The
GAM FilmFX
unit is one of my favorite devices to turn to in situations such as this, along with
gobo rotators with various types of gobos. I have also used projectors to accent the
cyc, with one of my favorite looks from a black and white texture
pattern, which then was washed with
cyc lights. It added a lot of visual interest. It also freed up my FilmFX units for my favorite use of them, in
shin kicker positions... but thats another story. Another fun thing to do is place a bunch of
ERS units on the floor/on the farthest DS
electric, and focus them in large, sweeping beams across the
cyc. If you have
DMX iris, you can then change beam size, or
drop in gobos. If you have time and the space to work on it, come up with a pile of crazy ideas, and try them. Then choose which ones might be potential, and refine them until they are something you can put in a show. One summer I locked myself in the theater space for a full weekend and just messed with things, tried out looks, worked with the
cyc, tried every
gobo in our inventory, and every color we stocked, all types of lights, and tried unconventional stuff as well, pulling out
lens tubes, working with shadows. I highly recommend this experience, one
bit of advice is ask before you do it. You can try out stuff that no show will let you, and
gain a few great ideas that you use every show.
