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C
CITT
Canadian Institute for Theater Technology.
CLEANERS
Auditorium working lights. Used for cleaning and setting up the auditorium
before the house lights (usually more atmospheric) are switched on.
CLOVE HITCH
Invaluable knot that every technician should know.
CMY
Cyan / Magenta / Yellow - the three secondary (additive) colors of light
which are used in moving lights for color mixing. Some cheaper systems use
three graduated color scrolls (one of each color) in front of a standard
fixture, but these take a massive amount of intensity out of the beam,
resulting in a dim light on stage. Many moving lights use a similar system
with dichroic colors which are more efficient and longer-lasting.
COLOR CALL
A list compiled from the lighting plan of all the colors needed for the rig,
and their size. This term also applies to the act of preparing color filters
and frames from such a listing.
COLOR CHANGER
1) Scroller, where a long string of up to 16 colors is passed horizontally
in front of a lantern. Remotely controlled by the lighting desk. Some
scrollers have cooling fans to prolong the life of the gel string. Stronger
colors will burn out faster without cooling, or if the focus of the beam is
concentrated on the gel. If colors aren't lasting very long in scrollers,
try changing the focus of the lantern. HEAT SHIELD clear gel should be used
between the lens and the color scroller to absorb some of the heat.
2) Wheel, Electrically or manually operated disc which is fitted to the
front of a lantern with several apertures holding different color filters
which can be selected to enable color changes. Can also be selected to run
continuously.
3) Semaphore, where framed colors are electrically lowered into place in
front of the lantern. Remotely controllable. Can perform additive color
mixing by lowering two colors into position at the same time.
4) Magazine, Manual semaphore-type device used on the front of a followspot.
Known in the USA as a BOOMERANG.
COLOR CORRECTION
The use of color filters to compensate for the different color temperatures
of different light sources. Important in lighting for TV and film.
COLOR FILTER
A sheet of plastic usually composed of a colored resin sandwiched between
two clear pieces. The colored filter absorbs all the colors of light except
the color of the filter itself, which it allows through. For this reason,
denser colors get very hot, and can burn out very quickly. There are a
number of manufacturers of Color Filters - Lee (UK), Rosco (US) and Gam
(Great American Market - US) are the most popular. Each manufacturer's range
has a numbering system for the different colors. It's important to specify
which range you're talking about when quoting numbers.
A color filter is sometimes known as a Gel, after the animal material
Gelatine, from which filters were originally made.
COLOR FRAME
(or Gel Frame) A frame which holds the color filter in the guides at the
front of a lantern. Many different sizes of frames are needed for the
different lanterns.
COLOR MIXING
Combining the effects of two or more lighting gels:
1) Additive, Focusing two differently colored beams of light onto the same
area (eg Cyc Floods). Combining colors in this way adds the colors together,
eventually arriving at white. The three primary colors additively mix to
form white, as do the complementary colors.
2) Subtractive, Placing two different gels in front of the same lantern.
Subtractive mixing is used to obtain a color effect that is not available
from stock or from manufacturers. Because the ranges of color are so wide,
the need for subtractive mixing is reducing. Combining colors in this way
reduces the light towards blackness. The three primary colors mix
subtractively to form black (or to block all the light).
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