Side Lights...I wish...Opinions Welcome

[flybydave]

Hi, this is my first post.

I am volunteering at a local college and they regularly have dance shows in there.

I know that dancers should always be lit from the side but the setup is only very basic with just 1 15amp floor socket either side of the stage and a limited number of spare fixtures at my disposal.....so here is my idea.....

I intend to split each socket and run 2 Selecon LUI 1000 watt cyc lights to the foot of the two foremost soft flats...angled slightly upwards. I think this will be ok but I am unsure of what colour gel to put in each. I was thinking of either a cool blue to help with blue silhouette effects or a medium bastard amber?

Obviously there are overhead LX bars on stage and FOH....I'm just trying to be creative with the side lighting

Any thoughts and/or ideas on this would be of great help.

I am trying desperately to convince them to purchase some upright booms and new fixtures so any thoughts on this would also help.

Many Thanks

Dave

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Well - just a single profile - 36 or 50 degrees (leko, ers, S4, patt - your name of choice) in each wing bolted to the floor or a piece of ply or practically anything would seem the best and most minimal choice but if you can't get 6 or 8 of them, you may have found your best solution. I think the cycs are going to bleed all over and produce unwanted shadows everywhere.

 

[TheaterEd]

If I had to pick one color for dance side lights, it would probably be a pink (like r34 or r 36) or a light purple (r52). In general, the dancers seem to like it when I use those colors. If you can do two colors I would go pink and blue.

 

[sk8rsdad]

I tend to use a CTB like R60 to boost the colour temperature throughout the dimming range. It seems to blend better with the other systems in more ways that the amber-red shift that warmer gels produce. YMMV.

 

[JohnD]

I like Cinemoid 8, ok, so now its R108 or L108. If it was good enough for Tom Skelton, well, enough said. It is actually a great choice since it is an amber with a touch of pink, great for flesh tones.

 

[JLNorthGA]

I was thinking of either a cool blue to help with blue silhouette effects or a medium bastard amber?

Are you a Rosco, Lee or Apollo fan? I'm with agreeing for a pale rose or pinkish hue - say something like Lee 154. If you want a subtler pink - maybe Marlene (Lee 508). I also like Mist Blue (Lee 061).

For the dance recitals at our facility, I have a tendency to light them with bastard amber, pale rose or Marlene, CT blue 203, 202 (I don't use full intensity on these) or a couple of the other blues (depending on what effect they want).

 

[bcronenwett]

I think the cycs are going to bleed all over and produce unwanted shadows everywhere.

I couldn't agree more... Even a form of par or fresnel that you could barn door would be better, in my opinion. As for color I'd suggest something neutral since you only have one color. My suggestion is no color if your stage is big and you plan to run the leg warmers pretty hot. However if you're in an intimate space where the lights wouldn't be 50% or higher... I'd run with a CTB or L201 something to help with the amber you get from dimming.

Hope it helps!

 

[jstandfast]

If you only get to have one system of sidelight,unless you're lighting under classical tutus, deck units (shin-busters) are most likely not what you want. Consider a system of units on stands, about 6'-8' off the deck, focused wing into wing, hot @ C/L or just shy of it. If you're really brave you can let them "slink" together from US > DS( depending on your venue/masking.

 

[kicknargel]

For starters, you can't run 2 @ 1000w fixtures on one 15A floor outlet. (15A x 120v = 1800w, with no headroom). Given the choice, I'd use 3 575w elipsoidals (36 or 50 deg, depending on stage dimensions).

Second, I disagree w/ jstandfast. Shin busters ARE the first side-light angle I'd use. Matter of taste.

Third, for color, or course it depends on tons of factors, including the rest of the color choices, costumes, etc. You going to want to be pretty unsaturated, then choose between slightly pink for skin tones, or slightly cool for costumes/blend with other lights.

 

[derekleffew]

For starters, you can't run 2 @ 1000w fixtures on one 15A floor outlet. (15A x 120v = 1800w, with no headroom). ...

The OP, flybydave, certainly CAN, since he's in the UK and working with a nominal voltage of 230V.
2 x 1000W/230V = 8.7A.

[BTW, as an attempt to alleviate the above confusion is the primary reason we request/demand that members disclose their Location and primary Voltage.]

Back to topic as long as I'm here...
I agree with others that a cyc light fixture is not optimal for this application. My first choice would be a profile spot at eye level from each wing. Failing that, a barn door -able Fresnel or PAR.

I'd probably leave them no color, although light pink, light lav, or booster blue works too. The best thing about low dance sidelight, besides being an angle theatre designers don't often get to use, is being able to change the color manually in between dances to suit the piece.
.

 

[shiben]

Hi, this is my first post.

I am volunteering at a local college and they regularly have dance shows in there.

I know that dancers should always be lit from the side but the setup is only very basic with just 1 15amp floor socket either side of the stage and a limited number of spare fixtures at my disposal.....so here is my idea.....

I intend to split each socket and run 2 Selecon LUI 1000 watt cyc lights to the foot of the two foremost soft flats...angled slightly upwards. I think this will be ok but I am unsure of what colour gel to put in each. I was thinking of either a cool blue to help with blue silhouette effects or a medium bastard amber?

Obviously there are overhead LX bars on stage and FOH....I'm just trying to be creative with the side lighting

Any thoughts and/or ideas on this would be of great help.

I am trying desperately to convince them to purchase some upright booms and new fixtures so any thoughts on this would also help.

Many Thanks

Dave

I notice you mention having LX battens up in the air. How many do you have, and what does the circuiting arrangement look like? You might be able to drop as many circuits as you need from the air to the deck. FWIW, I would probably give up back light or some top lights for side lights... Or better yet, front light. If I could run all my fronts to the deck I probably would. Then you have all those lights to use too. Not sure if its possible, but this would be an option I might explore...

 

[Esoteric]

Color always depends. There is no right answer. My side light preferences are as follows:

Shins - ERS only
Mids/Tops - ERS or barn doored PAR
Pipe downs - ERS or PAR
Pipe ends - PARs

If I can I like to do shins, mids, tops, pipe downs, and pipe ends. But if I have to start cutting, in order I cut pipe downs, mids, tops, pipe ends, shins (although this also depends, but this is a general rule).

 

[JohnD]

Remember the olivette. There is a precedent for using broad wash fixtures for side lighting. Since the OP has limited resources it is always worth a try, especially when being heard mumbling, too bad we don't have the right stuff.