Simple stage lighting

[HoosierMark]

Attended grand child's Christmas sing and was bothered by how their little faces were in the shadows. While the overhead lights were bright enough, they did not put the light on their faces especially since many kids tend to look down rather than forward. So, I was thinking I could donate three small LED work lights that could be set out say 25 feet from stage to light their faces. I am thinking run the power cord over to a simple switch box where the lights could be controlled on and off. This would allow shutting side lights off when a soloist was singing. Seems like three small lights that sit on the floor, three 100 foot cords and a switch box would work. Not sure on using 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 watt lights. Any better ideas out there or knowledge on lights, don't want to blind them.

 

[cvairwerks]

Might need nothing more than a small shift in location on the stage or correcting the aim of some fill lights. Too much light with little kids becomes very intimidating to them and can hamper the performance.

 

[mike93lx]

Hopefully you don't mean 1000-2000 watt lights. If you meant lumens, that level of lighting likely won't make a difference.

Did the kids mind the shadows? I'd be inclined to leave well enough alone, or ask whomever is in charge of the school's performing arts if they actually want help. Dropping off a bunch of lighting is probably not the most useful thing

 

[billconner]

Getting face light is important. Classically, this was solved with footlights. The last 50+ years it's been solved with light from a balcony rail lighting position. The flood lights will not do well, illuminating far too much of the room and hurting focus.

A couple of spot lights on the back wall framed to the stage dimmed would be the pro solution, but a pro price if they don't own them. Footlights would be much more economical and could be as simple as 4 or 5 battery powered LEDs in a cut down can or box. It doesn't need many foot candles to lighten the faces and see some sparkle in the eyes. I lit a BSA summer camp campfire with 4 propane lantern footlights - completely transformed the opening and closing campfires. In stage lighting "if you can't see you can't hear" is one of the truisms.

 

[Metal-Marc]

5000K worklights to light a stage? How about no.

 

[billconner]

5000K worklights to light a stage? How about no.

Agree. Around 2800 to 3200K, and high CRI.

 

[cybrdyke]

HoosierMark,
While your intentions are good, unfortunately the idea is not. And there are dozens of reasons why. Stage and entertainment lighting is far different than lighting for general illumination of spaces. It's a very specific category in which professionals have attended universities and achieved degrees.
It's common for local auditoriums and small stages to not have the funding to buy proper lighting equipment, but folks seem to understand and put up with the shortcomings of such places because it's not meant to be professional.
Good on you for wanting to help, but you cant just throw in a bunch of random lights. It'll actually make it worse.
CD

 

[billconner]

Cybrdyke is correct, but it doesn't have to be expensive - just based on stage lighting concepts. (One of those professionals with a graduate degree in stage lighting from Yale.)

 

[nadogail]

If anyone finds any fault with anything in the Theater, you will be the "Bad Guy"; better to let someone else take the blame.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Stage lighting is considered to be a "Special Location" in the NEC. (Article 520)
In addition to the design issues, are the Code issues covered by none of the other Articles.
You'd do well to understand all of them that pertain to your project

 

[billconner]

If each child held a battery operated candle, you'd greatly ameliorate the dark face and deep shadow issues. It doesn't take much to counteract the stark down light.

 

[HoosierMark]

Thanks for the comments. The "stage" is three levels of risers on the one side of the basketball court with the fans sitting in the bleachers on the other side. The music teacher agrees that some type of simple better lighting would be helpful. I guess I meant 1,000-2,000 lumens like you find in a work light. Whatever it is (if anything) has to be safe, simple, easy to store and easy to use. It may not be possible to make this happen but until the idea is explored, we will never know if it is possible.

 

[jeepxj]

Getting face light is important. Classically, this was solved with footlights. The last 50+ years it's been solved with light from a balcony rail lighting position. The flood lights will not do well, illuminating far too much of the room and hurting focus.

A couple of spot lights on the back wall framed to the stage dimmed would be the pro solution, but a pro price if they don't own them. Footlights would be much more economical and could be as simple as 4 or 5 battery powered LEDs in a cut down can or box. It doesn't need many foot candles to lighten the faces and see some sparkle in the eyes. I lit a BSA summer camp campfire with 4 propane lantern footlights - completely transformed the opening and closing campfires. In stage lighting "if you can't see you can't hear" is one of the truisms.

no idea on the room layout here but some cheapo speaker stands placed mid house on each side with 2 units on each wouldnt be the worst thing. break out the ol par 38s or whatever the new LED stuff is called.

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either way here if you want to see their faces you're going to be hitting them in the face with light, aka blinding them.

 

[Youngandfree]

Thanks for the comments. The "stage" is three levels of risers on the one side of the basketball court with the fans sitting in the bleachers on the other side. The music teacher agrees that some type of simple better lighting would be helpful. I guess I meant 1,000-2,000 lumens like you find in a work light. Whatever it is (if anything) has to be safe, simple, easy to store and easy to use. It may not be possible to make this happen but until the idea is explored, we will never know if it is possible.

Mount these on a board as a platform/foot just wide enough to keep it from tipping over. Set them in front of the risers in front of the director so that person doesn't make a shadow.


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[billconner]

Not a bad plan. Would like a dimmer on them. 4k may be a little harsh and since examples are all buildings and plants, I don't know what it will do to skin tones.

Some old fashioned A lamps in a cut away 10-tin spaced 3 feet or so apart would look nice. I was kind of thinking those under cabinet/closet light strips that are rechargable might do it.

 

[Youngandfree]

Not a bad plan. Would like a dimmer on them. 4k may be a little harsh and since examples are all buildings and plants, I don't know what it will do to skin tones.

Some old fashioned A lamps in a cut away 10-tin spaced 3 feet or so apart would look nice. I was kind of thinking those under cabinet/closet light strips that are rechargable might do it.

Yeah I couldn't find a cheap 2700k light bar. A professional one from Chauvet is $300+

 

[cybrdyke]

Yeah I couldn't find a cheap 2700k light bar. A professional one from Chauvet is $300+

There's a 2700K option on the link that you provided.
CD

 

[Youngandfree]

There's a 2700K option on the link that you provided.
CD

Well I saw that but it's only 2ft vs 4ft. I guess he could just get twice as many.

 

[HoosierMark]

Thanks for the info. At this point a few other major items have created issues in my life that I need to take care of first. When I get those put to rest, I can get back on this idea. Again thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[Barnabas]

I would not do lights mounted on the floor. First they will be blinding to the students as they look out towards the audience, and second, they will create shadows on the wall behind the students. Before you buy anything, test with a simple work light to see the results.

 

[billconner]

Footlights have been used for a long time. In bright down light it doesn't take much to light a face. A flashlight would do it. Or a candle a foot away - one foot candle. Keep the low angle light low on dimmer - just a glow. Faces and eyes will pop.

 

[Denwood]

I have been in exactly your situation and cringed as well

If your intention is to complement the overhead light, you want to try and match colour temps. In the industry (I owned a company manufacturing for the film industry, and we maintained our own in house studio) this is normally done with gels (basically coloured plastic sheet) on older lights, but you can get close enough if you have an idea of the current lights colour temp (just look at a bulb and look it up if you can). That may not be practical in a basketball court. We won't talk CRI here, but cinema/stage lighting (at least the good stuff) will be high CRI.

In our studio we used quite a few lights, but our goto were Profoto HMIs which run about $6K per light. My studio guys would spend nearly about as much time setting up lights for a shoot as the shoot itself...sometimes more if I let them Cinema/stage folks treat light like an artist would create a painting. You can quickly descend into a rabbit hole if you go there....

If you want to really take things up a notch, make sure the lights can be dimmed, and that filters (gels) and/or diffusion can be attached to them if needed. Inexpensive gels and diffusion sheet can be ordered up via Amazon. Just some clothes pins and frames will do the trick as heat won't be an issue at the face.

As to @cybrdyke 's comments, ya, stage and studio lighting is a highly specialised undertaking, but I see no harm in you playing around to help...particularly if you do a bit of research first. If you give the kids a few dimmable lights, diffusion and filters, they may just surprise you with with what they do with them.

You may find that just small LED lights (very low power) on the students' light stands (to brighten up faces) will be all that you'd need. That light can be bounced off their music sheets if the light mounts are forward enough. Either way, overhead lighting in a gymnasium is going to be pretty hard to work with.