Non-Stage Lighting

[Chris15]

I would be inclined to say that any light that was being used outside would need to be run through and RCD / GFCI. If we wanted to get into it, everything should be run through one. But if your lights are going to be outside and there is the chance of rain, consider your safety and the safety of others and if you can't weather protect your lights, a rethink might be in order.

 

[DarSax]

Well, of course I wouldn't risk it if rain was forecasted, any chance--I'm just asking about ambient weather conditions, humidity, etc.

 

[lightbyfire]

Knowing the humidity in washington you may run into problems. Even if it was beautiful weather if you are working outside you should run everything through GFCI's. It's just safer.

 

[Chris15]

And also, since the fixtures are likely to be easily accessible by people, an RCD / GFCI is a good idea anyway.

 

[Kelite]

You can save yourself some time by purchasing the gel for this production as PerfGel from Apollo. Just determine how many pieces of which size gel you need, and we'll perforate the sheets for you at no added cost. It is really easy to gel 24 Lekos and 24 PAR's (as an example) when the gel is pre-cut.

Good luck with your designing!

 

[wolf825]

Hmm...scary small world.. I grew up 4 blocks away from Walt Whitman HS in Bethesda...off Wilson by Landon HS...

I've done countless outdoor-architectural lighting for corporate shows--A couple of MAC 2k or MAC 600 wash units and some gobo units, a few uplites and static gobos can really transform an outdoor entrance and enhance decorations....especially if the building sturcture has a lot of surfaces to it. A custom gobo or selected gobos in the movers can also work nicely for the entrance or enhance a theme.. I once made the outside of a building have a "jungle" feel by using tiger-stripes patterns and rich color backgrounds..which matched the theme of the inside--which was a wild "safari" type party...but the possibilities are endless....

For your interior folks seem to have given some great ideas so far....but you keep mentioning tough spun and other fabric--your best option is to go with "transformits"....spandex sails in various shapes or patterns--they really change up a room and take light or projections very nicely. I once lit a ton of spandex sails in a hotel ballroom with "fish" and split-gel, for an underwater theme..and I used sea-horses rear-projected onto white pip and drape--the sea-horses were in a couple of Movers and the seahorses went from groups and singles and "swam" along the "wall". But spandex sails would be better for your plans and fire-retardant so you don't have to dip yoru own home-made material. All easily rentable(tho complex shapes not locally avail in the DC area--have to rent outside the area and have it shipped--its VERY easy)...and if you get "tunnels" or self-standing spandex creations you can pop a LED par or color scroller in there and have some color fun too...

If you could post a pic of the hall you may get some more detailed ideas.. Folks really have to see the venue to tell what will and won't work out..

Just a few ideas...good luck...
-w

 

[DarSax]

Wow, that is a very scary small world, Wolf. I live right near you (on the other side of wilson...crazies.)

! Transformits! Brilliant! We were thinking about renting some for this year, but I thought they would look silly. And now that you mentioned it, it's kind of exactly what I'm looking for (provided I got very simple ones, I can find the ones they exhaustingly use for television awards-cermony backdrops cheesy), so thank you very much. Excellent, thanks tons for saying that! (Do you have any suggestions as to who would be good to rent from? I'll search on my own, but if you have any suggestions, they'd be much appreciated)

I can't afford movers outside, but I am definitely going to light up the sides of the auditorium--even if I just have like, 5 lights, strategically placed as people drive up to park they're going to be blown away. ****, I am so excited now. I'm thinking of just simple uplighting with lekos/pars (any idea which would be better? It'll need to be powerful, auditorium walls are 40-50 feet tall).

Should be able to find a picture of the auditorium.

Does anyone have any ideas for the lobby? I already know what I want to do as far as decorations (an idea I've been having forEVER, but I can't speak of it, because it is my baby idea and ), but any idea for any sort of light things? I'll need to be able to keep the lights bright enough for everyone and it can't take up much space at all. Any ideas? I'm kind of stumped D:

 

[Peter]

For one event, we ran truss up and across the lobby and put like 12 color blasts (LED wash lights) in the truss. The lobby was a nice bege color that reflected the color really well. We then slowly faded between a set of colors. This was a very small, almost cave like lobby so it worked really well.... again, seeing pictures of your lobby would make it much clearer if something like this would work or not.

 

[wolf825]

Wow, that is a very scary small world, Wolf. I live right near you (on the other side of wilson...crazies.)

! Transformits! Brilliant! We were thinking about renting some for this year, but I thought they would look silly. And now that you mentioned it, it's kind of exactly what I'm looking for (provided I got very simple ones, I can find the ones they exhaustingly use for television awards-cermony backdrops cheesy), so thank you very much. Excellent, thanks tons for saying that! (Do you have any suggestions as to who would be good to rent from? I'll search on my own, but if you have any suggestions, they'd be much appreciated)

I can't afford movers outside, but I am definitely going to light up the sides of the auditorium--even if I just have like, 5 lights, strategically placed as people drive up to park they're going to be blown away. ****, I am so excited now. I'm thinking of just simple uplighting with lekos/pars (any idea which would be better? It'll need to be powerful, auditorium walls are 40-50 feet tall).

Should be able to find a picture of the auditorium.

Does anyone have any ideas for the lobby? I already know what I want to do as far as decorations (an idea I've been having forEVER, but I can't speak of it, because it is my baby idea and ), but any idea for any sort of light things? I'll need to be able to keep the lights bright enough for everyone and it can't take up much space at all. Any ideas? I'm kind of stumped D:

Well I haven't lived off Wilson in years..was at Wilson and Granada...last time I drove past my old house it was torn down and a 'McMansion' was going up in its place tho..ugh. I live in Fredneck and work in Rockville and around the area...for the time being...

Movers outside usually work the best cause you tend to need the "punch" of the bright lite due to neighborhood or parking lot or street lighting or general ambiance from whats around it... As for your 40-50' wall...nothing less than a 1k fixture IMO or S4 pars...like single cell cyc lites you can place along it..

If you need a source for transformits--PM me for contact names...there are only a few companys locally who have some--I usually rent from NY or elsewhere...the selection in our area is not great. Parlights, Fandango, EventsBum are a few who have some transformits and they are good ones...and I think Digital Lighting may have a couple.. but they are the standard shapes and not very large a stock of them. Otherwise you can find a few good places online who ship..PinkInc in NYC comes to mind and they rent. As for your lobby--well usually you want to go in stages--Outdoor is one level of lighting "wow", lobby is the next level of "wow"..and main ballroom or halways is the "Iceing on the wow".. If you can give a better idea of the lobby decor or a theme--you may get more ideas tossed at ya...


-w

 

[DarSax]

Ayk, I'm going to have to try and dig up some pictures (we're out for the summer, although what with summer school in session and drivers ed, maybe I can figure out a way to get into the lobby...).

Thanks for the suggestion on the outside walls though, there really is no way I can afford movers out there, but I'll definitely try out your suggestions. And thanks tons for the suggestions on the companies...hate to ask you again, but any idea general cost of renting transformits? (Are we getting into $1k+ range, or less/more?)

edit: Here's a good shot of our auditorium, lemme see if I can find more. http://community.webshots.com/photo/547432378/2525421660085676931ZJksbc#

 

[wolf825]

Ayk, I'm going to have to try and dig up some pictures (we're out for the summer, although what with summer school in session and drivers ed, maybe I can figure out a way to get into the lobby...).

Thanks for the suggestion on the outside walls though, there really is no way I can afford movers out there, but I'll definitely try out your suggestions. And thanks tons for the suggestions on the companies...hate to ask you again, but any idea general cost of renting transformits? (Are we getting into $1k+ range, or less/more?)

edit: Here's a good shot of our auditorium, lemme see if I can find more. http://community.webshots.com/photo/547432378/2525421660085676931ZJksbc#

Costs for transformits vary from size and shape/support and availability. As I said--not many locally carry a ton of these.. The simple panels in triangle, diamond/kites and so on are not that expensive relatively speaking...they typically can run $100-$400 per panel, depending on size. Structures and large frame units can run more...and there are quite a few variations on structures you can get...

If you want some ideas and pictures, check out a few here at www.pinkincdesign.com or http://www.pinkincdesign.com/tfs-home.html

-w

 

[salva]

I think that if you do go with the transformers idea you could use LED parcans to light them up and sequnce the through the RGB spectrum. Thet should give quite a good effect.

You can also use them to help with strengthening a strobe effect during perfomances