Tree Gobo - URGENT!

[lighttechie5948]

Hi everyone,


I am designing a production of Beauty and the Beast that opens in two weeks. For the opening of act 2 there is a wolf chase scene. They are going to have the scrim in and the wolf chase is going to take place behind the scrim. I want to light the front of the scrim with tree gobos, but leave room in the center for the scene behind the scrim. So basically I want trees but a circle in the center.


Similar to the show portal below, but with lights instead.

I want to do this with one S4 70 deg from the FOH, so I'm planning on purchasing a custom gobo from Rosco.


Does any one know how to design a gobo like this or can anyone design it for me?


Thanks,
Joe

 

[shiben]

I think you could probably just draw a picture, and they can make it from there. However, you probably could just make a "custom" gobo from a stock template by cutting a hole of the correct size in the center of a tree gobo you like. That way, you dont need to spend a lot of money, and you can get 4 for the price of 1 custom (last I checked, might be different now).

 

[soundman]

I think your hope of doing this with one light is missplaced. You will have very little intensity and I think you might be happier with 2 @ 36 or 26 degrees depending on the distance. If at all possible.

 

[seanandkate]

+1 for both shiben and soundman's advice. There will be very little intensity with a single light, especially once you add the actual acting lights. You can still use shiben's idea with two or more gobos, just modify which area you are cutting away.

 

[shiben]

As per the above posts, and having thought about this some more, unless your FoH pipe is about 20' from wherever you want to light, its probably going to be way to dim to use a 70* S4. The throw is huge, and that means that the intensity is very low. In our black box, I am usually unhappy with the throw from a 50* fixture with a fairly saturated color in it, because the intensity is so low. If you want to color a 70* at all, its going to be invisible. My plan would be 2 36* with tree gobos, and then a 26* or 19* for the center hole. Best thing to do would be throw up a 70, see if you can even see it with the stage lights, and then add instruments/change barrels as you need.

 

[zuixro]

What if you used a couple of different foliage breakup gobos, and tree gobos in different "tree" colors across the whole scrim. Then did some kind of reveal where you took out the ones lighting the middle section. It would use more instruments, but you would actually be able to see the light.

 

[JChenault]

What color is the scrim? If it is black, you might want to think about the desire to have the center open. If you just put in some standard gobos that made the entire scrim spooky forest, and lit your actors US with side lights, you would get a nice feeling of seeing the wolves through the trees instead of the wolves in a clearing.

Might not be what you are looking for but just a thought.

If the scrim is white, it will be a lot harder to make it disappear to see the actors behind it.

Using a white scrim you might get away with a 70 degree unit - depending on throw, etc. If it is a black scrim I doubt if it will work very well with a single unit - you might want to add a second one.

 

[Nate1714]

I would if possible hang several lights to cover the scrim and then either make a custom gobo (pie tin sort) to create a hole in the pattern or shutter it all off and then try to smooth it out with intesity.

 

[Chris Chapman]

Ditto x2 the thoughts on the single 70 degree from the front. Also remember if you are shooting from the front, the gobo will punch through the scrim and you may have a gobo "doubling" effect if you have a black or something else behind it. (IE You'll see the gobo on the scrim, and then again being cast on whatever is US of it.)

Backlighting the scrim with the gobos might be a better idea because of this.

To have the gobo custom cut, you'll have to supply the phot ready art to any of the gobo manufacturers, but if you are tight on time, it will cost more.

Think bout using some of the more interesting foliage break ups that have actual limbs and leaves in it, and I think you'll get an effect you like.

 

[adude23]

Want me to draw you one up?

What format would you like it in and i assume you want the tree's to be blacked out not the spaces in between?

Also give me your e-mail address via PM if you like and i'll e-mail it to you!

 

[DuckJordan]

adude look at when the last post was i'm betting he either found a fix or a solution to his problem after 3 months not to mention it was marked urgent which meant it was probably needed within 3 weeks of his OP... this is where i would consider this a necro post not worth bringing back unless someone else needs a tree gobo which i'm sure has another thread somewhere.

 

[adude23]

Apologies... was only trying to help... patronisation was not necessary...

 

[DuckJordan]

Typed words are hard to understand tone. in no way was i trying to yell at you i was just stating something sorry for the miss-understanding.