Gobos

[Kingstech]

Hi,

 

Im looking at getting a gobo done, and wondered if you can get a gradual fill from black to clear on a glass gobo?

 

like the gradual fills in the grease logo http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/Por...ease%20logo.jpg Is this possible to create such an effect on a gobo?

 

Cheers

 

Callum

[Bryson]

Greyscale? Sure.

 

http://www.dhalighting.co.uk/custgobos.htm

 

On glass they can do pretty much any image you want. Not cheap, though.

 

You probably want to consider the lantern you're planning to put it into. An EDLT tube is going to do your lovely gradient much more justice.

 

http://www.etcconnect.com/minisite/sourcefour/edlt.html

[jonathanhill]

The quick answer is:

 

Yes, but it will cost you.

 

e2a: b*gger it, Bryson's all over it, like a fat kid on a Smartie...

[Kingstech]

Hi, yeah might have helped if I put the type of light in...

 

It will either be a Mac 500 mac 250 or a source 4 depending on what I can get hold of and if the lights spare

 

We had custom gobos made last year but they were just cut out... they didnt cost much as we know someone who makes them.

 

So its definatly possible?

[paulears]

As everyone has said, yes, perfectly possible, but very expensive AND unless you want it small, probably rather dim too. Older Macs weren't the brightest fixtures.

 

However, the link you gave isn't that suitable for turning into a gobo - if you really want that image, how about a video projector, or even simpler, a 35mm slide - your school probably has an old Kodak Carousel laying around unused. Producing a slide and projecting it could be much, much, simpler. Gobos, even glass ones don't really let you project high quality images because the optical systems of most theatre kit simply isn't designed for it.

http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/Portals/2/Schools/1402/Article326380_grease%20logo.jpg

[Kingstech]

It wouldnt be full detail it would be the outline, words and some fill in it.

 

We thought about projecting it but its the projector during the show, it cause problems in blackouts.

 

Also having it in a mover means I can place it around the theatre

[GridGirl]

We thought about projecting it but its the projector during the show, it cause problems in blackouts.

 

Black cardboard, some string, a few pulleys and a stagehand - problem solved! We do it all the time.

 

If you do want to use a lighting unit, I think it'd probably be cheaper to hire a Selecon Pacific, if you don't have any, and print the gobo onto acetate. If it burns out, you can just print a new one - custom glass gobos are not cheap. Also, I know that most show logos aren't actually part of the show package - you have to pay for them seperately and they're not all licensable - do you have permission to use the logo?

[Ashley R]

It wouldnt be full detail it would be the outline, words and some fill in it.

 

We thought about projecting it but its the projector during the show, it cause problems in blackouts.

 

Also having it in a mover means I can place it around the theatre

 

 

We thought about projecting it but its the projector during the show, it cause problems in blackouts.

 

Black cardboard, some string, a few pulleys and a stagehand - problem solved! We do it all the time.

 

If you do want to use a lighting unit, I think it'd probably be cheaper to hire a Selecon Pacific, if you don't have any, and print the gobo onto acetate. If it burns out, you can just print a new one - custom glass gobos are not cheap. Also, I know that most show logos aren't actually part of the show package - you have to pay for them seperately and they're not all licensable - do you have permission to use the logo?

 

There is a whole thread about blacking out projector "blackouts" its either on this forum or on the ALIA* ones, not sure, but there was a lengthy descussion rangeing from 'flags' made from material or cardboards, all the way to off the shelf DMX shutters and somewhere in the middle came allong a CD/ DVD drive with the eject button wired up to a bit of cable and a cardboard disk in the tray, hit the eject button and you have yourself a crude shutter!

 

Leve it to the Kiwi to bring up the Pacific :huh: . But I must say this option is pritty attractive and probably the simplest out of everything that has been suggested here. Made even simpler if you have one in stock, just remember that this only works with a PAC that has been fitted with a 600w lamp.

 

There is a nice video a series of video's on youtube, its a parady of the Apple mac commercials, of the PAC made me chuckle :blink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtuXfPT5Zcc...feature=related

 

 

* www.alia.com.au/forums

[TomHoward]

If you do want to use a lighting unit, I think it'd probably be cheaper to hire a Selecon Pacific, if you don't have any, and print the gobo onto acetate.

Are you using the acetate gobo holders for that, or just the standard gobo holder without glass heat shield? We've tried out using acetate gobos in our Pacifics using the standard holders but never had much luck - a clear piece of acetate will survive a 600W lamp, but once you've put any printing on it they don't seem to last long at all absorbing the heat of the lamp.

[the kid]

Pacifics work fine with a standard gobo holder up to about 80-90%, and you should use photocopy's NOT plain acetate as it has a higher working temp.

[Kingstech]

Ive looked at the Pacifics... they look good, only down side is that it would take an extra channel up of our limited sockets, Is there a way just to get a cheapish greyscale image printed on to a movers gobo, so that I can put colour behind it on the colour wheels. as I wanted to position them around the room as well. As you can tell I dont know much about gobos

[paulears]

We've explained this in many different ways. Simply contact one of the gobo producers we've been talking about and get a quote. Frankly, it's up to you if you don't wish to take our advice. However, the tiny size of the gobo for a MAC 250 or 500 (and please don't say it's an original 250, rather than a modern Entour) means that not a huge amount of light is going to get through, the fine details in your image will have to go, and it will be dark and murky - the image has far more black than white, so being realistic, the chances of projecting an image of any brightness with much sharpness on a lit stage are remote. What you seem to want is for us to say your idea is great and will work. I don't think we can, sorry.

[jonathanhill]

Is there a way just to get a cheapish greyscale image printed on to a movers gobo, so that I can put colour behind it on the colour wheels. as I wanted to position them around the room as well.

Yes, by getting a custom gobo made. As has already been stated. I would wager hat it will look less than fantastic in either a MAC500 or MAC250. You are better off using a Pacific with an acetate gobo, which will be cheaper. Of course, if money is no object a V*L3500 and a custom gobo would be the dogs.

[Kingstech]

Paul, It would probably be an entour not an original, it would have a lot of detail off of it. I will see what our director wants, and then make the decision

[Bryson]

Hi Callum,

 

The problem with using a Mac 500 (even an entour) is one of gobo size. Obviously, the larger the gobo, the more detail it can have on the same image. A B-size gobo for a Source 4 has 64.5mm across available for the image. A Mac 500 gobo has only 22mm. Source

 

So, you can see that a B-size gobo will give you more detail. (Projection will give you even more!) This matters because the image you want to project has a gradient in it and a lot of detail. The Mac 500 size is more suitable for simple designs with blocks of colour.