# Stained glass window



## mbandgeek (Oct 9, 2007)

My HS is putting on the production of Nunsense. We need a stained glass effect.

we have no budget, but we have some gels.

I was wondering if we could make our own multicolored gel using strips of various gels?
How would i go about keeping these gels contained using a standard color frame?
Or, Would a Temporary cardboard/Duct Tape apparatus work?

Thanks,
Kevin Northrup


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## Footer (Oct 9, 2007)

are you looking to make a stained glass windows with gel or are you trying to make the appearance of light coming through stained glass? I am going to to got the 2nd one right now... Get some scotch tape, chop up your gel, and tape it together using the tape. This however will not give you the cleanest lines that you would expect. To pull this off correctly, a glass gobo is about the only way to go. Play with it a bit, and don't use any duct tape. You will as have to play with the focus of the light a bit to get anything resembling separate colors.


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## BrentSmith (Oct 9, 2007)

Just about the only way to to _project_ a stained glass image is to have your pattern and colors in the gobo slot where the light is designed to be focused. That would mean colored glass and expensive. Multi color gels rarely work with more than two or _maybe_ three colors. Any more and you'll just get mush. I have seen it work pretty well to build the actual window with gels and gaff tape. Back it with something frosted then hit that from the back with light. 
Good luck, Brent


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## mbandgeek (Oct 9, 2007)

Footer4321 said:


> are you looking to make a stained glass windows with gel or are you trying to make the appearance of light coming through stained glass? I am going to to got the 2nd one right now... Get some scotch tape, chop up your gel, and tape it together using the tape. This however will not give you the cleanest lines that you would expect. To pull this off correctly, a glass gobo is about the only way to go. Play with it a bit, and don't use any duct tape. You will as have to play with the focus of the light a bit to get anything resembling separate colors.



I am trying to give the apperance of light coming through a stained glass window. I will also be attempting to make a gobo, which i have found helpful links on doing that.


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## gafftaper (Oct 9, 2007)

Yeah what you need is something like a Rosco Colorizer (Apollo makes them too... don't remember what they call them... sorry Keith) placed in the accessory slot with the gobo. This allows you to actually focus on the pieces of color or put them slightly out of focus... which is perfect. They will cost you around $50. If you put multi color gel in the gel frame you can never focus on it and the colors will blend far more than the effect you really want but it's probably the only option you have. I would only do like Red, Orange, and Blue and I would try just using three large strips together. My guess is that if you get the pieces really small they will blend too much. 

Another option... Home Depot makes these plastic stickers that can be applied to a piece of glass or plastic to make them look like stained glass. They are not very expensive. You could make a stained glass window and shine light through it. 

If you do end up taping gel together. I recommend you go to the store and get some of the scotch tape that I think is called "transparent tape"... it looks like clear plastic on the roll with a hint of yellow to it. Don't use the "invisible tape" kind that looks sort of white and papery but turns clear on paper. You want the kind that looks and feels very plastic-y. It's not as popular and these days and it might me a little harder to find but they will have it. I've tried both types and feel that the this type of tape is easier to work with and holds better. 

There have been several threads on do it yourself gobos. You know it's only about $15 for a gobo and it'll look *much *better than what you can make at home. But if you have to do it yourself. Get an Exacto knife and a cheap pie pan, pizza pan, or anything from the dollar store/2nd hand store designed to go in the oven that you think you can cut with that knife. Go VERY slow for best results.


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## BillESC (Oct 9, 2007)

You could use this gobo and employ the multi colored gel idea in your gel frame.


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## gafftaper (Oct 9, 2007)

I know you don't have much money but buying a nice gobo and using the cheap multi-color gel will get you the most bang for your buck and still look good. You can't possibly cut anything that nice yourself. You can do the outline and maybe a little frame but that's about all you'll probably be able to do. If you e-mail Bill I bet he'll get one of those in your mailbox for about $15. 

How much is an hour or two of frustration trying to cut a gobo yourself that will never look that good worth?


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## JD (Oct 9, 2007)

Depending on; 1)how much time you have, 2)if you know any 35mm buffs, and 3)how much light you will be working against, there is always the possibility of using an old slide projector. Not sure who develops film anymore. Again, knowing a film buff would help. I would assume the scene would be in subdued light. 

Of course you could always just take apart an old slide and grab some floor cuttings of Roscolux, put them in and glue it back together! 

Have Fun!


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## Logos (Oct 9, 2007)

I've lit Nunsense and Nuncrackers and I did what Bill suggested. I put a church window gobo in the lantern and made up a multicoloured gel using what we in Aus call invisible tape. It sort of sound like what Gafftaper was talking about but our version sounds a bit more plastic. I created a square of colour made up of six triangles coming to a point in the geometric centre of the square. It gave a window shape with sort of formless colour on the floor of the stage.


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## SerraAva (Oct 9, 2007)

Just finished a show of Footloose not to long ago with stained glass windows for the church, looked really cool. I used Apollo's Crushed Dichroics http://www.internetapollo.com/Products/ProductLineMemberView.aspx?pl_id=1 for the color. You could use pieces of gel instead of strips, just don't know how well it will hold up. As you can see from the pictures, they have a bit of white in them, so you can have a bit of white light in yours to get the same effect.


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## Footer (Oct 10, 2007)

SerraAva said:


> Just finished a show of Footloose not to long ago with stained glass windows for the church, looked really cool. I used Apollo's Crushed Dichroics http://www.internetapollo.com/Products/ProductLineMemberView.aspx?pl_id=1 for the color. You could use pieces of gel instead of strips, just don't know how well it will hold up. As you can see from the pictures, they have a bit of white in them, so you can have a bit of white light in yours to get the same effect.



on that note... I have always wanted to eat crushed dicroics, they sound like a very good desert or a great drink, not sure which.

Another way to go with this... I think the building a fake window offstage and shooting through it will be the way to go on the cheep however.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 10, 2007)

Footer4321 said:


> on that note... I have always wanted to eat crushed dicroics, they sound like a very good desert or a great drink, not sure which.
> Another way to go with this... I think the building a fake window offstage and shooting through it will be the way to go on the cheep however.



yum, crushed glass....

Building a fake window could end up costing as much if not more as just buying a crushed dichroic or other glass gobo. It isn't hard to spend $50 on building materials, and then you have to think about the time it takes tu build. That $50 may be better invested in the gobo which can be re used many times.


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## Kelite (Oct 10, 2007)

SerraAva said:


> Just finished a show of Footloose not to long ago with stained glass windows for the church, looked really cool. I used Apollo's Crushed Dichroics http://www.internetapollo.com/Products/ProductLineMemberView.aspx?pl_id=1 for the color. You could use pieces of gel instead of strips, just don't know how well it will hold up. As you can see from the pictures, they have a bit of white in them, so you can have a bit of white light in yours to get the same effect.





I'm glad the Crushed Dichroic worked well for you SerraAva- they are very handy for stained glass window effects. 

Bear in mind that as you design effects for future shows, the Crushed Dichroics lend themselves well for fire, water, foliage, and other effects in which gel may fall short. Having a few in your kit adds a 'tool to the toolbox' that may allow you a little more freedom in your designing. 

Apollo also produces specific colored Crushed Dichroics depending upon the needs of the user. Worth mentioning-


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## SerraAva (Oct 10, 2007)

Agree with you completely Kelite. I am actually picking up a few more (Water) from my local Apollo dealer as we speak. Using them for a water effect in Pinocchio. The director loved the effect when she saw it in Footloose.

I agree with the fact that it would probably be better to buy the gobo/s then build a window/s for the effect. The glass gobos just aren't limited to window effects like Kelite said. Having them can make great effects, even in just stage washes for more color break up. 

Lastly, Kelite, does Apollo make candy Dichroics? They do sound tasty.


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## gafftaper (Oct 10, 2007)

No Apollo candy dichroics but they do have these cute little packs of Apollo gum! 

The Apollo Crushed Dichroics/Rosco Colorizers are great products. The colors are great, they last forever, I've only owned a few of them in the past but plan on purchasing several for the new theater. I love them for doing color with leaf gobo patterns and you can also do a great fire effect with them and a couple other items see the "recipes" on the manufacturers websites for ideas. The Apollo version of this product has larger individual pieces of crushed dichroic than the than the Rosco version does (Rosco has their crusher set on extra fine). Apollo has a wider variety of color combinations while Rosco has focused more on providing different styles of the same color combinations. Both products are great, it's just a matter of style choice to be aware of so be sure to take a look at both manufacturers as the products are quite different.

Personally I like my crushed Dichroics sprinkled on toast with peanut butter.


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## Kelite (Oct 10, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> The Apollo version of this product has larger individual pieces of crushed dichroic than the than the Rosco version does (Rosco has their crusher set on extra fine).QUOTE]
> 
> Actually, the way these two products are made is quite a bit like baking in the kitchen. The Apollo Crushed Dichroic is made from a specific percentage of several colors as outlined in the 'Recipe Book' in the glass dept. The individual pieces are placed- by hand- onto each clear borosilicate base gobo. Well, actually- by tweezers, but that goes without saying. Each piece within the product line will match closely to those purchased years before. When you consider how many thousands of these we send to OEM moving light manufacturers, the effort involved is staggering.
> The Rosco product is a mixture of crushed up pieces with an adhesive (glue) and placed upon the base glass. It's similar to the way my mom made Bisquick biscuits as a kid. Grab a spoon and plop a glob onto the greased pan, then baked until done. Due to the added glass/glue thickness, as well as added refraction of the mix- there will be a little less light output than a similar lighting fixture with a Crushed Dichroic.
> ...


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## gafftaper (Oct 13, 2007)

Just another thought. Get in touch with your local college or community theaters. Somebody's got to have a dichroic sitting around they would loan you. As long as you don't just drop it and break it, the things last forever so it's not like you are shortening their life. I know I would loan you one if you were a nearby school and promised to buy me a new one if you did happen to break it. 

Too many high schools are out there trying to do it alone when there are resources available to them through professional theaters, community theaters, universities, colleges, and even other high schools. Make some phone calls, you might be surprised what you can get for free or just a low pull fee.


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## David Ashton (Oct 14, 2007)

If you can obtain a Selecon Pacific 600 watt profile you can simply photograph a window and print it on a transparency, place it in the gobo slot and there you are.And if you have no budget then a transparency on an overhead projector would work and overhead projectors will function on dimmers.All schools have these.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 14, 2007)

allthingstheatre said:


> If you can obtain a Selecon Pacific 600 watt profile you can simply photograph a window and print it on a transparency, place it in the gobo slot and there you are.And if you have no budget then a transparency on an overhead projector would work and overhead projectors will function on dimmers.All schools have these.



The overhead projector idea is very creative and interesting. I like it. Low tech and every school has them. You can even focus them


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## Pie4Weebl (Oct 14, 2007)

icewolf08 said:


> The overhead projector idea is very creative and interesting. I like it. Low tech and every school has them. You can even focus them


but I think just about any other light on stage would wash it out.


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## soundlight (Oct 14, 2007)

If your school has an old, high-power 35mm slide projector, that'd work.


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## gafftaper (Oct 14, 2007)

What about a still image on a video projector. Again it'll have a hard time showing against a full stage wash, but these days just about ever school has at least one.


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## mbandgeek (Oct 14, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> What about a still image on a video projector. Again it'll have a hard time showing against a full stage wash, but these days just about ever school has at least one.




I like that idea except for the fact that i want the stained glass to be brighter than a projector could give, and i also need an angle from the FOH and our projector is stationary in the booth. I think that i am going to have to make a gobo. Or contact the local theater.


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