From The Horse's Mouth

Hey, I can see everybody on the stage. Why do I need to put any color in the lights? Years ago when I was designing, several dance companies came through the local university road house from NYC. These were not major companies but smaller yet good companies. I noted a trend that no one was using much color and the colors that were being used were rather pale “washed out” colors. After one of the shows, I went backstage to ask what the deal was with the no color look as the dancers looked pale and not at all “ruddy”. I was told that it was a cost thing. The company did not carry much gel and preferred the lighter colors because they lasted longer. They were presenting rep works so the original designers either didn’t care or hadn’t seen the re-designs. I was a bit annoyed by this. Gel is one of the least expensive “frills” that a designer can use. It helps the performers look healthy, scenery look finished, and costumes look better. Even a small company should be able to afford color. Most theatres have a small inventory as well. Yes, the blue may not be the ideal blue or they may not all match but it will add to the “dimensioning” of the stage elements. It may be easy to cut the colors out of the lighting but remember that dancer from the northeast has been rehearsing in a dim studio and hasn’t seen the sun for awhile. Give them a break and “tan them up” with a Fatherless Amber (AP7050) or a Peach My Interest (AP7630).

As you thumb through your Apollo Gel book, you have probably stumbled upon a neutral density filter (AP2310, 2320, 2330) or two and wondered what does this do and why would I need it.  The neutral density filter is a basic light fixture or lamp dimmer that can be used in several different ways. It was originally created for the film industry where the use of dimming for the lighting of a scene was not always practical. Some film lights are discharge type fixtures that require ballasts and cannot be dimmed. The neutral density (usually called an “ND”) can be used to “dim down” the fixture to match the other fixtures or to only add a subtle fill to part of a scene. ND’s block light output without affecting the color temperature of the fixture. In architectural lighting, an ND can be used to drop down the output of harsh fluorescents or discharge lamps to match other sources. In today’s lighting world of brighter is better, the ND is a good tool to remember.  So you are probably thinking, “How does this help me, the theatrical lighting designer?” Well, with the bevy of various lamp wattages and fixture efficiencies out there, an ND can be a godsend. Let’s say that you only have an ETC Source Four with a 750 watt HPL lamp and an Altman 360Q with a 500 watt lamp to project 2 gobos on your cyc and only 1 dimmer left. There will be a big intensity difference between the two fixtures. With the use of an ND, the Source Four can be dimmed to match the 360Q. Cool huh?  So you may not need 100 sheets of the neutral density filters in your gel file but a few of each density will come in handy at around 11:00pm when you are trying to match those fixtures before the director starts screaming.

Apollo follows the dealer distribution model in getting our products to market, so we are obviously big advocates for supporting your local entertainment lighting dealer.  But I occasionally hear end user complaints that they can’t always get the products they need, when they need them, because the dealers don’t stock them and then the dealer tries to switch them to a brand they do  have on the shelf.  Keep in mind dealers are in business to make money.  They make tough decisions everday on what to keep on hand.  Apollo’s reputation for excellent customer service contributes many times, oddly enough, to their stocking decisions of our products.  They know they can rely on us to get them, in most cases, in a day or two. 

But they also know the importance of end users in this business having immediate access to products in crunch time.  They understand you have other options for purchasing products, so if they don’t carry them sales can be easily lost.  Apollo Gel  is a perfect example of this.  As we continue to gain momentum against the more established gel brands, our dealers are having to decide how many color systems to stock.  Simply asking your favorite dealer to start stocking your most often used Apollo colors can be the solution.  It is amazing how just a few requests will sway a dealer to start stocking a product.  For your less time sensitive needs, planning ahead and rebuilding your gel stock in the off season will also show dealers where the demand is and influence their stocking decisions.

We are excited to announce the newest Standing O Award winner, Natalie Robin! She is based in NYC where she writes for a national design magazine, teaches at NYU, and snaps amazing photos when she’s not creating transcendent moments on stage.

Why did we choose Natalie …  She’s a master of light. Natalie knows how to create transcendent moments on stage using just the right effect. “I’m a big believer in giving a show what it needs,” says Natalie. “Often the right thing is the most simple, most old-fashioned, most crafty.” You gotta love that. And the fact that she loves Apollo gel.

More on the Award …  At Apollo, we figured it was time we joined in the fun of recognizing the up-and-coming LDs in this business. So we created a cool award just for them – the Standing O. We give it out to lighting designers who represent the best of the new breed of whiz kids. The winner is someone who uses gel creatively. Knows their stuff. Has a killer resume. Enjoys breakin’ the rules. And strives to do things no one’s ever seen before. In short, it’s someone who’s lighting the way for future LDs.

Want to know more about Natalie and the Standing O Award click here.

Think you know a lighting designer that is Standing O material, send an email to marketing@apollodesign.net!

Want to meet Natalie? Stop by the Apollo booth (#440) at USITT. She will also be participating on our panel discussion at USITT on Thursday afternoon.

Join our USITT …

Apollo is gelebrating 10 colorful years of Apollo Gel and we cordially invite you to share in our gelebration at the following events during USITT:
 
 

Thursday, March 10th
 
Event:   “Name That Gel Color” Contest
When:   11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where:  Apollo Booth #440.
What:    Take a look at the new color we are adding and enter a creative name for it.  Keep in mind tough standards have been set with names like Simply Mauvelous and Yellow Snow, so all entries should be fun and descriptive. The Grand Prize winner receives an iPod Touch, Honorable Mentions a Gelebration t-shirt!  Entry deadline is 5:30 p.m. Friday.
 
Event:    Light Lab Session “Lighting Projects for the Classroom”
When:   1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Where:  Convention Center Ballroom B
What:    Apollo Gel, Smart Color scrollers, and gobos are in The Lab.
 
Event:    Exhibitor Session “Seeing in Color! Finding Your Way Through Wonderland”
When:   2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where:  Convention Center Room 208
What:    For a lighting designer, the tools available to color light range from long-standing methods to rapidly emerging technologies. This panel discussion, composed of designers from a variety of live entertainment styles – including dance, theatre, and concerts – cuts through the confusion by offering the student and young designer valuable insights on the products available today for creating color that best complements the theme, story, or music. Panel moderator: K.C. Hooper, Apollo Product Specialist.
 
Event:    Light Lab Session “Lighting Makeup, Costumes, and the Multi-Ethnic Cast”
When:   5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Where:  Convention Center Ballroom B
What:    Apollo Gel and Smart Color scrollers are in The Lab.
 
Event:  New Product Showcase
When: 7:00 p.m.
Where:  Convention Center Ballroom C
What:  Watch a memorable Gelebration video and try to snag a limited edition Apollo Gelebration t-shirt!

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Happy leprechauns or swirling shamrocks can surround and enhance any party you may have to design.  Choose MS-3542 Shamrock Swirl and add AP5900 Cactus Juice Green  to create an affordable color design. 

Inspiring gobos such as Alleluia, Rejoice, or He Is Risen  can help create ambiance at your church gathering for Easter.  Several options for both St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are available. Click here to view the St. Patrick’s Day / Easter gobo flyer.

Apollo was helping Madison get ready for Super Bowl XLV by lighting their State Capitol building.  Featured colors AP6800 Mustard  and AP5800 Envy Green. Thanks John S. Hyatt!

Did you know that you can double up or lighten up on gel color in lights? You may have found a terrific blue with just a hint of green but want more or less saturation. A look through the swatchbook finds nothing that has the right combination. You can use two or three sheets to achieve your saturation with the right hint of green. At the other end, you can take the perfect color and use a hole punch to randomly punch small holes in the gel. That will lighten the saturation of color without affecting the color distribution drastically. Keep it in mind.

You may have a performer in a down pool with two extreme colors in their costume and only one instrument to light it with. How do you find the right color? First, try color testing with a tabletop instrument to see if there is a “happy medium” color. That would be a color that has elements of both colors in it. If this does not work, find a color that enhances each color and use the two colors to make a split gel. A split gel is made by taking the two colors and cutting them in half or in quarters and mixing them to create a gel that works visually for both. You can use transparent tape to tape them together as it will not absorb any energy and stay cool. Do a bit of testing to see how well the colors mix. My gel box had hundreds of split colors in it. Play with them, it’s part of the fun in this business.

 Examples of split gel

I’ve done a lot of shows in high schools where the gel storage was a pile of different sized cuts in a gel shipping box. An organized gel stock is imperative to a well run theatre. I have seen many styles of storage and will go over a few. If you have a good storage tip, please add it to the comments.

Target Crates
I found these small crates that Target stores sell for miscellaneous storage. I added the velcro straps because I ship them all over for color presentations. They are flexible, hold up well, and are pretty inexpensive.

45 rpm Records storage boxes
These are perfect for storing 7.5” (6” fixtures) cuts and 6.25” cuts (ETC S4 fixtures). They can be bought online from a company called Light Impressions for $15.90 each. They also carry an LP album storage box which measures 13.25”x13.25” for larger gel cuts for $18.64

CD Storage boxes
There are several companies that sell larger CD storage boxes. These will accommodate the smaller (continue reading…)