Design Macbeth Color Choices

[mrb604]

I am a high school drama teacher who frequently lurks in this forum as I am an amateur lighting designer by necessity. Next month we will be producing a production of Macbeth on a stage set up in the arena style. I have enough instruments to put 4 lights equally spaced around each area of the stage plus one overhead for downlight. My question is what colors to use. I love and appreciate what color can do in a lighting design, but there are so many choices. I am looking for color ideas. Example do we use a McCandless type method and alternate R02 with R60 and use maybe R80 as downlight? Are there other colors that you think work better for this dark tragedy?
At this point little is known about the costume colors but they will be mostly black, white, grey, and possible some army green. It would also be important that the color of blood, pops. All ideas and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[kicknargel]

I think you're generally on the right track, to have one color from 12 and 6 and a different one from 3 and 9. I personally hate R02 and R60, but I guess that's a minority opinion. You want to think about the looks you need- in terms of location, time of day, mood etc and think about colors that combine in different intensities to give you the looks you need. You might not need a warm at all. As long as 12 and 6 are unsaturated you could experiment with something more interesting in 3 and 9.

As far as what to do with the top light, I would base that somewhat on what the floor is. If it's pretty dark, I often like an unsaturated top light to create highlight. Then I can go a step more saturated with my area lights. But if the floor is light, it's going to become too bright, then I'd stick with a deep blue or other (as you suggested).

 

[mrb604]

I'm not attached to using R02 & R60, I just used them as an example. If anything I would like to try something more unusual, Maybe something in the purple range would help bring out the red in the blood. Location varies a great deal during the show (27 scenes), both inside and outside. Time of day also varies from night to daytime, but I want even the daytime scenes to be dark and overcast. Being Macbeth, mood is dark. Since our stage will be mostly black, I like the idea of using a lighter unsaturated top light with more saturated area lights. I would love some specific color suggestions if you have some.

 

[seanandkate]

Don't feel that you need to have a "warm" colour at all. If you cool your whole palette, an open-white as a "warm" will still give you modelling. Maybe think about using breakup gobos in one of your front systems to add to the shadowy / murky feel.

 

[mrb604]

Thanks, Sean
In addition to what I mentioned above, I was thinking of using some 50 deg S4's with gobos to "wash" the stage with shadows. I was thinking 2 with organic tree branches for outside scenes and 2 with some geometric pattern to use for inside scenes. So many choices!

 

[TheLightmaster]

Try R50 from the top if the floor is dark.

 

[mrb604]

Hmm, R50, interesting color. Cameron any suggestions on what front light color(s) you would pair with R50 toplight?

 

[Fountain Of Euph]

I vote some R66 or somthing in the blue green area for the downlight. Get a swatchbook app or look on Rosco's website, they have a great gel comparison sheet. Do remember that whats on the page is not what it is in real life....

 

[DELO72]

I am a high school drama teacher who frequently lurks in this forum as I am an amateur lighting designer by necessity. Next month we will be producing a production of THE SCOTTISH PLAY on a stage set up in the arena style. I have enough instruments to put 4 lights equally spaced around each area of the stage plus one overhead for downlight. My question is what colors to use. I love and appreciate what color can do in a lighting design, but there are so many choices. I am looking for color ideas. Example do we use a McCandless type method and alternate R02 with R60 and use maybe R80 as downlight? Are there other colors that you think work better for this dark tragedy?
At this point little is known about the costume colors but they will be mostly black, white, grey, and possible some army green. It would also be important that the color of blood, pops. All ideas and suggestions would be appreciated.

I fixed your initial post. (see above) You accidentally used the name of that play and I didn't want any harm to accidentally befall you from the curse, which-- as a high school drama teacher you should be aware of and teaching your students about!.

on a side note-- "At this point little is known about the costume colors..." You need to wait until you know about the costume colors or fabrics as you won't know how the light affects or interacts with them until you do. Can you get fabric pieces/swatches from the costume designer? Also, pick colors that have some of the red wavelength in them to make the blood pop-- Unless you want the blood to go black, in which case pick colors (blues/greens, etc.) WITHOUT any red wavelenths in them.

 

[Ford]

What Mark said...
Until you know what you're lighting, it is hard to choose colors that will work for you.

To the earlier comment about a gobo wash... I have done this frequently, with good results using high sidelight. If you can use one system (number of fixtures will depend on hang position, and beam angles) from SL and a second from SR (with a different pattern), you can add a lot of texture and visual interest, and even help set the scenes, if your scenery budgets are limited.

hth,
-Ford