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Hi,

I'm doing an event which as got mixture of bands involved for a charity called Ashgate hospice. I believe it's like Roll & Rock type thing, but has a mixture of things like Bon Jovi, Queen, Muse, ACDC... It will be my first real big gig that I've done and wanted to ask as I'm doing the lighting, what kind of colours you would use for such an event.

So what colours are good together? What would you use for Roll & Rock?

Thanks
//Nathan

For rock and roll stuff you can't go wrong with Yellow Red Green and Blue for you back lighting. For facial lighting, I use Italian Blue, Rose Pink, Rose Purple, and Orange (no white, we like saturated ). Here are the Roscolux numbers for all of the gels we use in my band Two For Flinching:

R312 - Canary (Yellow)
R26 - Light Red
R80 - Primary Blue
R90 - Dark Yellow Green

R370 - Italian Blue (gorgeous color!)
R342 - Rose Pink
R48 - Rose Purple
R23 - Orange

Hope that helps!

Thanks for replying, Hambone.

I did wonder about white as I'm planning on putting kinda of like spots on each player and lighting them up when they do solo's. I was wondering if you had an idea what would be the best colours to use for each player? For example, blue for drummer, orange for bass player etc. Just something that gives a bit of feel if you get my meaning.

Any help is grateful.
//Nathan

Hi Nathan,

Sorry for not getting back to you, it's been a while since I've been on here! Anyway, at least in my setup, I don't use individual colors for individual performers on the stage. My facial lighting is really more of a general stage wash - one of each of the 4 colors on each side of the stage. I have separate sequences set up for each side of the stage, so, for example, sometimes I'll have just Italian Blue on both sides, but other times I'll have Italian Blue on one side and Rose Pink on the other side (i.e. both sides aren't slaved together). I find this gives an incredible variety, and the difference between the two sides provides a lot of depth to the stage.

Here's a video to show what I mean

Thanks for getting back to me, Hambone. I see what you mean from the video and it works well with what you were saying, I suppose I'll just have to go with the flow and see what I feels works. I'm hoping to upgrade to RGB par cans yet but I'm not too sure.

Thanks again
Regards,
Nathan
Forum Moderator

Yeah some day I'll be adding RGB fixtures to my rig too... someday... when I'm rich and famous LOL
You can use the same principles though regardless of whether you've got fixed gels or RGB fixtures - 2 colors from 2 angles will always add more depth to the stage - you just have to figure out which combinations look good and which ones look like crap

Hey,
Yeah. I'm hoping to get some RGB par cans soon as I feel it's better to colour wash the stage in colour. Thanks for all your help, Hambone.

Regards,
Nathan

Hey I hope you don't mind if I jump into the discussion here, but I come from theatre tech. you NEVER use white unless you want the effect of a dead or dying character ... or you need to clean the stage. In theatre parlance "white" is actually bastard Amber. Lighting is all about reflecting colors back at you. The colors that make up bastard amber contain all or most of the colors that make up all human flesh tones. Which is why it gives you the best detailed reflective properties for lighting human figures. So what I suggest is that you can use what ever color combinations you want for effect, but for front on lighting (like spot lighting a guitar solo) hit them with bastard amber.



tjw

"Bastard amber"...never heard that before but it's so true!

A great photo showing the differences between 'whites'. In the background you have a 'warm' colour temperature (ie bastard amber) and in the foreground a more 'blue' colour temperature.

Yeah, "Bastard Amber!" Any store that sells gels should have it. It's the most used in theatre. But if your RBG fixtures can operate with the Lee Filters setting on FS it will be listed with other colors you may want for a DMX show.

To find it, got to "set up" (I think) and turn off global colors. Then in the "Windows" click "All". Then go to the color Icon and open it. On the bottom right, should be a drop down menu that says "Lee Filters."

A lot of gel colors are pre-programed into FS. When you click the color you want, your RBG lights should automatically present the color. Remember, to get the colors you want, some genius spent a lot of time working with the lighting combos the achieve the color, so when the light comes on, you will see a variety of LED's of different color combos and intensities pop up to make that color. Don't worry when that happens. There is nothing wrong with your lights or your programing. It's like going to Wal-Mart and watching them mix a batch of pigments to make the color you want, even if the color is something as basic as black.



tjw