Design Rosco or Apollo?

[carsonld]

So two questions here:

I currently use Apollo gobos and Rosco gels. We had bought the gobo toolkit from Apollo about a year ago and use all the gobos in it constantly along with many other gobos from them and I think we have thrown away three, and it was because they burned. My point is that in my experience Apollo gobos have lasted a lot longer than the gobos I bought from Rosco. There are a couple of gobos we still have from Rosco that are burnt a little that we keep because Apollo does not sell anything like it.

Then my Rosco gels I feel like my skin tone gels I am placing in my 8' fresnels I am always having to replace, I usually have R02 or R05 in them and I have to get new ones for every show. With my red, green, and blue gels we use in our Altman Cyc lights I usually have to replace those around every six months, give or take.

So which company have y'all had the best results with? Should I switch my gels to Apollo? Would they last longer?

Then my second question, what is your favorite gobo, whatever company for just a general breakup for a scene or to have on hand?

 

[derekleffew]

...So which company have y'all had the best results with? Should I switch my gels to Apollo? Would they last longer?

In my experience, no one gel company has an edge on longevity, other than the Lee Filters High Temperature (HT) line. Why not try the ApolloGel equivalent to R02 (AP7050) and R05 (AP7900) and let us know your results?

...Then my second question, what is your favorite gobo, whatever company for just a general breakup for a scene or to have on hand?

http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/picking-out-gobos.6356

 

[SteveB]

I've no preference for either gel, it's all designer choice in most cases. Nor have I found that anybody's holds up better then any other.

My most widely used gobo is Rosco 77805 - Medium Leaf Breakup. I'm certain that Apollo makes an equivalent. I've used Rosco, GAM and Apollo steel gobo's and they all have about the same longevity. I use them in S4's, whose gobo slot provides enough clearance that complex images don't typically get the detail edges caught. This was a huge problem with my Shakepeares, whose gobo slot had zero tolerance for gobo's and would mangle steel gobo's on a regular basis.

 

[gafftaper]

In my experience the life of Gel has far more to do with the optics of the individual fixture than a particular brand. Rosco, Apollo, and Lee all make great products and all do about the same.

That said, for years now, I've been shifting my business to Apollo as much as I can. They have been strong supporters of Controlbooth for a long time. Over the years, I've met a lot of their staff at trade shows and they are the kind of people that you want to support. @Kelite has become a great cyber-buddy of mine over the years. Joel, Keersten, Jeff, David, Christen... they are all just awesome people you want to get to know better and hang out with. It's American small business success at it's best. Heck, they named the company after their favorite horse! They always make me feel welcome and important and as a result are the kind of people I want to give my business too. Rosco on the other hand always feels big and impersonal and has never made me feel like anything more than a nameless sales target for a few more dollars.

If nothing else, buy Apollo because they have faithfully supported CB for many years.

 

[techieman33]

We have Rosco, Lee, and Gam gel because that's what shows up on riders. If your not a road house then buy whatever you like the color of.

 

[carsonld]

My most widely used gobo is Rosco 77805 - Medium Leaf Breakup. I'm certain that Apollo makes an equivalent. I've used Rosco, GAM and Apollo steel gobo's and they all have about the same longevity. I use them in S4's, whose gobo slot provides enough clearance that complex images don't typically get the detail edges caught. This was a huge problem with my Shakepeares, whose gobo slot had zero tolerance for gobo's and would mangle steel gobo's on a regular basis.

Apollo does make a very similar gobo, I have about 17 of them and use those for my general break up. I too have had that problem, not with Shakepeares but other Altman ellipsoidal, they destroy the gobo.

In my experience the life of Gel has far more to do with the optics of the individual fixture than a particular brand. Rosco, Apollo, and Lee all make great products and all do about the same.

That said, for years now, I've been shifting my business to Apollo as much as I can. They have been strong supporters of Controlbooth for a long time. Over the years, I've met a lot of their staff at trade shows and they are the kind of people that you want to support. @Kelite has become a great cyber-buddy of mine over the years. Joel, Keersten, Jeff, David, Christen... they are all just awesome people you want to get to know better and hang out with. It's American small business success at it's best. Heck, they named the company after their favorite horse! They always make me feel welcome and important and as a result are the kind of people I want to give my business too. Rosco on the other hand always feels big and impersonal and has never made me feel like anything more than a nameless sales target for a few more dollars.

If nothing else, buy Apollo because they have faithfully supported CB for many years.

I do feel the same way with Apollo, I love seeing there staff apart of this online community, It shows that they are here to help and not to just make a profit of you. I also enjoy the gum I get from them when I order for Production Advantage!!

We have Rosco, Lee, and Gam gel because that's what shows up on riders. If your not a road house then buy whatever you like the color of.

We do not have other companies come in and use our center. But I can see why you would keep all companies!

 

[gafftaper]

I do feel the same way with Apollo, I love seeing there staff apart of this online community, It shows that they are here to help and not to just make a profit of you. I also enjoy the gum I get from them when I order for Production Advantage!!

I believe I was once told that the Apollo gum is sent regularly to all of their dealers with shipments, some choose to share it with their customers while others keep it for themselves. If you don't get some Apollo gum with your order you might want to reconsider where you shop... or just ask your dealer for a little gum next time you order Apollo.

We have Rosco, Lee, and Gam gel because that's what shows up on riders. If your not a road house then buy whatever you like the color of.

That's a really important point. Many designers are very picky and you need to buy what the rider calls for. However when it's up to you, buy what you want.

 

[Scenemaster60]

My experience is somewhat limited, but in terms of gobos, Apollo gobos hold up to the heat of the old-fashioned Altman 360Q better than any of the GAM or Rosco products. Working with a largely Altman inventory I will ALWAYS choose an APOLLO gobo over a Rosco or GAM if I have the option.

 

[Kelite]

I'll pass the kind words to the elves living in the tree at Apollo, cooking up all flavors of gel and gobos.
As has been mentioned, deep dyeing and double-coating are two different processes for adding color to polyester- each with it's own strengths and weaknesses. This comparison reminds me of the Ford vs Chevy banter and I'll quietly pass on this portion of the thread.

Steel gobo composition is another story, however.
Apollo uses stainless steel with a higher nickel and chromium content than R or G for longer life. The product takes longer to cut and is more expensive than the softer alloys, but high quality has been the goal since 1992. Steel thickness also plays a large part in gobo longevity. Apollo steel is .008 inches thick as compared to .005 and .006 thick from R & G.

(* For those mythbusters out there- check your stash of steel gobos and see which are magnetic. High carbon steel gobos will rust and are magnetic...)

 

[kicknargel]

In terms of favorite gobo - GAM 643 Moonscape. Seems GAM gobos are getting a little harder to find. I like the organic-ness, the sharpness of the corners, and the general open-to-closed ratio.

 

[Wood4321]

I'll pass the kind words to the elves living in the tree at Apollo, cooking up all flavors of gel and gobos.
As has been mentioned, deep dyeing and double-coating are two different processes for adding color to polyester- each with it's own strengths and weaknesses. This comparison reminds me of the Ford vs Chevy banter and I'll quietly pass on this portion of the thread.

Steel gobo composition is another story, however.
Apollo uses stainless steel with a higher nickel and chromium content than R or G for longer life. The product takes longer to cut and is more expensive than the softer alloys, but high quality has been the goal since 1992. Steel thickness also plays a large part in gobo longevity. Apollo steel is .008 inches thick as compared to .005 and .006 thick from R & G.

(* For those mythbusters out there- check your stash of steel gobos and see which are magnetic. High carbon steel gobos will rust and are magnetic...)

Keith,
Just in case anyone wasn't sure, Apollo gobos are far superior to any from Gam or Rosco.
I have tons of customs and stock patterns that spent years in Studio Spot 575, that are still flat enough to be razor sharp. And that includes many with very small bridging.
I always ask my designers to specify apollo gobos whenever possible.

 

[gafftaper]

One other cool thing about Apollo: There used to be a lot of nasty chemicals used to etch gobos, dangerous for the employees and the environment. Quite a while ago (5+ years?) Apollo stopped etching and purchased a fancy laser to cut them. The laser means more precision, higher quality gobos, and no nasty chemicals... and I think results in the thicker steel. Greener gobos are good for everyone.