Protecting lights from splatter zone?

[ecb24]

So I'm working on a production that will be having a lot of blood and exploding heads and what not. There is a designated splatter zone in the audience. I need some way to protect conventional lights from all of this. We also don't have lots of money and only a few weeks before opening. I was just wondering if anyone had an idea that would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[Footer]

I wouldn't worry about it. Each night take a damp towel and wipe them down. At the end of the show do a good cleaning. What is the fake blood being used? I assume if you are alright getting it on the audience it should not be flammable or able to stain. You could get a moving light dome for each light but that would cost you a few hundred per fixture... and they are not designed to deal with the heat of a conventional fixture.

 

[JChenault]

+1for the wipe down concept.

I saw a very bloody production of ( as I remember ) Titus in Washington DC. After the show they had a crew to clean the stage and scenery. Seems like that would work for you as well.

 

[BobHealey]

I'm going to have this same challenge in a few months for Evil Dead the Musical. 12' grid. I wonder how liquids and 360Qs mix... Biggest fear is the glass shattering.

 

[TheaterEd]

I'm going to have this same challenge in a few months for Evil Dead the Musical. 12' grid. I wonder how liquids and 360Qs mix... Biggest fear is the glass shattering.

Affix a clear gel over it?

 

[Les]

Finally a good use for Rosco 00!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[danhr]

I'm going to have this same challenge in a few months for Evil Dead the Musical. 12' grid. I wonder how liquids and 360Qs mix... Biggest fear is the glass shattering.

Ditto on Evil Dead here this fall. I've been worrying about the low-level spatter and hadn't given much thought to the grid. (12' here as well) Hmmmm.......

 

[Dionysus]

We've had Evil Dead The Musical in one of the spaces I work at twice now. Never really had too much of a problem, just a LOT of cleaning afterwards.... Actually I just cleaned more of it up this morning. We were much more concerned with other things like soft goods (which we got the heck out of the room ASAP), and seating risers (though our grid height is over 15'). Some of the "Blood" did get up to the Grid (Hudson sprayers full of fake blood, who would anticipate that?), we simply made a note to clean it up.
Now this depends a lot of the blood used.
The first time around they used a water based Tempra Paint powder in lots of water. Cleaned up with water for the most part, some mild cleaner for worse spots.
The second time a similar liquid water based paint mixed down with lots of water. This also cleaned up fairly well, but whatever the binder used in this version was did not react well when painted over after a perhaps not through enough cleanup. The next renter wanted a WHITE stage, so after apparently 5 coats of white tough prime, after a day some red came up through. Good thing our PM convinced them to let us scumble the floor, not use a pure white.

The Moral? Whatever blood is used TRY IT FIRST!!! Let it dry for a day and try and clean it up. Try and paint over the cleaned up spot. This way you are set. PLAN on a lot of cleanup.

I'd also have to agree, just make sure there is a gel of some sort in your lights, even if you have to buy some R00 for O/W fixtures. If blood can be directed away from lights, make sure it is. Otherwise just plan on a lot of cleanup!

 

[danhr]

Excellent advice! We have dealt with stage blood in the past but this will be the first in projectile form. Thanks!

 

[len]

After 3 months with ICP this should be a cake walk. Clean everything you can after every show. Budget for cleaning supplies, then triple it. And expect to take everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) down and clean it after the run.

 

[Dionysus]

Exactly, EVERYTING will be need to be cleaned. Even things you cover to protect.

We used our brand new seating risers and told the producing company they had to keep them clean, so they were covered in poly. There are still red spots on some of them after being "steam cleaned". The Walls, catwalks, lights, electrics, floor, floor pockets, risers, all needed to be cleaned at least a little. We made them use different chairs for in and around the splatter zone that were taken outside and pressure washed after the run.
ALL drapes were "evacuated" before they loaded-in their set. Additional masonite was put down in areas to help with cleanup (which I feel did little to nothing).

I really can't emphasize the need to budget for lots and lots of cleaning.

Don't let people take off at night after a run without doing ANY and all cleaning you can do. Yes it will be splattered again tomorrow, but it will be MUCH harder to clean up after it has layers of blood.

Even some of the seating risers near the BACK had fake blood under them somehow.

That said, the show was GREAT, a lot of fun. Got lots of people into the theatre who would usually never come, and was a BLAST to work on. The show basically sold out the whole run, both times they did it in our space (not quite 2 years apart). Seats were ADDED to expand the house to allow for rush seats. They would of been able to sell another whole week I am sure.