# Followspot color choices



## squigish (Feb 23, 2005)

How have you guys made artistic use of color in followspots? How about frost?

Do you go with more of the traditional, back of the balcony, hard-edged American type followspotting, or the higher-angle, softer European followspoting?


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## SuperCow (Feb 23, 2005)

Our FS's are at the back of the theater. They have amber, blue, red, green, yellow, purple, and diffussion in them, so we can go hard-edged, or we can have then quite subtle, depending.


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## zac850 (Feb 23, 2005)

I have no high angle lighting positions for normal fixtures let alone follow spots. My follow spots are "american type" as you refer to them. In the past I have used white or an amber, but for the upcoming show I plan on putting my own color into it (just as soon as I finish designing the show that is...)


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## lights11964 (Feb 23, 2005)

We almost always use defusion in our spots. we do this so that it is not as noticable or as big as an impact as with a hard edge. if we are doing a concert or something of that sort, ill have fun and use some of the colors in the spot. other wise all we use is defusion


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## zac850 (Feb 23, 2005)

I should add that we do not use diffusion, but our follow spots focus nicely, and if I want a softer beam I just tell the follow spot op to soften the beam and, volia, we have a softer beam.

My schools usual venue is bi-weekly talent shows, and we usually have a hard edge, white spot during that, but for shows we often use the softer edge beam.


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## RonaldBeal (Mar 11, 2005)

Most of my uses of follow spots involve video, and different spots every time. For tours I use a generic color correction package: 1/4 CTO, 1/2 CTO, Full CTO, .3ND, 1/4 minus green, 1/2 minus green. For video one-off's I will tape the CTO's and minus green's to the front of the light as needed and then load the light as follows: frost, 1/4 CTO, 1/4 minus green, light lav, light steel blue, .3ND. 

If there is no video to be concerned with I'll start with light lav, light blue, bastard amber, and 1/2 CTO. The last two colors I choose based on other needs of the script, etc... or if I don't have anything planned I'll spec a primary red, and dark amber. I may change the other colors loaded based on need. 

Artistic uses: (beyond color correction)
Generally if I need a performer lit, but not keyed I'll use the lav. I use CTO, BA, and Light blue as key light colors, depending on the mood. Light blue for cold and isolated, BA for warm, and CTO as a neutral/blend in with the rest of the rig. The Primary red only seems to work well for dimly lit scenes, and is good at creating a dark mood. Sometimes it's good to accent with light blue side lights, back lights or kickers at low intensities. The dark amber makes a nice punch, and gives me a little variety.

Hope this helps


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## avkid (Mar 11, 2005)

Lets see now, last time I replaced the gels I played the "what do we have left"game. I think I ended up with:yellow,blue,green,diffusion gel and some others I can't remember.


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## TupeloTechie (Apr 26, 2009)

*Standard Colors for a Followspot*

Well I have a trouperette II without any gel in the boomerang. If you all had a choice of what 5 colors (one being a diffusion) that would be stock in a followspot what would they be?


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## derekleffew (Apr 26, 2009)

The post above has been moved here from another thread.

I don't think there can be such a thing as stock followspot color, as color choice is so show-dependent. I think one has to have one color that blends with the rest of the rig. In an incandescent followspot, that could be the same R02 or R33 that is in the frontlight, or it could be N/C.

Interesting that the Robert-Juliat Aramis I ran last night had names printed from the factory above each color handle. I can't imagine anyone really putting those colors in. I don't recall the names, peacock was one of them. We didn't used the internal frames, just 1/2CTO and 0.3ND taped to the front.

FWIW, the Strong Trouperette IV comes from the factory as follows:
1 - Golden Amber 
2 - Flesh Pink 
3 - Daylight Blue
4 - Light Sky Blue 
5 - Primary Blue 
6 - Scarlet Red

The Altman AltSpot and NASA-related fixtures came thusly:
Red handle - Lux 26
Green handle - Lux 89
Blue handle - Lux 67
Purple handle - Lux 52
Yellow handle - Lux 12
Pink handle - Lux 31


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## Footer (Apr 26, 2009)

As long as there is R132 or a freezer bag I don't really care what else is there. An HMI to Tungsten is also a good thing to have in an HMI fixture. Otherwise... it all depends on the show.


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## willbb123 (Apr 26, 2009)

Here is what is loaded currently in my spots. Its a combination of my colors and colors requested by bands coming in. 
1 - Bastard Amber - R02
2 - N/C Pink - R33
3 - Lavender - R57
4 - Sky Blue - R68
5 - Bright Red - R26
6 - Frost - R132

Its an interesting mix. Mainly use frame 1, 2, 6. Haven't had a chance to use 4, or 5. I really like the look 3 (lav) made Linky I have no doubt that bright red will make an interesting look (either good or horribly bad), I have yet to have an opportunity in which I thought it appropriate.


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## NHStech (Feb 4, 2010)

Any thoughts on what six gels to stock our new followspots with? Color temp is about 5500, I think. The lamp is a 200watt arc. Obviously, the situation dictates colors, but are there a few that are "more standard" than others that would keep us from having to change in ad out a lot? 
The followspot is the new Lycian miniarc. The levers on the boomerang are actually color-coded (from the operator going forward: white, yellow, violet, green, blue, red, and douser). Assuming these are "standard" in Lycian's opinion, are there particular gel numbers of those colors that you like better than the rest? I would assume the white is a hint for a frosted look, and the yellow for a flesh-colored/warmer temp look?


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## Wolf (Feb 4, 2010)

Personally I would either take of those colors on the boomerang off or cover them up, because I wouldn't keep any shades of green in the spot as a standard. As far as what I like to keep in the spot are general colors (I don't have specific number in my head) but something along the lines of a Rose color, a Sepia tone, a lavender, and a blue tint. For the most part all of these colors will work on the skin tone and wont be a glaring error if accidently used. You COULD use a frost but Personally I would just use the focus knob to achieve that soft edge, this also eliminates the need to try to use to color frames at one time which can be difficult.


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## mstaylor (Feb 4, 2010)

I would use a flesh pink or something in that range, pale blue, dark blue, amber, lavender, and straw. Anything else you can add as needed. I never pay any attention to a colored handle on a followspot.


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## derekleffew (Feb 5, 2010)

If not for a specific show, why NOT use the colored handles? Saves everyone having to remember or translate.

1- white: LT FROST, AP#1200
2- yellow: 1/2CTO, AP#2120
3- violet: LAV, AP#3200
4- green: B/G, AP#4900
5- blue: LT BLU, AP#4650
6- red: LT RED, AP#8250
7- douser: blackout

I would maybe use a N/C PINK, AP#8600, in the green handle, as I agree any green, even a B/G, will be the least-used color.

If video taping, I would tape a 1/4 Minus Green on the front, as arc sources tend to contain a lot of green in their spectrum, which the eye compensates for but the camera doesn't. Apollo doesn't have a line of Minus Greens (!?) so Lee249 or R3314.
(I did Roscolux last time, so chose to use ApolloGel numbers this time.)

NHStech, tell us how you like your new Lycian Model 1233 Mini Arc.pdf, as I think it's a good recommendation for an upgrade from FEL-based units, but have only seen it at LDI. It still hasn't made it onto Lycian's website.


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## NHStech (Feb 5, 2010)

derekleffew,
I will be happy to. Our spring musical is about a month away, and so I will put it through its paces and then give a report. First reaction is I believe I will love it. Sturdy, easy to use. Bear in mind, however, that I have worked with few followspots, so questions of "how does it compare to..." will likely be unanswerable for me. I have two trouperette III's and from a footcandle standpoint, it is not even close. 
One point of interest will be that it has no fan. Will be interesting to see what it will feel like after being on a few hours.

Thanks for everyone's input!


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## Kelite (Feb 9, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> If not for a specific show, why NOT use the colored handles? Saves everyone having to remember or translate.
> 
> 1- white: LT FROST, AP#1200
> 2- yellow: 1/2CTO, AP#2120
> ...



Thank you for the inclusion of Apollo gel transmissions Derek, mighty kind of you. :wink:

As stated, Minus Green has yet to accompany the other 150 colors/corrections within the swatchbook, but as film, photo and cinematography requests come in- we'll remedy this situation.

Congrats on your new followspot NHStech, and thanks again Derek!


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## mstaylor (Feb 10, 2010)

Most small spots use colored handles. My running joke was always, I hope the gels don't match the handles.


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## NHStech (Mar 16, 2010)

*followpost gels*

I have a followspot that is about 5000k, so kind of a blueish. I ordered this kind so as to have the spot stand out compared to the regular 3200k lighting produced by the various fixtures (fresnels, par cans, etc). Well, I received an email from our music director asking if our new spots normally produce such an "unnatural" color (irony), and if he would have to get used to it. To each his own, I suppose. 
Trying to be the accommodating stage manager, I told him if he wanted to have more of a match between the stage lighting and the followspots, I could mess around with gels. So, my question: any thoughts on gel numbers that might be a good start? I was thinking bastard amber, but I wanted to check with you folks before hunting and pecking, to see if anything kind of stood out. 

The new followspots I have, if this will help, is the Lycian Mini-arc 1233. I will be posting a review of it sometime before summer. But, if you want to look up the specs so as to help answer my question, that is the brand and model. It uses a 200w hmi lamp.


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## jonliles (Mar 16, 2010)

*Re: followpost gels*

Normally, I don't think of the F/S has having a different CRI. I would think of it as being able to produce extra foot candles at the focus point (the actor) than the standard lighting. 

For instance, My 360Q's are all around 500W and gel down typically in a R01(or R02) and a R62 for a basic Mcandless at roughly a 25ft throw - rarely ever at full intensity. My F/S is a 1000W FEL lamp at a 60 foot throw (small space). In my F/S, for warms, I normally use R05 - it is just a bit pinker than R01, and for cools I like R60. They have the appearance of being just a bit brighter and help to separate the actor(s) from the background. My next is my stadard is R52 NC Lavender - blends well with the cools and the warms and helps the actors to pop just enough. The rest of the color boomerang I change at will.

Just my humble opinion.


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## Footer (Mar 16, 2010)

*Re: followpost gels*

Lee 236 HMI to Tungsten. Pretty standard in many designers spot color choices. I have even gaffed it to the front of moving lights on occasion.


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## bdkdesigns (Mar 16, 2010)

*Re: followpost gels*

I always use Rosco 3408 which is 1/2 CTO converting 5,500ºK to 3,800ºK. It still stands out a bit but not enough to make it stick out like a sore thumb.


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## derekleffew (Mar 16, 2010)

*Re: followpost gels*

jonliles, I suspect you are confusing CRI with Color Temperature. NHStech, your instincts are good, Fatherless Amber would work to an extent, but a variant of CTO would be more precise. Once the followspot is "corrected" to the same as the frontlights, the same color can then be used in both, or a less-saturated hue, or N/C (except for the CTO) in the followspot.

See also the thread Followspot gels. 

[EDIT: This thread merged with that one.]


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## Jamyo (Jan 27, 2011)

*Standard Spotlight Gels*

Just wondering what the standard gel colors are for spotlights? My two midget's have had their gels changed by students last year and I want to get back to the originals to help with our touring groups that come in. They are traditionally Roscoe right?

Thanks for any help!


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## derekleffew (Jan 27, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*

(Above post moved to this thread from another location.)

The standard is that there is NO standard (other than as some are delivered from the manufacturer as listed above.) Yes Roscolux is the most prevalent, but there's no reason you can't use LEE, GAM, or Apollo.

An interesting approach is the PDF file attached. The colors were chosen both for their use individually, as well as the ability to subtractively mix other useful colors.View attachment spotcolor_EGGSHELLCOLOR2010.pdf


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## PeteEngel (Jan 27, 2011)

The Robert Juliat gear always comes equipped with a set of High Temp Gels and they used to put a sticker on the color changer that indicated the color provided. about 5 to 6 years back they stopped putting the sticker on and now use a magnet that you can write on with a dry erase pen to indicate the color in each frame.


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## rochem (Jan 27, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*


derekleffew said:


> An interesting approach is the PDF file attached. The colors were chosen both for their use individually, as well as the ability to subtractively mix other useful colors.View attachment 4341


 
That's really interesting! I've thought in the past about trying to use subtractive color mixing in follow spots to mix other colors, but I never took the time to really work out the combinations. Next time I have some free time, I'm gonna load up these colors and see how it looks. Thanks for sharing!


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## WooferHound (Jan 27, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*

I do spotlighting on a weekly basis, many times winging it without a cue caller. I really like to have the following loaded up in our Lycian spots with the Zenon lamp which outputs light that is approximately Sunlight colored.

Frost- usually Lee 132 which has a fairly well defined area when used
Pink- usually Lee 111 or Rosco 33 maybe 34
Light Blue- normally Rosco 60 or maybe a bit darker
Lavender- Probably Rosco 55 or 57 which looks good for skin tones
Color Correction- Normally full or half CTO to match the incandescent lighting
Neutral Density- usually half because Lycians are bright


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## shiben (Jan 27, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*


WooferHound said:


> I do spotlighting on a weekly basis, many times winging it without a cue caller. I really like to have the following loaded up in our Lycian spots with the Zenon lamp which outputs light that is approximately Sunlight colored.
> 
> Frost- usually Lee 132 which has a fairly well defined area when used
> Pink- usually Lee 111 or Rosco 33 maybe 34
> ...


 
What is a Zenon lamp? Was it for the Disney channel movie? ;-)


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## mstaylor (Jan 28, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*

I answered "All the time" but is really most of the time. Whether doing concert work, the majority for me, or theatre, I use gel according to the requirements of the show. The same goes for soft or hard edges, depends on the show or even a particular number.


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## techieman33 (Jan 28, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*


WooferHound said:


> I do spotlighting on a weekly basis, many times winging it without a cue caller. I really like to have the following loaded up in our Lycian spots with the Zenon lamp which outputs light that is approximately Sunlight colored.
> 
> Frost- usually Lee 132 which has a fairly well defined area when used
> Pink- usually Lee 111 or Rosco 33 maybe 34
> ...


 
I'm guessing you mean Rosco 132, not lee.

We usually have R132 diffusion, and s n/c pink and n/c blue loaded, and swap out a lot depending on the show.


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## gafftapegreenia (Jan 28, 2011)

*Re: Standard Spotlight Gels*

Tangent question: Do any other brands beside Lycian come with the spreader lens, and does anyone besides myself make use of it?


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## Grog12 (Jan 28, 2011)

PeteEngel said:


> The Robert Juliat gear always comes equipped with a set of High Temp Gels and they used to put a sticker on the color changer that indicated the color provided. about 5 to 6 years back they stopped putting the sticker on and now use a magnet that you can write on with a dry erase pen to indicate the color in each frame.


 
Funny, a colleage of mine just purchased one and it came with no gel what so ever.


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## Sony (Jan 29, 2011)

Grog12 said:


> Funny, a colleage of mine just purchased one and it came with no gel what so ever.


 
Really? We just bought two Robert Juliat Topaze 1200w MSD spots and they both came with a full compliment of gel's in the ziplock bag with the manual. Not bad color choices ether, I'd tell your colleage to call RJ and make sure he wasn't supposed to get gels, most likely he was and it was missed.


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## Grog12 (Jan 29, 2011)

Chatted with him again, apparently he just didn't like the color and chucked it. Thats what I get for thinking I was there when he first opened the box. /eyeroll


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## derekleffew (Jan 29, 2011)

PeteEngel said:


> The Robert Juliat gear always comes equipped with a set of High Temp Gels ...


 

Grog12 said:


> Chatted with him again, apparently he just didn't like the color and chucked it. ...


Care to share exactly which colors come from the factory?


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## kicknargel (Jan 29, 2011)

For a Source-Four-on-a-stick I default to R54. I find it takes care of the green-shift and looks good on faces. In real blue looks I'll go cooler.


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## PeteEngel (Jan 31, 2011)

this is the current list of gels supplied by the RJ factory. i don't know if they offered something different in the past.

[FONT=&quot] Gel Lee Filter ref. 101 > YELLOW[/FONT]
 [FONT=&quot]- Gel Lee Filter HT ref. 115 > Peacock Blue[/FONT]
 [FONT=&quot]- Gel Rosco Supergel ref. 339 > Boadway pink[/FONT]
 [FONT=&quot]- Gel Lee Filter HT ref. 141 > Bright Blue[/FONT]
 [FONT=&quot]- Gel Lee Filter ref. 153 > Pale Salmon[/FONT]
 [FONT=&quot]- Gel Lee Filter HT ref. 26 > Bright Red[/FONT]


 [FONT=&quot]No idea as to why any of these colors were chosen.
[/FONT]


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## eqrunner (Apr 29, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*

I have a show coming up for a corporate shin-dig. And it is going to have follow spots. But I have no clue what kind yet. Going to have R60 in all my 575w Fixtures. What Colors would you suggest to have on hand to try and color match a follow spot?


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## derekleffew (Apr 29, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*

If the followspots you encounter have the same color temperature as your 575W lamps (assuming 3200K), you'll just need the R60. If the spot is an arc source (likely) I'd take R3410 1/8CTO and add as many layers as you need (probably 4--giving you 1/2CTO). Additionally, R3318 1/8MinusGreen (probably one or two layers) can be used the same way and will be beneficial if there are cameras.


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## chausman (Apr 29, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*


derekleffew said:


> If the followspots you encounter have the same color temperature as your 575W lamps (assuming 3200K), you'll just need the R60. If the spot is an arc source (likely) I'd take R3410 1/8CTO and add as many layers as you need (probably 4--giving you 1/2CTO). Additionally, R3318 1/8MinusGreen (probably one or two layers) can be used the same way and will be beneficial if there are cameras.



BTW Derek, the current tour of "In the Heights" uses a ziploc baggy for one of their followspot frames.


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## techieman33 (Apr 29, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*


chausman said:


> BTW Derek, the current tour of "In the Heights" uses a ziploc baggy for one of their followspot frames.



iplock bag as a gel is more common than you think. I usually end up putting it in my super troopers a couple of times a year as a really light diffusion.


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## rochem (Apr 30, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*


chausman said:


> BTW Derek, the current tour of "In the Heights" uses a ziploc baggy for one of their followspot frames.



I spotted that show a few weeks ago. Had an interesting discussion with the electrician. Apparently, Howell has a very specific brand and model of baggie that he likes for a specific look, and they simply couldn't find a comparable gel during tech, no matter how hard they tried. The show has to tour with a ton of them, since they're difficult to find locally and impossible to borrow at the venue.


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## derekleffew (Apr 30, 2012)

*Re: followpost gels*


rochem said:


> ... Apparently, Howell has a very specific brand and model of baggie that he likes for a specific look, and they simply couldn't find a comparable gel during tech, no matter how hard they tried. ...


AHA! I knew there was a trick to it!
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/5772-ever-put-baggy-followspot.html


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## Footer (Apr 30, 2012)

rochem said:


> I spotted that show a few weeks ago. Had an interesting discussion with the electrician. Apparently, Howell has a very specific brand and model of baggie that he likes for a specific look, and they simply couldn't find a comparable gel during tech, no matter how hard they tried. The show has to tour with a ton of them, since they're difficult to find locally and impossible to borrow at the venue.



How is Dawn? I went to school with her but have not seen her in about a year. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## rochem (Apr 30, 2012)

Footer said:


> How is Dawn? I went to school with her but have not seen her in about a year.



She was great to work for. One of those department heads who can get a large show up while still having fun with the locals. She was also just in a generally good mood the whole time. 

Although they did just leave Erie the night before, which if you've never worked there before, leaving that venue can put a smile on anyone's face...


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## chausman (Apr 30, 2012)

rochem said:


> She was great to work for. One of those department heads who can get a large show up while still having fun with the locals. She was also just in a generally good mood the whole time.



I thought she seemed pleasant the whole time. And nicer then a few people.


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## Aman121 (Aug 26, 2012)

Im designing lights for a church play, and we rented a Lycian Midget follow spot to use in place of their old Altman incandescent follow spot. When the director saw the color temperature of the Lycian (very bluish, as compared to the warmer color of the incandescent light), she was displeased, and insisted we go back to the Altman or correct it somehow. The Altman is in bad shape and needs work before it can be used safely and effectively, so I would like to try to use the Lycian. My first thought was to use a gel to correct the color temperature. I played around with a few yellow and off white colors but I didn't really get the look I wanted. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar issue and/or knows of a specific gel number or color that would do the job.


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## chawalang (Aug 26, 2012)

Really your best bet is to get some color correction gel. You want to get a sheet of CTO, this stands for color temp orange. Keep in mind different manufacturers' gels yield slightly different colors. So this may be something you want to sit down and talk to your director about as far as a specific color temp she is looking for. Im assuming this would be the same color temp as an HPL lamp in a source 4. You can get this from any local lighting shop or production house. Once you get it just cut it to the frame of the gel holder and thats it.


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## MNicolai (Aug 26, 2012)

CTO's come in different amounts of correction, usually they're 1/4 CTO, 1/2 CTO, 3/4 CTO, Full CTO. Without getting into too much detail, the lower the fraction, the less correction. Might be wise to buy a sheet in 2-3 different colors so you can play around with the white balance a little more precisely. Maybe you'd need a Full CTO, but you may also find a 1/4 CTO plus a 1/2 CTO.

We have different followspots than you, but when I last took the time to figure precisely what we needed, I took photos during a show to use as a reference for how much correction the spots needed. Then I tossed the photo into my image editing software and ran a few different levels of white balance correction. Result was this photo:



Then I sent the info off to the TD who makes purchasing decision, with this of gels to consider purchasing:

> R3409: 1/4 CTO Corrects -1000K (Ex. 4200K to 3200K) (3200K being the color temp of an HPL750 lamp -- 3000K is an HPL575)
> R3408: 1/2 CTO Corrects -1700K (Ex. 4900K to 3200K)
> R3411: 3/4 CTO Corrects -2300K (Ex. 5500K to 3200K)
> R3407: CTO Corrects -2600K (Ex. 5800k to 3200K)



Ended up buying a few different sheets and playing mix and match until I found "the sweet spot".


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## Aman121 (Aug 26, 2012)

Thanks Ill look into CTO gel. The Altman takes a 1.5k projector lamp, not sure of specs beyond that. I don't think the director wants a specific look, this is more of a "my little kiddies look blue, they cant be blue!" kinda deal. I dont see a problem personally, but im also not the one paying me.


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## Sony (Aug 26, 2012)

Aman121 said:


> Thanks Ill look into CTO gel. The lamp it takes is a 1.5k projector lamp, not sure of specs beyond that. I don't think the director wants a specific look, this is more of a "my little kiddies look blue, they cant be blue!" kinda deal. I dont see a problem personally, but im also not the one paying me.



The HID Lycian Midget does NOT take a 1.5kw projector lamp. It takes a 575w MSR lamp which could in theory be found in a projector but not very likely. Specs can be found here:

http://www.lycian.com/Assets/specs pdf/1209 specs.pdf


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## Aman121 (Aug 26, 2012)

Sony said:


> The HID Lycian Midget does NOT take a 1.5kw projector lamp. It takes a 575w MSR lamp which could in theory be found in a projector but not very likely. Specs can be found here:
> 
> http://www.lycian.com/Assets/specs pdf/1209 specs.pdf



I was referring to the lamp in the Altman, sorry. I'll edit the post to clarify.


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## Sony (Aug 27, 2012)

Aman121 said:


> I was referring to the lamp in the Altman, sorry. I'll edit the post to clarify.



Ah, well the Midget's color temperature comes in around 5500k so you will most likely need 3/4 CTO or Full CTO to get it to come close to the Altman. Try 3/4 CTO first then work your way up, you want to use the smallest CTO possible in order to keep your beam intensity as a good enough level. How long is your throw (Distance from spot to stage)?


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## TimMiller (Aug 27, 2012)

You may be able to get with the rental company and get them to swap the msr to an msd they have more of a yellow color temp, but you also lose some lumens.


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## GoboMan (Jun 10, 2013)

I need to use a spotlight in an upcoming show later this summer, but I want to avoid the bright "ghost white" look it will give the performer from the HMI lamp. What gel(s) can I put in the spotlight to make it more equivalent to an R2 gel in a conventional Source Four 750?


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## LightingGirl (Jun 10, 2013)

what I did for the last show I worked was a very soft pink color. It stood out from the traditional warm wash/cool wash. It didn't blend too much with the stage lights and it brought out the actors/actresses a bit more instead of washing out the faces. Hope it helps.


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## rm2011 (Jun 10, 2013)

GoboMan said:


> I need to use a spotlight in an upcoming show later this summer, but I want to avoid the bright "ghost white" look it will give the performer from the HMI lamp. What gel(s) can I put in the spotlight to make it more equivalent to an R2 gel in a conventional Source Four 750?



Have you tried putting R02 in the spot? I've done it before but it was a spot with a conventional lamp. Since the color temperature of an HMI is so much higher, maybe try an R03 or even R04 with more saturation. R33 or R35 would give you the same effect but with more pink. It's up to you and the design team which look you're going for. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## DuckJordan (Jun 11, 2013)

Or double up and put 1/2 Ct color correction. And an r02 should match a s4


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## TheaterEd (Jun 11, 2013)

I double up the r02 and make the spot a soft focus if I can get away with it.


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## PeteEngel (Jun 11, 2013)

Rosco (as well as other gel manufacturers) make a line of CTO gel to correct from daylight to various warmer color temps. You can drop the proper CTO in one of your gel frames, then use the standard gel color you would like to see from another frame. Here is a link to the Rosco site. I'm sure Apollo and Lee offer similar options. I'll add those links as I find them.

Roscolux - rosco.com Apollo link, Color Correction is in the 2000's Apollo Design | Gel Lee has a link that allows you to pick source and converted color temp at this site; Mired Shift Calculator for LEE Lighting Filters


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## GoboMan (Jun 11, 2013)

Awesome! Thank you all for your suggestions and advice! As soon as I can get into the space I will try these out!


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## lighttech11 (Nov 9, 2013)

Anyone out there have some favorite gel choices for arc followspots? Or any colors that they've found work well with arc followspots? Color correction, etc?


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## techieman33 (Nov 9, 2013)

You'll almost always find R33 in a spotlight. A n/c violet, some flavor of CTO, and a soft diffusion (R119, R132, or R140) are the most common.


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## DuckJordan (Nov 9, 2013)

I personally hate diffusion in spots


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## LD4Life (Nov 9, 2013)

As far as diffusion goes, I always make sure that there is an R132 in the spots so that I can soften them depending on the song. As far as color goes, I don't tend to use strong colors for spots. However, I will use a variety of color corrections to make it look more pleasing and mix better with the colors used in various numbers.


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## Heather R (Feb 13, 2014)

I'm wondering if anyone has come across the situation I'm in, and has found a gel(s) that make them happy. I am in a concert hall of very pale wood, and I find I have to consider the look and bounce from the deck as much as the direct light from the source itself. It is so warm in here on deck colour temperature is more in the 2800 range in a show state. I hate having to use my 2 Lycian Superstar 1.2K spots with their 5600 temperature, as I have yet to find a gel combination that doesn't make people look grey against front light that is generally R02, R05 or R305. R30 I can almost live with, but it should be better! I've tried various combinations already mentioned on this thread - just wondering if anyone has had joy with a pale bouncy deck that doesn't include painting it black.


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## CameronLD (Nov 15, 2014)

Hello CB

In the past, my school's followspots have been loaded with 6 (the maximum our color magazines can hold) fairly saturated and diverse gels (I believe it is currently one red, one pink, one blue, one purple, one green, and one yellow,). While this has seemed like a decent idea in the past, when I got to thinking about it, I have wondered about the practicality of it all, because we rarely end up using them, which I suspect is due to the fact that they often don't work with actors skin tones very well, and make them appear to be very unnatural. 

So, I was wondering if any of you have "generic" or "repertory" gels that you use in followspots, especially for those of you who work in spaces that are used for many different purposes, such as schools. Like if you have a set of gels that you put in your spots after a show, or a set that you even use during a show unless you have to have a special effect with a followspot that could only be achieved with a specific color. Ideas, criticisms, life lessons? 

My current plan for the 6 gels: 
1) A frost: R132 (for a tiny bit of diffusion on the edges, to diminish the effects of the light awkwardly clipping set pieces and other actors)
2) A warm: R04 
3) A cool: R60
4) A red: R26?
5) A blue: R60? 
6) A green: R91?

Thanks,
Cameron


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## techieman33 (Nov 15, 2014)

First off, lose the green. No one looks good under a green light. There might be a rare occasion that you need a green spot, and need to put a green gel it, but it shouldn't be part of a standard spot color package. The big thing your missing is a n/c pink like a R33, and maybe a light lav. Generally a light pink, blue, lav, and amber will get you through just about anything. But lighting is an art, and what works for me, might not work for you. You may want to do something like that for normal stuff, and then plan on changing them for musicals, and other special occasions.


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## JD (Nov 15, 2014)

Deep colors are great for a specific special effect in a specific scene, but other than that, they are a waste of space. Your colors should be dictated by the particular production you are working on. I think what you are looking for is a "default" set that would remain in the spot unless a special need arises. There's a lot of latitude in those choices. I would agree with the frost, but beyond that I would stick to various shades of white. A pale amber, something with a hint of pink, something a bit cooler, maybe a daylight correction if it is a tungsten spot, then maybe a deep read for kicks.


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## derekleffew (Nov 15, 2014)

I know I've posted this before, but cannot find the thread.




This approach may be the most sensible approach when dealing with "standard" followspot colors. Not only are the colors useful on their own, but by subtractively mixing them, many other useful colors can be achieved.

Actual results will vary, as there are a number of uncontrollable factors: How bright is the light, what is it competing against, light source, color temperature, and so on. DISCLAIMER: I've never tested this, and very likely would never use this approach. But if I had house fixtures that needed stock color with no time/budget to regel between events, and no outside lighting designer, I would definitely test the theory, and likely tweak the colors somewhat.


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## np18358 (Nov 16, 2014)

There's a lot of debate on the frost. I know a lot of designers prefer the absolute lightest frost possible (which I believe is R140), but I find that R132 is great, and is a more versatile frost. The Spots (6000K) at my school also have 6 frames, and the colors that we use for rep are
1. R119
2. R132
3. L204 ( Full CTO)
4. A Minus Green (I don't know which)
5. L790
6. L108

But Usually For the Musicals, unless I am doing an effect (like the green spot I did for Shrek), I just Tape R132, a minus green, and sometimes a CTO on the front. Since the Boomerang is self cancelling, it's really hard to get all three frames in at once.

For our S4s on a stick, they usually get a safety frame filled with the same frost as the other spots, and I sometimes will put L201 in front (or an additional safety frame and I'll have them carefully add) if I am trying to match the other spots (although that kind of voids one of the main purposes of the S4 Followspot).

I have rarely used any saturates, the only that come to mind were green for shrek, a Medium Lavender for a Light In The Piazza, and a Red for Anything Goes.


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## z2oo (Nov 16, 2014)

np18358 said:


> For our S4s on a stick, they usually get a safety frame filled with the same frost as the other spots, and I sometimes will put L201 in front (or an additional safety frame and I'll have them carefully add) if I am trying to match the other spots (although that kind of voids one of the main purposes of the S4 Followspot).



A little off topic, but I've used something like 1/16" or 1/8" GAC through a hole in a SFOAS gel frame to make sure that my SFOAS spot ops will NEVER drop a frame 30' below them... Usually just R02/R60 that I can have them swap out, and diffusion stays in the slot closest to the lens. I know there's another thread here about safetying accessories. This is totally a case in which that's required.


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