Specials and Practicals

Specials:
An acting light that doesn't fit the general or set lighting.
   Used to separate an actor or area from the general lighting.
   May be obvious or subtle.
Classic examples:Spotlight focused on actor.  A solo light.

Other examples:
A special focused on an area to brighten it slightly.

   Special focused on furniture, a stairway, a door.

A special focused to create look of a light source.
   Ex.  Pool of light around a candle or wall sconce.
Instrument Choice:  determined by desired look.
Backing lights:
Often requires specialized fixtures.
   Wizards- 10" scoops
   Small broads
   Inkies- 3" fresnels
   "Stick-ups"
   Small yardlites and worklites
      Cheap and available.  No good way to add color.
   Clip lights w/ 150w. lamps
Backing lights often require extra masking on back of set to 
	prevent light leaks.

Practicals
Lights that work as in real life.
   EX: Table lights, chandeliers, wall sconces etc.
1st:  Purpose of practical: to look like it is providing light, 
not really doing it.
Real 100 w lamps too bright, take too much attention.
Use smaller than real lamps and dim to just read.
Level may change scene to scene.
2nd: Household lights not "legal" for use on stage.
Wired with zip cord, SPT-2.  Not meant for rough duty.
NEC requires hard usage cable on brackets and practicals.
	* Zip cord only allowed inside fixture where it is protected.
	* Must be connected to hard usage cable in base which is terminated 
	within 18" of unit where practical.
To be legal, practicals should be rewired and plugged into hard use cable ASAP.
Special Effects: Come under electrics if electrical in nature.
Examples:
Fire effects:
   •Fireplace inserts
   •Squirrel cage fan and raw silk.
   •FS-2 starters in series w. small lamps
Blacklights and strobes:
   •Blacklight tubes
   •Arc based projectors
Strobes:
   Trick is getting powerful enough
   •Commercial theatrical strobes are best.
      •Dataflash- can be DMX controlled.
Lightning:
   •Lightning gobos, cheezy unless used in combination w/ other effects.
   •Wide beam floods flashed or "chased"
   •Manual flash with momentary contact switches
Key is to use lower wattage but bright lamps.
		+ Photo Lamps
		+ Yardlights or DYS lamps
		+ Problem of heat-up time vs. wattage.
Lightbox:
   •Box with muslin face, lined w/ small A-lamps.
Classic "moonbox", a lightbox behind scrim.
   •Also works for street signs, etc.
Star drops:
   •Gobos- pinhole gobos in leko
   •Black curtain w/ hole in it, brightly lit bounce behind
   •Fiber-optic star drop, expensive but good.

Smokes and fogs, haze

Once required homemade equipment and some obnoxious chemicals. 
These days you can get commercial equipment that works very well quite cheaply.  
Rentable.
CO2 foggers- big tank of hot water into which crushed dry ice is dumped.
		+ Home-made cans used hot water heater elements
		+ Commercial units: use pumps to direct hot water over 
		CO2 pellets.
Glychol foggers and hazers.
Closely related:
		+ Foggers make billows of smoke;
		+ hazers a thin haze that makes light beams visible.
Produced commercially by several companies: IMPORTANT to match fog fluid 
to compatible machine.

NOTE, problems with singers, Actors Equity.
Liquid Nitrogen: technically not electrics, but worth knowing.
		+ Comes in big Dewars flask; an overgrown Thermos bottle.
		+ Valve opened to make fog.
		+ Care must be taken to avoid frostbite.

Flashpots and smokes:
Pyro is really a whole separate category.
Pyro license is required to mix your own.
A solution: commercial loads are available that only require firing to work. 
Pre-loaded by "experts", can sometimes be used without a license, 
depending on your AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction).
Use common sense: follow the instructions and 
don't fire them near people or flammable scenery.

©2000, Mick Alderson