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Author Topic: Gigs you have done for beginners to research  (Read 4730 times)

Jan Andersson

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Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« on: September 30, 2011, 03:14:39 PM »

Dont we always want new ideas how to do things, how to all those expensive fixtures and offcourse what looks good and what doesnt.

i think there is experienced people here that could raise the curtain on how they set up a lightshow (concerning equipment placement,usage etc.) at a venue and what neat tricks they use to make their show look good and want to share with fellow LD's.
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James Feenstra

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2011, 05:31:52 PM »

What would you like to know?

As far as my design and programming, I base it entirely on what I'm lighting and what the client likes.

Obviously I'm going to take a different approach to lighting a metal band than I would with lighting a jazz trio, and something completely different again for a high end corporate gala. It all comes down to the feeling of an event, really.
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Jan Andersson

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2011, 06:01:07 PM »

What would you like to know?

As far as my design and programming, I base it entirely on what I'm lighting and what the client likes.

Obviously I'm going to take a different approach to lighting a metal band than I would with lighting a jazz trio, and something completely different again for a high end corporate gala. It all comes down to the feeling of an event, really.

hmm.. yes seems i wasnt clear enough in my text. i meant to focus completely on the hardware and how to utilize it to its maximum, like what to do with 1k par64 spots or what to do with led floods that makes them look good.
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DanGlass

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2011, 11:03:53 PM »

Just as James pointed out lights are used in different ways depending on the event or show.  A 1K par on a rock show will be used different than on a corporate event.  Unfortunately there just is not a single standard practice that you can use for every show or even most shows.  The only thing that remains the same is that the talent should be well lit and the customer should be smiling.  The way you use a light can also depend on the budget.  if the customer has a small budget you will need to choose lights that can multipurpose but if there is a sizeable budget you have more lights and be more detail oriented.  Jan, I am sorry to say that the only real way to learn it to get your hands dirty and work some shows.  That way you can learn what a fixture can do and more importantly what it cant do.  Some of the best lighting knowledge I got was working on shows and seeing what I didnt like, and figuring out what could have been done different.  There are just to many variables to even try to fake that any one concept will always work.  You can start with some of the "basic principles of lighting" books that have been written.  Sorry, I wish i could give you a better answer.  Half the fun of lighting is figuring this stuff out and the other half is when you get to deposit a check for doing it.
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Jan Andersson

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2011, 05:50:37 AM »

Just as James pointed out lights are used in different ways depending on the event or show.  A 1K par on a rock show will be used different than on a corporate event.  Unfortunately there just is not a single standard practice that you can use for every show or even most shows.  The only thing that remains the same is that the talent should be well lit and the customer should be smiling.  The way you use a light can also depend on the budget.  if the customer has a small budget you will need to choose lights that can multipurpose but if there is a sizeable budget you have more lights and be more detail oriented.  Jan, I am sorry to say that the only real way to learn it to get your hands dirty and work some shows.  That way you can learn what a fixture can do and more importantly what it cant do.  Some of the best lighting knowledge I got was working on shows and seeing what I didnt like, and figuring out what could have been done different.  There are just to many variables to even try to fake that any one concept will always work.  You can start with some of the "basic principles of lighting" books that have been written.  Sorry, I wish i could give you a better answer.  Half the fun of lighting is figuring this stuff out and the other half is when you get to deposit a check for doing it.

Yep that is half of the story yes. around this side of the globe there is just usually no effort being used to even try to make the show look apart from others.. just 2 lines of truss with some lights pointing at the audience and band.

I can start with two ideas that works great with DJ's.

1. Use a ADJ tri phase or a similar led flower and put it on the floor behind the artist pointing at about waist level so that some beams go over the dj's head.

2. You can use the same light or a led matrix flower with some suitable truss screen (thin enough) and put the fixture behind it to work as a rear projection. looks good in different events.
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James Feenstra

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2011, 12:39:55 PM »

well...if there's nothing locally you can check out, the internet is a plethora of resources...

youtube your favorite artists live videos and check out what's being done

as far as really creative trussing structures, you don't really see them outside of relatively high budget shows, even in north america. I'd say at least 80% of the shows I do are two sticks (or more) of truss straight across the stage with some lights pointing at the crowd/band. Sometimes I have a floor package which helps...it's how you use those lights that make the show special.
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duane massey

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2011, 05:01:26 PM »

As a general rule most shows use front lights for illumination and rear lights for effects/eye candy. The most important important piece of hardware is the carbon wing-nut at the controller.
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Duane Massey
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Steven Leonard

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Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2011, 01:59:30 AM »

Dont we always want new ideas how to do things, how to all those expensive fixtures and offcourse what looks good and what doesnt.

i think there is experienced people here that could raise the curtain on how they set up a lightshow (concerning equipment placement,usage etc.) at a venue and what neat tricks they use to make their show look good and want to share with fellow LD's.

Hey Jan! A really good resource for me was "Creative Stage Lighting's" podcasts.

Particularly the ones with Richard Cadena. They are free and you can get them on iTunes!

Kevin Loretto did a great job with these.

Check out "Lighting Design 101": "Part II" and "The Art of Illumination" Lots of good stuff here on Color Theory and plenty of ideas and tricks.

Hope this helps!

Steven
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Gigs you have done for beginners to research
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2011, 01:59:30 AM »


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