# Setting Trim Height



## willbb123 (Nov 27, 2008)

Ok this seems like a question that should be here but I have searched and can not find an answer.
How do you set the trim heights for electrics?
If there is a tall set, I'll take the electrics out so I can hit everything.
But if there is no set or drops what is a good trim height? I have 3 electrics, all Source fours and mainly 19 or 26 degrees on the stage.


----------



## ericnush (Nov 27, 2008)

****Post Deleted****


----------



## rochem (Nov 27, 2008)

For the majority of shows in my theatre, we want to make the trims as high as possible since the proscenium opening isn't very tall. So I will generally trim each border as high as it can go without exposing the battens holding the legs, then continue like that going upstage. Then I have someone sit in a sightline seat and take the electrics out just enough to be out of view of the audience. However, I have done shows where the group wanted a more intimate small space, so I lowered the borders incrementally to give an impression of depth and to make the upper limit of the portal lower. Then I would again trim my electrics to just out of sight behind the masking.

I generally don't set exact trim heights before focus, I just get a general idea of what the trim will probably be and choose instruments accordingly. However, when I do need to specify it in advance, it's the same thing except on paper. Just draw a section view including your sightline seats, and draw lines from head level to determine at which point the audience won't be able to see the pipes.


----------



## Grog12 (Nov 27, 2008)

Set your masking before your trim heights. Most upstage border masks the top of the cyc as thats what you want to see the most of. Continue working DS masking the pipe of the previous border. Electrics are trimmed so they're masked by the borders.


----------



## venuetech (Nov 28, 2008)

My cyc lighting trim is determined by the shadow of the traveler track just up stage of it.
with the cyc lights on I set the pipe to cast the highest shadow, then set the border to mask. after that i do as Grog12 does.


----------



## icewolf08 (Nov 28, 2008)

As I am sure it has been mentioned, we set our trims heights based on masking. We set all the borders and portal (if applicable) to the scenic section and then set the electrics trims so that they are out of critical sightlines. This is usually what the designer has planned on. Sometimes, for some shows we trim electrics in sightlines in which case we set the trims based on the lighting section.


----------

