[Dennis Size]

Glad to be of help.
Usually when I’m stuck lighting a hotel room I order several source 4 juniors (fixed lens at 50 deg) so I can get plenty of “texture coverage” on my backgrounds. I also use 375w lamps — which is more than enough intensity — to avoid blowing breakers.
Necessity being the “mother of invention” I too have very often used black wrap gobos in front of fresnels. By the way, you’ll find the texture is “stronger” when you remove the lens.
You should also try cutting various textures out of heavy gauge broiler pans that you’ve cut to the size of your fixture’s color frame. They’re easy to carry around and having a variety pre-cut and ready to slide in front of your fixture saves time.
DS

[Dennis Size]

Wider? WOW…a 50 degree lens is pretty wide (although you could get full sized lekos with 70 and 90 degree lenses). With your lens set at 50 degrees, at a distance of 15′ you should be able to get a beam diameter of almost 14′-0″.

The Source 4 is known for its positive locking, hand-operated yoke clutch. I’m surprised you’re having a problem getting it to stay in position. Normally the only Source 4 I’ve ever had issues with are full sized units with a big 5 deg lens (which causes it to be front heavy). You should take it to your dealer as ask what you might be doing wrong — or what’s wrong with the fixture you have.

DS

[Dennis Size]

I agree with Todd. It’s a shame, but lighting design has gotten a whole lot “lazier” due to the easier and more forgiving nature of softlight technology.
By the way Bill — that was a SUPERB analysis!!!!!

DS

[Dennis Size]

“Even a 55degree leko is going to have trouble filling the front of a 3×4 Chimera from the distance of a common speed ring, isn’t it? How do you get it to fill the front silk?

BILL: I’m very sorry, I got so long-winded in my response to lighting with lekos that I forgot to answer your direct question above.
I get the beam of light to fill the entire front silk in a lightbank by simply removing the lens barrel, creating a strong, wide, fairly diffuse light source. I’ve even taped tough spun over it to make a softlight. Shoot it through a diffuser to make it even softer if you wish.
Experiment and have fun. Just because a company makes an instrument to do one function, it doesn’t mean you must use it for that function — as is evidenced by the dozens of HOME DEPOT L.D.’s supplying their “Rube Goldberg” techniques to the FORUM over the years.

DS

[Dennis Size]

Actually Anderson many of us ARE using LED’s.
The dictate from most of our clients these days is to be totally “green”. Energy efficient fixtures that utilize minimal electricity, generate minimal heat, and require even less labor to maintain them, are the “marching orders” we live with on many of our current projects.
We designed the main BLOOMBERG Network Newsroom Studio using 100 LED fixtures as keylights.
Next week I am installing a Press Room facility in Africa for a presidential palace. The “studio” of 50 instruments is a mix of LED, Fluorescent, and CDM fixtures. I also did many other installations recently, such as the White House Press Room (where over 50 Lite-Panels were used), the State Department, the United Nations, ATLANTIC Media, the American Enterprise Institute (just finished last week with 30 color Kinetics iWhite LED fixtures), and 3 studios for CBS Radio — yep, RADIO! — that I finished last month using over 50 Color Kinetics eWhite LED’s as keylights.
We currently have proposals submitted to a few television networks for major studios using all LED’s in conventional instrumentation (such as lekos, fresnels, softlights).
The world and the lighting technology we use is changing FAST!
DS

[Dennis Size]

For many years, I lit 20/20 in New York, along with dozens and dozens of Barbara’s specials — in addtion to consulting on THE VIEW when it went on air. She was almost always lit with a soft chimera surround (large lightbanks, with 5kw fresnels as the source), and a single hard key at the camera (usually a 19 or 26 degree ellipsoidal on a stand slightly softened with a light diffusion) plus a 1kw fresnel diffused floor light (much like John described) to fill in the shadows from below. The relatively large “firepower” was necessary because the set was so large and distance from camera lens to home base talent was about 10 feet, or more. When lighting in a smaller space the same exact “design” was used … just with lower wattages and smaller fixtures (such as a 650w baby soft or 1 x 1 light panel from below and a 36 degree Jr as a main key, and small chimeras or Kino diva’s as fill).
Don’t believe everything you hear some star said or specified, as apocryphy runs rampant in our industry. Years ago, when chimeras were starting to become popular, I latched onto them for all my
shows, but not because Barbara Walters demanded them (as an early Chimera catalogue once said in describing my work and use of chimeras). The 4kw and 8kw softlights we previously used as the standard “weapon” were ridiculously heavy and hard to control without wasting an unbelievable amount of time flagging. A lightbank with a 30 or 60 degree honeycomb provided a soft beam of light with extremely good control — without spending a lot of time shaping the beam and flagging it off other talent, walls, and projection screens (which started to become very popular).
Regarding the fragile nature of ellipsoidals (specifically Source 4 “lekos”) ….. if they weren’t able to travel well, they wouldn’t be the standard instrument of choice for dozens upon dozens of theatrical productions collectively using thousands upon thousands of fixtures touring in trucks all over the world. A standard stage production will travel with a few hundred lekos mounted on pipes or truss and not in cases at all. When I do shows they are sent from shop to site and back, thrown in hampers or road boxes — with minimal padding. I have seen a lot of ENG shooters (who work hard for the money to buy their one or two fixtures) successfully create cases for them, using a variety of materials from bubble wrap, to sonex, to carved foam, and simply funiture pads.
One comment I will make regarding the problem you’re having with the shutters (the “fragile leaf steel barn door controls”), don’t leave them pulled out. The shutters should always be pushed inward. The 4 shutters will make contact with each other internally and provide a lot of rigid support for protection.

[Dennis Size]

Don’t be confused …be bold — and open to anything.
Most of my colleagues use Source 4’s just as extensively as I do. I must admit however, 30 years ago (when I started bringing such instrumentation into active video lighting) most of my colleagues scoffed just as you do.
As lighting designers we must be able to work with light in all forms; especially when we’re not always given the form we want. I successfully use ellipsoidals (especially the Source 4) for lighting faces at distances from 6 feet to 60 feet. There’s not a single video shoot I do — from a small hotel room interview with a Diane Sawyer, Joan Rivers, or Barbara Walters to a major studio shoot — where at least 50% of my fixtures aren’t Source 4 lekos. It’s my main choice of instrument for key lighting.
As for being my “weapon” of choice if I were only allowed one lighting instrument on a shoot, I leave you this thought — you can’t make a soft light hard …. but you can always make a hard light soft. The simple $300 Source 4 is much more versatle than any other instrument available.

DS

[Dennis Size]

I would hardly call a Source 4 Junior heavy. In terms of flexibility, if I only had one choice of instrument to take with me on a shoot — it would be a Source 4 Junior zoom.
If you want a lighter/smaller fixture to light your backgrounds however then buy a Dedo light with Projector lens.

DS

[Dennis Size]

Rosebrand in New York City will have everything you need.

DS

[Dennis Size]

KURT: What school are you teaching at?

DS