Solution for "search lights"?

[Chippy]

Hey y'all!

I'm a Junior undergrad student, and am designing a show in a black box theatre that requires the use of many practicals, including search lights or spot lights.
I'm trying to find a good solution for these lights without having to result to moving lights or reflectors, as they are too expensive for my small budget.
I am also less inclined to include follow spots as well, however, I am not rejecting the idea entirely.

Does anyone have a good way to emulate search lights in a small theatre setting?

Thank you all in advance!

 

[DJJonathan]

There are many inexpensive DMX 512 intelligent fixtures to complete your task. Even a good used set or singles from classified ads.

 

[soundlight]

I'd get some oscillating bases and put some VNSP PARs on them. I know we have some old Clay Paky ones laying around our shop so you may be able to find some of them used, but here's a link to a new one. The key thing here is that you can't really give it a position to go to - but it will scan back and forth as long as it's on. It's not continuous rotation, it's a small range of pan back and forth.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

*blows dust off the tome of disco lighting effects*

Does anyone make a PAR 36 scanner anymore? I guess a regular PAR 36 pin spot on that oscillating unit posted would work just as well.

 

[len]

If it's a small space, maybe you could use a 3Million candlepower flashlight. They're battery powered and a/c rechargeable. I used to have one and it was really bright. I think I paid like $20 for one.

 

[JChenault]

The key thing here is movement.

A low tech solution is to take an appropriate PAR can, mount it in such a way that you can rotate it on the pan axis, attach a couple of chords, and manually move it from off stage

This works if will be happy with only one axis of movement.

The last time I did this was for Miss Saigon for the helicopter. I mounted the par on a plywood base, mounted furniture glides on the bottom, attached it to plywood base plate with a center bolt and used line to wiggle the unit ( after I had attached the appropriate safeties of course )

 

[StNic54]

You can take a "beam projector" fixture as it will be a tight beam, or an iris in any leko. A little haze in the air, and it'll be effective. Spotlights will work well, too.