HSTech member discount to Super Saturday all day workshop.

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Scott Parker

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Nov 3, 2009, 11:24:56 PM11/3/09
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Hello All,
As most of you know, I produce an all-day lighting workshop call Stage
Lighting Super Saturday. For the vast number of loyal list members
here, I'd like to extend a special discount to attend. Please see the
website for the details of the workshop: www.hstech.org.
If you are in the Atlanta area, please think about joining us on
Saturday, January 16th, 2010.

--
Scott C. Parker
Lighting Designer
http://scottcparker.com/
Georgia & New York City

Vicki Stilwell

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Nov 4, 2009, 11:29:59 AM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
the person who is directing our school beauty pageant wants to know if we can put lamps into the auditorium lighting system that will produce a black light effect. I told her that i did not think so (we have a basic lighting system with fresnels, pars, and ellipsoidals) but said i would check on here for any suggestions.

Thanks,
vicki 


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Tony Johnson

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Nov 4, 2009, 11:41:52 AM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com

You could try using R382.  It picks up some UV rays.  I'm currently using R382 to supplement two rented blacklight pars.


Tony


Tony Johnson
Performing Arts Production Manager
(310)889-2654








>>>

From:

Vicki Stilwell <vsti...@hotmail.com>

To:

<hst...@googlegroups.com>

Date:

11/4/2009 8:32 AM

Subject:

[hstech] black light- lighting question

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Carl Sage

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Nov 4, 2009, 11:54:23 AM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
While it will NOT be true UV effect (aka blacklight) there is something that is often referred to as "The Congo Blue Effect" which might fill your needs.

Certain gel media such as Congo Blue (thus the effects name) cause a sort of "psuedo-florescence" when used on items that are in a specific color pallete. An example of something similar can be seen when you tune a video source to the no signal = blue screen function in a darkened room and then hold a yellow highlighter near the screen. The color of the highlighter is "kicked" and has some (not all) of the properties of something that would fluoresce.

Again, it's not true florescence but you might want to experiment with this technique and see if it will fit your needs....

My slightly more than $.02US.

-Carl-

--- On Wed, 11/4/09, Vicki Stilwell <vsti...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Vicki Stilwell <vsti...@hotmail.com>
> Subject: [hstech] black light- lighting question

stuntsgunsfx

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Nov 4, 2009, 12:52:57 PM11/4/09
to High School Technical Theater
Vicki,

Pardon me for not responding to your post but the advice you've
already gotten is excellent... I can't improve on it.

However... while we're on this subject... black lighting that is... I
have a mystery that perhaps someone out there who is far smarter than
I can solve.

This is far from an emergency as the show in question has come and
gone... but....

I'm both a TD and a Fight Director (better known for the latter but
I've TD'd longer). Anyway, my wife is (among other things) a Dance
Teacher. Last summer she wanted to set a group fight scene (melee) as
a dance to the Star Wars music. So I made 20 Light Sabers out of
PVC... really cool grips but left the "blades" white. The idea was to
use a Black Light and make them glow like light sabers.

The 3rd-8th grade kids rehearsed and rehearsed and then about four
days before the show, I went out and rented Black Lights for the
theatre (this is a well made $8,000,000 theatre... in fact, I was the
Theatrical Consultant to the Architect... so lighting angles were good
and it was entirely darkened on cue... no light spill... I brought up
the black-lights and....

Not a darned thing. Well, I'm not one to give up easily; so I
painted the PVC with flat white paint... still nothing. I covered
each blade (perfectly smoothly) with bright white (cloth) gaffers
tape.... Nope... still nothing. I took off the gaffers and replaced
it with bright white ducted tape... nothing. I thought that maybe the
rounded surface was somehow dispersing the UV bounce (I know but I was
grasping at straws here). I put the un-used (and therefore flat)
white gaffers AND white ducted tape under the black-light....
nothing.... no glow at all... while dingey white T-shirts and the
stripes on Adidas pants were glowing like mad!!!

Finally I gave it up... I took off the white ducted tape and replaced
it with super shiny silver (chrome) tape and used a lot of top
light. Not the same effect to be sure but the audience was happy...
course... they didn't know what they were missing.

So... anyone out there know WHY that did not work?

Mark Bedell
Missouri Academy of Staged Combat
Maine Academy of Staged Combat
www.Fight-Director.org
www.TravelingChildrensTheatre.com
ma...@Fight-Director.org
818-800-1701


On Nov 4, 10:29 am, Vicki Stilwell <vstilw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> the person who is directing our school beauty pageant wants to know if we can put lamps into the auditorium lighting system that will produce a black light effect. I told her that i did not think so (we have a basic lighting system with fresnels, pars, and ellipsoidals) but said i would check on here for any suggestions.
>
> Thanks,
>
> vicki
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Find the right PC with Windows 7 and Windows Live.http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/pc-scout/laptop-set-criteria.aspx?cb...

Karl Hoffman

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Nov 4, 2009, 12:58:41 PM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
Mark,

In order for your "light sabers" to glow in black light they would have to be covered with a material that fluoresces in black light . As you discovered. Not all white materials do this. The best solution I have you that particular problem would be to paint the PVC pipe with florescent paint (Rosco makes it in various colors as do other manufacturers).


Karl R. Hoffman
Technical Director/Theater Manager
Charlotte Country Day School
704-943-4517
karl.h...@charlottecountryday.org
www.charlottecountryday.org
All email messages sent to and from Charlotte Country Day School are archived and may be regenerated, reviewed, or turned over to government agencies such as law enforcement if requested.

stuntsgunsfx

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Nov 4, 2009, 1:14:41 PM11/4/09
to High School Technical Theater
Karl,

Understood. I thought of that too but by the time I did it was too
late.

But I'm still a bit in the dark (pardon the pun). As you pointed out,
and as I discovered... not all white will glow under a black-light.
However, I've yet to see ANY white clothing that does NOT glow under a
black-light... even teeth (often) glow under a black-light. What is
it that makes those glow... but not white gaffers tape?

Mark Bedell
Missouri Academy of Staged Combat
Maine Academy of Staged Combat
www.TravelingChildrensTheatre.com
www.Fight-Director.org
ma...@Fight-Director.org
818-800-1701


On Nov 4, 11:58 am, Karl Hoffman
<Karl.Hoff...@charlottecountryday.org> wrote:
> Mark,
>
> In order for your "light sabers" to glow inblack lightthey would have to be covered with a material that fluoresces inblack light. As you discovered. Not all white materials do this. The best solution I have you that particular problem would be to paint the PVC pipe with florescent paint (Rosco makes it in various colors as do other manufacturers).
>
> Karl R. Hoffman
> Technical Director/Theater Manager
> Charlotte Country Day School
> 704-943-4517
> karl.hoff...@charlottecountryday.orgwww.charlottecountryday.org
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hst...@googlegroups.com [mailto:hst...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of stuntsgunsfx
> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 12:53 PM
> To: High School Technical Theater
> Subject: [hstech] Re:black light- lighting question
>
> Vicki,
>
> Pardon me for not responding to your post but the advice you've
> already gotten is excellent... I can't improve on it.
>
> However... while we're on this subject... black lighting that is...  I
> have a mystery that perhaps someone out there who is far smarter than
> I can solve.
>
> This is far from an emergency as the show in question has come and
> gone... but....
>
> I'm both a TD and a Fight Director (better known for the latter but
> I've TD'd longer).  Anyway, my wife is (among other things) a Dance
> Teacher.  Last summer she wanted to set a group fight scene (melee) as
> a dance to the Star Wars music.  So I made 20 Light Sabers out of
> PVC... really cool grips but left the "blades" white.  The idea was to
> use aBlack Lightand make them glow like light sabers.
>
> The 3rd-8th grade kids rehearsed and rehearsed and then about four
> days before the show, I went out and rented Black Lights for the
> theatre (this is a well made $8,000,000 theatre... in fact, I was the
> Theatrical Consultant to the Architect... so lighting angles were good
> and it was entirely darkened on cue... no light spill... I brought up
> the black-lights and....
>
> Not a darned thing.   Well, I'm not one to give up easily; so I
> painted the PVC with flat white paint... still nothing.  I covered
> each blade (perfectly smoothly) with bright white (cloth) gaffers
> tape.... Nope... still nothing.   I took off the gaffers and replaced
> it with bright white ducted tape... nothing.  I thought that maybe the
> rounded surface was somehow dispersing the UV bounce (I know but I was
> grasping at straws here).  I put the un-used (and therefore flat)
> white gaffers AND white ducted tape under theblack-light....
> nothing.... no glow at all... while dingey white T-shirts and the
> stripes on Adidas pants were glowing like mad!!!
>
> Finally I gave it up... I took off the white ducted tape and replaced
> it with super shiny silver (chrome) tape and used a lot of top
> light.   Not the same effect to be sure but the audience was happy...
> course... they didn't know what they were missing.
>
> So... anyone out there know WHY that did not work?
>
> Mark Bedell
> Missouri Academy of Staged Combat
> Maine Academy of Staged Combatwww.Fight-Director.orgwww.TravelingChildrensTheatre.com
> m...@Fight-Director.org
> 818-800-1701
>
> On Nov 4, 10:29 am, Vicki Stilwell <vstilw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > the person who is directing our school beauty pageant wants to know if we can put lamps into the auditorium lighting system that will produce ablack lighteffect. I told her that i did not think so (we have a basic lighting system with fresnels, pars, and ellipsoidals) but said i would check on here for any suggestions.
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > vicki
>
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Find the right PC with Windows 7 and Windows Live.http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/pc-scout/laptop-set-criteria.aspx?cb...
>
> All email messages sent to and from Charlotte Country Day School are archived and may be regenerated, reviewed, or turned over to government agencies such as law enforcement if requested.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Carl Sage

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Nov 4, 2009, 1:21:38 PM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
Mark,

Potentially, the gaffe tape may have had a "UV protectant" in it's formulation to prevent degradation if used in an outdoor venue....

Just a guess really...Been some time since I check my BMI catalog for such specs.

And a UV protectant could also have been an issue with the PVC....Again, just a guess.

-Carl-

--- On Wed, 11/4/09, stuntsgunsfx <stu...@MarshallBedell.com> wrote:

<snippage>

Carl Sage

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Nov 4, 2009, 1:28:09 PM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
BTW, as an aside, one of the things that affects white clothing's level of brilliance under UV is/can be liquid bluing or equivalent added to the wash.

I've seen bluing used as a VERY low rent UV paint additive, with some passable results. Bluing, Vaseline and cornstarch can create some interesting effects for the haunted house market given their UV reactivness.

-Carl-

--- On Wed, 11/4/09, stuntsgunsfx <stu...@MarshallBedell.com> wrote:

stuntsgunsfx

unread,
Nov 4, 2009, 1:49:29 PM11/4/09
to High School Technical Theater
Carl,


Hmmmmm. Will Experiment.

Mark Bedell
Missouri Academy of Staged Combat
Maine Academy of Staged Combat
www.TravelingChildrensTheatre.com
www.Fight-Director.org
m...@Fight-Director.org
818-800-1701
> >black-light...- Hide quoted text -

RickR

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Nov 4, 2009, 8:08:24 PM11/4/09
to High School Technical Theater
My 2 cents:

Phosphorus is a major ingredient in dish and clothes detergent. We are
having major political/ecological issues locally as the big river has
way too much phosphorus and it is killing the fish. Phosphorus will
truly fluoresce under UV. Since it doesn't all rinse out most (but NOT
all) clothes glow.

One added suggestion for blacklight effects. It is very hard to get
enough UV light on an object to make it really bright. I have had good
luck with LEDs. The naturally narrow beam and single color
characteristics of LEDs are exactly what you need for black light
effects. Don't let the lights get so far away the effect is lost.

----
RickR

Mike Cordonnier

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Nov 4, 2009, 9:44:34 PM11/4/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
Just used All laundry detergent and a big sponge cut into the shape of a shoe to put footprints all over our set for Lucky Stiff.  Used 4' UV tubes and it read great from the audience.  Barely discolored the paint.  Probably wouldn't work for light sabers, but would be worth experimenting with. Inexpensive and the place smelled fresh as a mountain spring for days!!

Mike Cordonnier 
Centerville High School
Centerville Ohio




> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:49:29 -0800

> Subject: [hstech] Re: black light- lighting question
> From: stu...@MarshallBedell.com
> To: hst...@googlegroups.com

Vicki Stilwell

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Nov 6, 2009, 9:36:59 PM11/6/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com
my school has just approved me to come to the atlanta workshop.. where in atlanta is it going to be? and is there any way to pay with a purchase order (you know how school districts are)

thanks, vicki

Scott Parker

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Nov 6, 2009, 9:40:49 PM11/6/09
to hst...@googlegroups.com, Scott C. Parker
That's great Vicki,
I'll send you details directly. Yes, we'll deal with a P.O.
Bring students...

Scott
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