elliot47

Member
Hey y'all!

Alright so the theater I work in is a high school. In our theater we have a passarelle (spelling?). We've always used rope lights to line the edge of the passarelle plugged straight into a dimmer channel (they need to be dimmable and controlled from the lighting desk). However every few years they have to be replaced because sections will go out from people in the audience putting their feet up on the passarelle or getting stepped on by actors, etc. Quite frankly I'm pissed and tired of messing with it because its a pain to replace 200ft of rope lights every 3 or 4 years. I'm looking for a better more permanent solution. I was thinking about the pathway aisle lighting you see in some theaters. Like what lights the aisle in a plane. I can't find this type of thing ANYWHERE online without going through a company and having them install it. I will be installing this myself so that won't work. Also I've noticed that most of these types of things are 12v and I'm not even sure if they're dimmable. I'm open to using rope light again however it MUST be protected so I don't find myself back in the same place 4 years from now... Can anyone think of a solution for this?

Thanks!

Elliot
 
we have a passarelle (spelling?).
Close. Passerelle.

Google "channel lighting". Rather than being enclosed in a soft plastic (vinyl?) sheath like rope lights, is a hard acrylic (Lexan?) square tube.
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http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/tivoli/product-9959-505135.html

I think you'll have much difficulty getting this curved to match your stage. I have heard of routing a groove, laying in LEDs, then filling with a clear epoxy of some sort, but not sure how to accomplish, and quite a project should it ever need repair. Perhaps just some good quality LED rope light would suffice. Are you willing able to lay it in a 3/8"x3/8" or 1/2"x1/2" groove for protection?
 
Edge Lyte is a good product - LEDs in a black strip that gets set an a routed groove, directional (can't see even from balcony but performers can see fine. Many options and dmx driver. There's a new similar product, I can look up name next week. Both withstand a piano rolling over them.

You could set your tope light into a routed groove but saw one where they nailed a pc if 1/2" quarter round and set rope behind. Looked good.

Lots of options.
 
Cutting a groove is going to be difficult with the design on the Passerelle... I do like the idea of using the quarter round, however I'm thinking about possibly using 3/4 instead. Just to be sure no weight can be put on the rope lights... Possibly thinking about a piece on either side of the rope light instead of cutting a groove. I'm gonna keep exploring this thought...
 
I of course don't know the materials or conditions but routing a groove or slot in wood is pretty easy. As far as size, I think for feet one side jst the heigth of the tube would be plenty. It will take a bump or little squeeze I'm sure, just not crushing. I think the smaller it is the less noticeable, and one side makes it very visible to performers (I assume this is a warning for performaners).
 
I've used small aluminum angle for light masking. It would be far more durable than wood. Perhaps some of each?
 
We use EL Wire on Broadway pretty often when we need to completely outline an area - all of the landing platforms on Spiderman were done with this IIRC. Very low-profile and long lasting. It's also pretty common to just see colored single LEDs recessed into the deck at 2' intervals, color coded for the distance off center - which serves double duty as dance numbers. This may be overkill for your productions or more work than its worth, but I wanted to throw it out there.
 

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