Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Hazer reccomendation

Author

Message

SavTD
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 9/05/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6

Topic: Hazer reccomendation
Posted: 3/11/09 at 5:17pm

I am shopping for a hazer for my roughly 25'x40' space. It seems that there are a lot of cheap looking $100- 300 models and a lot of near $1000 or more models, but not a whole lot in between.

Can anyone reccomend anything in the $500 (or less : ) range that is a good quality hazer that produces actual haze and not fog?

Thanks!

IP Logged

TEPA
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 12/22/08
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 3/12/09 at 9:35am

Our proscenium covers approx 75sq meters incl wings. I recently purchased 2 acme (I think that is the name) fazers for $200 ea (AU) and they are excellent

They run on fog juice and only use a tiny amount of juice. The lighting effects are great and most importantly, there is no complaints from cast or the audience. I run one either side of the stage. The more expensivre ones use a different fluid and are cold and instant running. I dont think it ds warrant the huge price difference though. With a 10 min warm up time, you can use them all day and all night

Hope this helps

John

Technical Entertainment Production Academy

IP Logged

Mr. Lowell
Celebrity

Joined: 1/30/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 269

Posted: 3/26/09 at 12:43pm

I needed a hazer recently for "Les Miserables School Edition". I needed one that could run at variable output rates for the entire 2-1/2 show, and do so without setting off the smoke detectors or harming the voices of the singers.

The one I purchased did all of this perfectly!

http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/IMG_3402.JPG

It was $600.00, plus another $100.00 for the DMX interface module. (We ended up controlling it manually from backstage, so I did not use the DMX component for this particular production).

The quality of the "haze" was outstanding. I had the crew run it at 30% for general scenes and at 100% for the bridge scene and the battles at the barricade. Here is a photo of a somber moment in the barricade scene. I made the haze pop to life by using Roscolux 383 gel in my 1000 watt low-angle backlights.

http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/IMG_3436.JPG

The hazer is stage-left behind the wooden staircase. The flow of air-conditioning goes toward stage-right. So this created a perfect left-to-right flow of thick haze that pretty much stayed upstage behind the barricade. Here is another snapshot taken from the pit:

http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/LMisWings.jpg

In this photo of the bridge scene, you can see the nice foggy effect for Javert's dramatic solo. The haze hangs well in mid-air, and in this scene it actually looks like I'm running an old-fashioned Fog Machine.

http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/DSC_0226.JPG

This hazer can run for an entire 6 hour tech rehearsal before the tank needs to be refilled. The haze seems to be extremely safe. There is absolutely no musty odor. There is no slippery fallout on the stage like from a chemical fogger. And like I mentioned, there were absolutely no complaints or coughing from our singers. But best of all, the water-based haze did not set off the smoke alarms in the house or in the HVAC ducts backstage. (However, I must admit that when I was testing the DMX functions with the machine in the confines of the lighting booth, I set off the fire alarm...DOH!)

The price of this unit may seem high, but I see it as an investment in my theatre's gear for the next 10 or 15 years. Besides, the Director was quick to justify the cost because she wanted me to "light the air" for Les Miserables. Now that I have this machine, I plan to use it in place of my old Rosco Fog machine in many instances, because when set at 100% output, it has the same effect as the old chemical fogger...only safer.

Good luck, Dana

Mr. Lowell,
Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director,
for the Linda Sloan Theatre,
in the Davison Center for the Arts,
at Greensboro Day School

IP Logged

SavTD
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 9/05/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6

Posted: 3/30/09 at 2:15pm

Awesome... The pictures are great! Thank you.

I don't mind spending a little more as long as I know I'm getting a quality product... I feel I've been burned so many times by shoddy craftsmanship or products that don't work as advertised online, and I really didn't want to invest nearly $1000 in something that would just end up being a fog machine masquerading as a hazer.

Yet again, thanks for the input : )

IP Logged

Lights and Sound
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Lights and Sound

Author	Message
SavTD Walk-On Joined: 9/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Topic: Hazer reccomendation Posted: 3/11/09 at 5:17pm
	I am shopping for a hazer for my roughly 25'x40' space. It seems that there are a lot of cheap looking $100- 300 models and a lot of near $1000 or more models, but not a whole lot in between. Can anyone reccomend anything in the $500 (or less : ) range that is a good quality hazer that produces actual haze and not fog? Thanks!

	IP Logged

TEPA Walk-On Joined: 12/22/08 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/12/09 at 9:35am
	Hi Our proscenium covers approx 75sq meters incl wings. I recently purchased 2 acme (I think that is the name) fazers for $200 ea (AU) and they are excellent They run on fog juice and only use a tiny amount of juice. The lighting effects are great and most importantly, there is no complaints from cast or the audience. I run one either side of the stage. The more expensivre ones use a different fluid and are cold and instant running. I dont think it ds warrant the huge price difference though. With a 10 min warm up time, you can use them all day and all night Hope this helps John
	Technical Entertainment Production Academy
	IP Logged

Mr. Lowell Celebrity Joined: 1/30/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 269	Posted: 3/26/09 at 12:43pm
	I needed a hazer recently for "Les Miserables School Edition". I needed one that could run at variable output rates for the entire 2-1/2 show, and do so without setting off the smoke detectors or harming the voices of the singers. The one I purchased did all of this perfectly! http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/IMG_3402.JPG It was $600.00, plus another $100.00 for the DMX interface module. (We ended up controlling it manually from backstage, so I did not use the DMX component for this particular production). The quality of the "haze" was outstanding. I had the crew run it at 30% for general scenes and at 100% for the bridge scene and the battles at the barricade. Here is a photo of a somber moment in the barricade scene. I made the haze pop to life by using Roscolux 383 gel in my 1000 watt low-angle backlights. http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/IMG_3436.JPG The hazer is stage-left behind the wooden staircase. The flow of air-conditioning goes toward stage-right. So this created a perfect left-to-right flow of thick haze that pretty much stayed upstage behind the barricade. Here is another snapshot taken from the pit: http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/LMisWings.jpg In this photo of the bridge scene, you can see the nice foggy effect for Javert's dramatic solo. The haze hangs well in mid-air, and in this scene it actually looks like I'm running an old-fashioned Fog Machine. http://www.lowell.to/DesignLesMis/DSC_0226.JPG This hazer can run for an entire 6 hour tech rehearsal before the tank needs to be refilled. The haze seems to be extremely safe. There is absolutely no musty odor. There is no slippery fallout on the stage like from a chemical fogger. And like I mentioned, there were absolutely no complaints or coughing from our singers. But best of all, the water-based haze did not set off the smoke alarms in the house or in the HVAC ducts backstage. (However, I must admit that when I was testing the DMX functions with the machine in the confines of the lighting booth, I set off the fire alarm...DOH!) The price of this unit may seem high, but I see it as an investment in my theatre's gear for the next 10 or 15 years. Besides, the Director was quick to justify the cost because she wanted me to "light the air" for Les Miserables. Now that I have this machine, I plan to use it in place of my old Rosco Fog machine in many instances, because when set at 100% output, it has the same effect as the old chemical fogger...only safer. Good luck, Dana
	Mr. Lowell, Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director, for the Linda Sloan Theatre, in the Davison Center for the Arts, at Greensboro Day School
	IP Logged

SavTD Walk-On Joined: 9/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Posted: 3/30/09 at 2:15pm
	Awesome... The pictures are great! Thank you. I don't mind spending a little more as long as I know I'm getting a quality product... I feel I've been burned so many times by shoddy craftsmanship or products that don't work as advertised online, and I really didn't want to invest nearly $1000 in something that would just end up being a fog machine masquerading as a hazer. Yet again, thanks for the input : )
	IP Logged

Topic: Hazer reccomendation( Topic Closed)