# Today in Lighting 101



## Lotos (Dec 7, 2009)

Why "Quality Street" wrappers and Scotch Tape do not a Gel substitute make.


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## gafftapegreenia (Dec 7, 2009)

lolwat????


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## dcollins (Dec 7, 2009)

Seriously? I really don't think...I didn't need to hear that...that's impossible...no one is that clueless...even my actors wouldn't use colored wrappers and SCOTCH TAPE on a light...


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## shiben (Dec 8, 2009)

Or they might for maybe 10 seconds until it burns out in seconds, or the ME, TD, LD, and anyone else in the area begins to throw things in their general direction. Might I ask why? Gel is really not that expensive, I have quite a bit of my own, and dont really consider it a huge expense. Also, photos, perhaps?


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## Lotos (Dec 8, 2009)

Oh, it didn't make it anywhere NEAR a lighting fixture. She handed it too me, and I almost died.

But yes folks, directors who fancy themselves 'artsy' *can* be that clueless...

"Can you use this? I want the light this colour."



Pictures if I can dig it out of the garbage in my office.


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## shiben (Dec 9, 2009)

Actually, it sounds like a perfect opportunity to teach artsy people about their color palate. "Look, so you like this color, here is a Rosco swatchbook, can you find which one matches?". They might discover a lot about filters, how the color of the filter might defy your ability to figure it out by looking at it. Those peskey scientists, fiddling with color curves and transmission.


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## masterelectrician2112 (Dec 10, 2009)

shiben said:


> Actually, it sounds like a perfect opportunity to teach artsy people about their color palate. "Look, so you like this color, here is a Rosco swatchbook, can you find which one matches?".


 
I second that! Wow...how long do you think that 
would have lasted in a S4?


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## wfor (Dec 10, 2009)

masterelectrician2112 said:


> I second that! Wow...how long do you think that
> would have lasted in a S4?



Or a Pacifica! Anyone ever tried the whole plastic gobo deal? Never seen one before.


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## Anvilx (Dec 11, 2009)

Reminds me of when I was maybe 5-7 years old, I remember that I tried to make what I know now as a gel. Except I made it out of wax paper and crayon over a clip reading light. Needless to say it didn't work at all. No it wasn't the heat and the wax, it was that the crayon just doesn't pass light very well.


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## philhaney (Dec 11, 2009)

Anvilx said:


> Reminds me of when I was maybe 5-7 years old, I remember that I tried to make what I know now as a gel. Except I made it out of wax paper and crayon over a clip reading light. Needless to say it didn't work at all. No it wasn't the heat and the wax, it was that the crayon just doesn't pass light very well.



My favorite is when someone overlays a red and a blue gel because they want purple...


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## kiwitechgirl (Dec 11, 2009)

wfor said:


> Or a Pacifica! Anyone ever tried the whole plastic gobo deal? Never seen one before.



Would have lasted longer in a Pacific than it would in any other fixture, I suspect....certainly an acetate gobo can last a 4-week season without any issues provided it's a 600w unit not run at more than about 80% (although I usually burn through about four while I get the peaking right....)


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## photoatdv (Dec 11, 2009)

Hehe... shall I admit I've actually done that? However... it was on a one-off that I couldn't get more gel in time and the pile of nicely cut purple gel from a couple of weeks before was no where to be found. Didn't pass a ton of light, but served it's purpose (of total flash and trash) just fine.


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## mstaylor (Dec 12, 2009)

I had a director in dinner theatre years ago that was also a graphic artist. When it came time to discuss gel colors, he was a control freak, he kept trying to mix colors like it was on paper. I tried to explain that lighting didn't work that way and to tell me what he wanted and I would make it work. Needless to say we ordered a bunch of worthless gel. What I negleted to tell him was I ordered what I really needed and had it ready to go.


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## shiben (Dec 12, 2009)

mstaylor said:


> I had a director in dinner theatre years ago that was also a graphic artist. When it came time to discuss gel colors, he was a control freak, he kept trying to mix colors like it was on paper. I tried to explain that lighting didn't work that way and to tell me what he wanted and I would make it work. Needless to say we ordered a bunch of worthless gel. What I negleted to tell him was I ordered what I really needed and had it ready to go.



Sounds like a great way to stock up on rarely used but low running gel colors.


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## mstaylor (Dec 12, 2009)

He was just so arogant about knowing color and how it mixed and just wouldn't listen. It was kind of sarifying to see him be completely wrong. I did let him sweat a little before I came up with my stash.


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## shiben (Dec 12, 2009)

Yeah, people forget that when you mix with light its not like mixing with Photoshop. Good on the last minute save too. Makes you look extra good when you whip something out at the last second to save the show.


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## tjrobb (Dec 13, 2009)

Slightly o/t, but something I enjoy is watching the color change in a fixture as it fades up or down. OK, so maybe I have too long between my cues, but it helps me learn what amber shift can do to a gel.


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