Conventional Fixtures Lobsterscope !

[MPowers]

.........Yes, strobes work fine and are easier to implement, but there is a vertical motion flicker on the lobsterscope that gives it a different look to the eye. It has it's nitch place, although most often it ends up on the shelf. The strobe lights the whole area on each flash, the lobsterscope sweeps the field of view on each "flash."

John is 100% correct in his assessment of the FX. The issue is: will the difference be discernible to the audience in this context and, if so, will it have any effect on the quality of their experience. For example, in Christopher Durang's “A History of the American Film” I feel (IMHO) the answer is yes. In other shows the FX might be so short or the dialogue and action context might make it unimportant or irrelevant. One thing that I've learned over the years is to judge the degree and effectiveness of an effect by the response of a non techie. Even a sophisticated theatre buff doesn't see what we see. That doesn't mean we can toss something off, "They'll never see it from the third row", but if we are trying to make a point, we have to be sure the audience will see it. Anyway, just thoughts.

 

[Axislights]

My all time favorite use of the Lobsterscope is the Train number in Music Man. I made a cutstom gobo out of a pie tin that had multiple "windows" in it and stuck a Lobsterscope in front. Front projected onto the cast looked like sunlight filtered thru trees moving in the foreground. Worked like a charm and was even able to time it to the pace of the song so it slowed down and stopped at the end. "you'd better know the territory!"

 

[ship]

Ah' crap in totally missing all the incarnations of this post, and me next week to hang a room full of special effects gear for the museum. Sorry, the repaired 1911 duck tarred fabric star light wheel is gone - my guys cleaned up my desk area while I was gone for baby being born and initial time off. I replaced the missing wheel with a damaged Optkinetics glass cloud effects wheel that was a bit smaller and required a new mounting. Still been working months on the fixtures to mount the accessories for the new room taken over for display in not even getting into baffles, barn doors or top hats - classic stuff. Good amount, around ten fixtures in the room so far, but nothing like this.

From the above, sounds like I really really want of this thing I think I have heard of but never seen. Anyone with one willing to give it up to a good home?

 

[Lou9x9]

Lobster scopes

So i've been looking into these bad boys for some time now. i work at a high-school where we have literal no-budget productions and there's nothing i'd love more than to spend 100$ to buy a lobster scope but i'm forced to resorting to making my own. so here are my question based on this information.
1.) where can i buy a lobster scope at less than 50$ (if that even exists)
2.) where can i find a schematic for a lobsterscope?
3.) where is any information on using a lobsterscope?
4.) what is another name for a lobsterscope?
5.) how far away can a lobsertscope be from the stage (if attached to an ellipsoidal)?

Please itemize your answers like the questions for my own sake. Thank-you for any information.

 

[JD]

Re: Lobster scopes

1.) where can i buy a lobster scope at less than 50$ (if that even exists)
- You probably can not unless you are very lucky

2.) where can i find a schematic for a lobsterscope?
- Motor with a plug on it. Hopefully you can come up with a motor that can spin it at about 8 revolutions per second.

3.) where is any information on using a lobsterscope?
- Unless you want the speed up / slow down to show, you should power up the motor and then bring on the light for the effect.

4.) what is another name for a lobsterscope?
- Don't think it has one.

5.) how far away can a lobsertscope be from the stage (if attached to an ellipsoidal)?
- Depends on the lens. They used to make them to fit on a follow spot. In that case, it could be hundreds of feet away. Most likely would be mounted on an S4 and used above or side of stage.

If you want to build one, finding the right motor will be the biggest challenge. Outside of that, get a head-on picture of one and blow it up until the disk size is about 16 inches. That will give you enough room for the hub and still fit on a 6" fixture like an S4. Do your cutouts, find the exact center for the shaft, then paint it black with stove paint. You can balance it by drilling small holes near the rim. It is important that it does not shake, or you will be blowing through lamps.

 

[artdeco18]

Re: Lobster scopes

This isn't a Loberscope post per se, but my introduction to neat theatrical lighting effects came at a theme park when I was about 9 or 10. They had a stage show that ran periodically during the day and during one part of the show used a strobe effect. Being the curious type that I was, I looked around trying to figure out how they did it... they had one of the techs using his hands to interrupt the beam from one of the instruments creating what I guess you could call a manual Lobsterscope...

 

[ship]

Re: Lobster scopes

Just picked one up last week, the last thing in the Clyde P. Foster colletion of gear from his old F&H lighting rental company. Doesn't seem that interesting but I'm yet to work on it. As I get time to do so if anyone wants exact drawings and specifications, I can have some of our Cadd guys do an exact drawing.

Might be a week or two, just finishing up the 1911 Brenkert carbon arc and just got in a pre-1910 2.1/2" lens box spot that will be up next in more interesting to me.

Some pictures of it paint falling off condition - had they added some sanding tooth to the aluminu disc, the paint will have stuck better. The holes are seemingly punched as per the sharp edges left behind on the opposing side that were not refined. Fits a 50's/60's gel frame bracket for Leko's as if a color wheel, heyco like strain relief for the SPT two wire cord on a welded box riveted to the frame. No on/off switch of fuse on the box. No yet idea on RPM of motor - TBA.

Again, there are a few draftsmen (computer type as I hand draft in ink) at work that I could hand this project over to in drawing up a full drawing and specification for if anyone still that interested. Honestly not that interesting of an accessory and in fact I have made a few similar in the past for a concept and it got cut from the show in not doing what the designer imagined in the request to look like a 1920's film strip. Granted mine was just light blocking segmented in old movie effects stoppage of light, these holes are shaped.

Anyway here are the photos in me somehow getting one but not very impressed in the concept beyond the hype..

 

[JD]

Re: Lobster scopes

Odd how it has two sets of holes and is made of such thing stock. I would think the dark/light ratio would not work as a new hole begins its pass too close to when the old hole exits. I wonder if this is a case where someone made a custom disk and put it on the original motor assembly to try to increase the speed.

 

[ship]

Re: Lobster scopes

Funny you should mention that.

Just finished it last night (in finally getting to complete it) and while I have not put it on a Leko yet, it on the work table with down light - the shadow effect on the table was more like a fire effect or perhaps some kind of old movie break up effect.

Figure it had not been used since the 50's or 60's and the gear casing grease was like glue, once cleaned out and re-greased, the 200 RPM motor worked well but yes it did come to question with me if it was a Lobster effect in not really strobing while watching it finally work.

While the disc was low temp. painted aluminum, it was some form of factory punched for the holes - but with un-refined sharp rear edges from the punch. Not home made as it's too refined for what the origional owner will have been able to do in cuts and disc or accuracy. This much less the drilled and set screw tapped hex bolt mounted on the motor shaft will have been beyond the owner's ability but could have been from an origional disc/motor or a color wheel on a dimmer if at 200RMM max. speed.

At some point when and if I get my next college student tour in, I'll set it up and we can decide what it's for. Problematic for the flame effect concept is that how the gel frame bracket to the effects machine is made, it doesn't allow for a gel frame color to be installed with a stock size gel frame into the same color slot. The white or dimmed light on a flame might be fine but that lack of gelling option is of interest.

Guess I'm still on the hunt. Don't have hang room in the accessories room for more, but than again I invented a bracket to mount this fixture... what's a few more invented brackets.