang fixtures on two 13-14 foot tall structures that we can move around where we need to place them with audience sitting in front of an elevated stage about little more than a foot from ground level. The structures look like rigged tripod-like structures that will be anchored to the ground.

I need some assistance to what I can do to light this show given our limited options. We have no budget for lights or any rentals. Just the generic ones we have and maybe a bit more extra cable. I am aware that I need measurements for stage dimensions and height and will be going on a trip in a couple weeks to look at the stage and take measurements.

I am wondering how someone in a similar situation, know where to position the structures to where they'd need it and place lights at any height on the structure: figure out how far the structure should be away from the lip of the stage and figure out at what heights to best hang the lights without light plotting software. Is there any advice, tips, calculations or helpful information you can provide me to help me get started once I have the stage dimensions.
 
I'm not too familiar with the outdoor stuff as I tend to stay inside my theatre when dealing with lighting, but I can add some thoughts and observations. First, the lights you have don't sound like they will be very bright when competing with ambient light outside. So I'm guessing during the daylight hours they would be essentially wasted as front wash. Working into the evening you might have need of some face light, but I'm still betting these are more for the backdrop effect to highlight what I'm assuming is some sort live music group.

That said, my gut says to explore options of behind or to the side of the stage to add some color and effect to whatever is going on. A followspot could probably go a long way, particularly if it's a smaller stage. The other thought I had would be about the safety of the towers. Are they DJ-type light trees? Are they crank towers? Being outside you contend with the elements and as such I'd be wary of suspending lighting overhead if there was a risk of the wind taking something down. The other consideration is power and control. How much cable and where your power and control setup exist will also dictate your flexibility in positioning lighting.
 
Totally depends on the bands playing.

If it were me I would split the fixtures up evenly SL SR and hang them 90 off the inside part of your “structure”

This way you can hit the band and audience at the same time.
 

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