Which way to hang intelligent lights

[bladeaudio]

Got a question. I've worked with two different LDs and seen them each do this differently so I'm wondering which is considered more of a standard practice.

Say the back of the stage is "north", the audience is "south."

When hanging intelligent lights how should they face in relationship to each other? In other words, for example, if I have 2 lights that are hanging out over the crowd facing north towards the stage, and 2 lights that are hanging on an upstage bar behind the stage, should the lights on the upstage bar still be oriented "north" or should they be oriented south back towards the stage?

Doesn't this effect the programming? If the lights on the upstage bar are oriented south, wouldn't that reverse the pan direction and screw up any effects programming? Or would you never program an upstage light with a house light in the same effect? Or is this as simple as just reversing the pan direction in your console?

Curious minds want to know!

[Esoteric]

It can make a difference depending on the effects you want to do. Remember movers can only rotate so far. Personally to get the most out of the units I always face them towards their focus point. Now this is not a huge deal 95% of the time, but that 5% it will come back to get you. Remember these units can not just rotate infinitely.

The REAL key is to make sure they are all facing the same direction (or that you have the correct pan/tilt invert done).

Mike

[tedanderson]

The professional crews that we have hired for our events have done it both ways also. But I think that the LD was able to get away with it based on the type of lighting board that he used. Each instrument had an assigned sequence and path pre-programmed into the board so that when he ran a particular sequence, the light "knew" how to get there. This was evident in that some of the heads would dip down and do a full 270 degree rotation in a split second and get back into position whenever it ran out of rotation slack.

[Esoteric]

Yes Ted and if you are moving them in dark then it is no problem. When it might become an issue is when you have it panned 260 degrees and you want to to 30 degrees to the right you are out of luck unless you fade it out and turn it the rest of the way around, but if you want to do it with the light on (or use an effect that would require that kind of pan) you are out of luck. There is no right or wrong answer here, just make sure you know what you are doing!

Mike

[tedanderson]

Yeah.. I did omit that part about it being in the dark not to mention that there were over 300 other instruments on the truss system.

[Esoteric]

Hahahahahaha! Yeah, if I have 299 other units to cover with, it is no problem.

Also keep in mind that 99% of road shows were programmed in a warehouse somewhere and all the kinks were worked out. All the "Lighting Director" does is come in and set palettes and then push the go button.

I have had to make a few Union hands rehang units because I had them hung the wrong way before. They give you evil looks. *lol*

Mike

[owaits]

If they are tuely intelligent lights then just leave them to work it out for themselves.

There is no rule for this and each LD tends to have his own convention. My rule is to point them to the front of the stage. You need a convention that is simple to understand so you get all the lights pointing in the same direction.

Most of the time you will end up with one light in the wrong direction which you just flip using the lighting console.

I will often flip the pan on the lights one side of the room so that as I pan them they all point to the centre but depends on what the show is.

[petereit]

Originally Posted by owaits

If they are truly intelligent lights then just leave them to work it out for themselves.

LOL! AMEN!

[tedanderson]

If they are tuely intelligent lights then just leave them to work it out for themselves.

Hilarious.

[Steve Vanciel]

Originally Posted by owaits

If they are tuely intelligent lights then just leave them to work it out for themselves.

Clearly, of all the various names for this type of lighting unit, "intelligent" is the least accurate descriptor. Someday, when ACN and RDM protocols have been fully embraced by manufacturers, then we will have some level of intelligence to speak of.

SteveV

[Esoteric]

Yup, that is why we call them moving lights instead.

Mike

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by owaits

If they are tuely intelligent lights then just leave them to work it out for themselves.

There is no rule for this and each LD tends to have his own convention. My rule is to point them to the front of the stage. You need a convention that is simple to understand so you get all the lights pointing in the same direction.

Most of the time you will end up with one light in the wrong direction which you just flip using the lighting console.

I will often flip the pan on the lights one side of the room so that as I pan them they all point to the centre but depends on what the show is.

I have done that from time to time, but it depends on the show. To each their own.

Mike