When working with conventionals, "drop color" means to insert it, i.e. "We'll drop color tomorrow after the hang, but before focus."
With followspots, "drop your color" means to go to "open white," (ignoring anything taped to the front).
This arose recently when a Lighting Director told a Followspot Operator to "Drop frame 4." Operator replied "Frame 4 isn't in." Confusion ensued. LD meant "Add frame 4."
Does anyone else find this peculiar, or is it just me?
On most followspots, the color frames "not in" the beam are kept down by gravity, and raised UP into the beam. Strong Gladiators, carbon-arc Supers, and Lycian 129x (others?) are the opposite, held up above the beam with springs, and lowered down into the beam. The show in question had a mix of xenon Glads and Supers, but the LD was talking to a Super Trouper operator at the time. Besides, the LD shouldn't/needn't change his vernacular depending on the exact model of the spotlight. But now that I think about it, "bone back" always makes the light dimmer (less bright), except on the Super Trouper II where the reverse is true. Never quite understood that one; another reason not to like STII s.
As long as I'm spouting absolutes, Frame 1 is always closest to the operator/lamp, frame 6 the farthest away. Anyone who thinks differently deserves to be slapped.
One thinks about these things while sitting on a followspot with little to do for 12-16 hours a day several days in a row.
With followspots, "drop your color" means to go to "open white," (ignoring anything taped to the front).
This arose recently when a Lighting Director told a Followspot Operator to "Drop frame 4." Operator replied "Frame 4 isn't in." Confusion ensued. LD meant "Add frame 4."
Does anyone else find this peculiar, or is it just me?
On most followspots, the color frames "not in" the beam are kept down by gravity, and raised UP into the beam. Strong Gladiators, carbon-arc Supers, and Lycian 129x (others?) are the opposite, held up above the beam with springs, and lowered down into the beam. The show in question had a mix of xenon Glads and Supers, but the LD was talking to a Super Trouper operator at the time. Besides, the LD shouldn't/needn't change his vernacular depending on the exact model of the spotlight. But now that I think about it, "bone back" always makes the light dimmer (less bright), except on the Super Trouper II where the reverse is true. Never quite understood that one; another reason not to like STII s.
As long as I'm spouting absolutes, Frame 1 is always closest to the operator/lamp, frame 6 the farthest away. Anyone who thinks differently deserves to be slapped.
One thinks about these things while sitting on a followspot with little to do for 12-16 hours a day several days in a row.