Dennis Size
Forum Replies Created
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You’ve never seen any of my foamcore stained glass window breakups then! 🙂
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Interestingly enough, I am redesigning the lighting for a CBS studio that I had originally set-up 4 years ago. As I am want to do — especially then, when I was heavy into my “Arts & Crafts” phase — there were dozens of black foamcore flags (toppers, siders, and full box snoots) affixed to the 2000watt units, along with a few textural cuks cutouts. No one ever replaced any over the years, and the studio was active 18 hours a day. As the electricians were knocking down the current light hang I marvelled at how long the foamcore lasted — and never once did they have an issue. They were however VERRRYYYY dried out and some showed signs of slight melting.
|DS
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Are these open-face tungsten fixtures?
DS
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My philosophy: I can always make my light less intense (via dimmers, scrims, Chimeras/silks, screens, etc.) but when I need more light I can’t get a 500w fixture to deliver the output of a 1000w one.
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A lightbank with a silk will take an already wide source and make it very soft — but to do that it makes it wider. As we all know a big (wider) source of light, close to a subject will be very soft. Unfortunately that wide wash often “sprays” all over, and where we don’t want it; and needs to be shaped and controlled. The Chimera honeycomb is a metal (aluminum) grid of honeycomb-shaped openings that are “honed” to direct a beam of light through their tiny apertures, effectively narrowing the beam to as tight as a 30 degree spot or as wide as a 90 degree beam. The 60 degree grid works very effectively for 2 people. A 30 degree from the same distance will only light one of those people — successfully keeping the light off the other person — allowing you to light him/her separately. See the advantage? Plus the light fall-off is so great (it’s still a softight source afterall) the background is barely affected — assuming your subjects aren’t right up against the wall.
Obviously reducing a soft wash of light through tiny 30 degree openings costs lumen efficiency, and you will find you need a stronger source if you require brighter output. If you needed a rough guestimation — a 30 degree honeycomb, on a 5000w fresnel, will yield about 40 footcandles on a subject about 12′-0″ away.
Because they’re metal they have a certain amount of durability but the honeycomb grid is very thin metal and can be easily “mashed” — reducing it’s efficiency. It’s similar to the cooling grill on the back of an air conditioner. It doesn’t take much pressure to crush it.The honeycomb normally comes in a 1/4″ plywood box an inch bigger all around than the grid itself. It should continue to be stored and transported in this case for safety. Since it’s mostly air and aluminum, the honeycomb itself is not that heavy — depending on how big a grid you have — but it’s plywood box could be considered by some to be cumbersome. The honeycomb velcros to the inside of the lightbank like all other accessories. On the large Daylight banks you’ll find you have to safety tie the end of the light bank up to insure it maintains it’s focus, as it has a tendency to sag.
Hopefully this answers your questions. Feel free to ask more if it doesn’t. Check out the Chimera website for specs and photos of honeycombs in action.
DS -
There’s no point in spending all the money for a lightbank and a light source which new would cost hundreds of dollars (or thousands if you use them on 5k’s like I do) if you can’t control the beam.
You may as well join the ranks of our HOME DEPOT shoppers and buy a tungsten worklight, put a hunk of muslin in front of it, and be done with it. If you put a lightbank on an open-face source you’re getting a soft wash of uncontrollable light. You can achieve the same effect much, much cheaper by just buying a used scoop for $100.00 and putting 4 layers of tough spun or a silk, over it’s aperture. There will be next to no difference.
The honeycomb does more than just shape the beam, it provides true directionality to the beam … much more than fabric grids. I can achieve greater falloff without contaminating my backgrounds (very important when I’m dealing with projection surfaces behind the talent. I will concede they are heavier, more delicate, and not as easy to transport than fabric grids — but that is never a concern of mine. If the easier option is more important to you then go that route.DS
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As a long time Chimera user (who’s work has been featured in their catalogues), I’ve bought dozens and dozens of lightbanks over the years — and probably contributed to the sales of hundreds and hundreds. I’ll add my 2 cents.
I would never use a lightbank that didn’t have a light control grid; and given my druthers I would only use a honeycomb (my favorite for optimal control being the 30 degree).
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What are “your” lights?
DS
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Two bits of advice:
Budget $50,000.00 to $75,000.00….then hire a reputable company to properly do the project.DS
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Use a split gel frame of Rosco 16 and 320.
For added “spice” project a texture over it (soft gobo of your choice) using Rosco 2003 doubled….and dimmed to flavor.DS