Where should side lights sit?

how many lights are you using for these side lighting? I would try to make the coverage even but light the back of the performers aswell as the front. Need to see faces now don't we? Also if you light the back you can do some cool dark back lighting for intro's to slow songs? you know how you may see a dark stage slowly light up from the back and all you see is the dark outline of the performers? Like that.
Sincerely,

Put the poles on the side of the stage, if not slightly in front, and the higher the better. You want the lights shining DOWN onto the performers, not right into their faces(if you can do that)

Backlighting can be done via many different ways, including from above and behind, ground mounted aimed up.... so many choices.

I find it best when I can use a flown truss of lighting, but we can't all do that now, can we? I'm largely restricted to using ADJ LTS-2 stands, which go up to 12 feet high. Not bad!

When lighting from poles/T-bars, this is what I like to do in my case:
I currently have 8 ADJ 64 LED Pros. I will replace these with Elation Opti Tri Pars(don't change my mind, it's a done decision now!!). If I can divide the stage into 4 zones, and 1 band member in each zone, I try to hit each performer from each side.

Like this. Likes go from audience left to right:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

1-4 are 1 group. 5-8 are the other group.

Zones are Left, Left/Center, Right Center, Right.

1 and 5 high left, 2 and 6 hit left center, 3 and 7 hit right center and that leaves 4 and 8 hitting right. The idea is to TRY to light them up evenly.

I also have 4 Mega Bar 50's that I could use as foot lights to go UP into them. I also have 4 Mega Panels that I could use as backlighting.

Now, if I had a drummer, I'd be included to purchase some very wide pattern LED wash lights to light that guy up, either via a t-bar stand behind him or, as I saw in a Megadeth concern on TV, a pair of LED brick-type lights mounted into the drum cage on the upper tier where the cymbals are. other options for the drummer are floor mounted cans in and around the kit.

I may not have made my question clear; or maybe I don't understand the answers. Maybe this is because I did not mention that I have back lighting in addition to the upwash of the back wall. I've got a ParBar with one of its four lights on the back of the drummer (that light also puts a little light on the two other musicians stage left), one light directly on the two guys stage left and the other two lights backlight the three musicians stage right.

I also have a four light, 12' stand on each side of the stage up front shining down on the front of the musicians [thanks Chris for the tips on where to aim them]. Finally I have a Mega Bar 50 on the floor uplighting the front of the musicians on each side of the stage.

My question was: What should I do with the Electro Eliminator Panels on a pole on each side of stage? These side lights on each side of the stage are in addition to the front lighting and back lighting.

What are your thoughts about the use of the side lights? Should forget about side lights and use them somewhere else?

Thanks,

Hobson

I'm having a hard time understanding you. Sorry, it's because I'm not making a stage plot.

Could you make a stage plot and show your lights? I think that would help. Your stuff behind the drummer aiming INTO the stage is backlighting though, that's for sure.

hobson i can post your picture of your diagram that you gave me. Let me know.
Sincerely,

James,

That would be the best. Trying to make a diagram with text would take a lot of time.

Thanks.

Hobson

ok. Here is Hobson's Lighting Layout.

Thanks for posting the layout James.

Based on Chris's comments I'm now thinking that rather than aim color washes at the floor in front of players I should shift all the musician spots so that the free light on each pole is on the inside and have it aimed at the musicians across the stage with an amber light. This will give me better two direction lighting on the musicians.

Still leaves open the question as to what to do with the side lights.

James: I've emailed to you a revised Stage Layout based on Chris's comments. Would you mind posting it for me?

Hobson

I'd move the side wash lights further upstage otherwise you're just lighting gear only and it will look a bit odd. Nobody except techs care about your backline.

As far as aiming onto the floor in front of the musicians, that's not a good idea as not enough light is going to carry. With my big show, I have to aim about mid-stage to try to cover sufficiently, because if I aim to really hit the cast properly, now I'm washing out the projected movie. When I get the new Opti Tri Pars, I will try to raise those further up and hit further back and DOWN into the stage, while I will retain the 64 LED Pros to hit more upstage to help catch anything else.

This leaves me still needing to replace the 4 Chauvet Intimidator Colors with still something else.

UPDATED HOBSON SET UP:

Hobson is doing what MORE people need to do with their light shows at this level:

PLOT IT OUT!!

While I'm not going to say "good/bad", what I will note is what is GOOD: Clearly marking what goes where and how it is aimed. That coupled with his stage plot and we've got a show that's set to quickly load and set(within reasonable limitations).

Now, without PHOTOS or VIDEO, and seeing how things actually worked, it's hard to make additional suggestions. I still stand behind my idea to move the side lights up to around the people line, and if possible, move the people further upstage. The side lights should be even or slightly in front of them. UNLESS you want the light shine THROUGH them(which can be quite cool too, depending if you're using fog or haze or the right lights)

Then again, the graphic is for demonstration purposes only and is NOT to scale but more for approximate placement, which again, is further than most folks go.

Side light is really for effect. Generally, you want it in sections covering the whole stage. I use it to section off stuff often. Then there is high side and side light. Two different types. High side is generally more wash. Side light that is at head level or below is more effect.

I would say with your plot, it should probably be in line with the guys downstage. The would be the most effective use. If you put it upstage of them, then you bleed onto the audience and it becomes more of a low back light. When I get home, I will see if I can't post a video of a dance number that I did with pure side and back light so you can see the effect. You should be able to wash people perfectly, head to toe, in a color with side light.

Now, you might want a behind the back, bleed into the audience thing. There are more effective ways of doing that though. For example:



Hope its not too confusing what I am saying. If it is, I will try to explain it better. As for what you are looking for, I can't say. It might not be side light that you are looking for but something else completely.

Thanks for your comments SerraAva. And the pictures. Looks like you put on a great show.

I wish I knew what I was looking for! I just kept seeing articles and posts that emphasised the importance of side lights "to add depth." Depth sounded good [Who wants a shallow light show?] - so I got some side lights.

My basic question is: Now what do I do with them to get the most out of them - to get that "depth" that everyone was talking about?

Thanks for any additional thoughts you might share on the subject.

Hobson

Yup, I would put them inline/slightly downstage of the guys in front and focus across. This let's you do things like one color from one side and one from the other to break up the body and added depth. Just side light and no front light also works well and gives a different feel. You can even try just side light from one side for dramatic effect now and then. Creates nice shadows on one half of the face.

Side light also generally works well with back light and complements each other. You can have just sidelight and back light on for whole numbers. Sidelight has a very flattening/evening out effect vs using front light which is generally hung over head and pointed down. This creates little shadows on the face and with clothes. Sidelight setup correctly gets rid of those shadows.

Color is also very important in getting the most out of sidelight. Contrasting colors with back light tend to be very effective and create more depth. One of my favorites is amber side with blue back or visa versa as seen here:


That is R21 side light with full blue LED from behind. Also, here is the tail end of the video I was going to show. That dance was pure R27 side light with green and purple LED back. Notice how flat she looks. Start of the following dance is also just side light and back light, so you can see the different shadows it casts with people running across the stage.

Also, thanks for your complements. That was a fun show I did 4 years ago at this point. A shame I don't have good pictures of it.

Wow! What a helpful response!

I'm going to try everything you said. Can't wait to see how it looks. If I can achieve 10% of what you did in the pic above and the video, I'll be happy.

Thanks much.

Hobson