Directing: To Gobo Or Not to Gobo

To Gobo Or Not to Gobo

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
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Topic: To Gobo Or Not to Gobo

Posted By: Firace
Subject: To Gobo Or Not to Gobo
Date Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:26pm

Hi me again! You guys are so great with advice I have to ask:

We currently do our CT monthly out of a town hall. We do not use sets or set design. I was thinking of using Gobos and Gobo projector for background effect. . Problem is I am clueless about these things. Does anybody use them? Does the projector need to be mounted? We can not do that because it is not our space. Can someone give me step by step advice on how to use one, where to go for projector/gobos? What type to buy...ANYTHING!!!!!

Replies:

Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:33pm

We use Gobo's a lot in our theater, they are a great way to create the feeling of a location without having to have a physical set. Use a couple tree gobos, your in a forest, a stained glass window shape, and your in a church, etc.

There are a couple copmanies the make them, for example http://www.rosco.com/us/index.asp - http://www.rosco.com/us/index.asp , and you can buy them from any theatrical supply company. There is a list of vendors on rosco's site.

To use them there isn't an actual projector, you just use a standard elipsoidal lighting instruments that has a gobo slot on it. You will need to mount the instruments somewhere. If the facility you are using doesn't have a place to hang instruments buy, rent or build a free standing lighting tree.

Since you brought up projectors, that is another technique for doing scenery. My theater has been using a computer driven presentation projector recently. You can use it to project either still frames or video, and although it's a lot more expensive then using gobos it has a lot more flexibility.

Dan

Posted By: Firace
Date Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:50pm

Hi Dan

Thank you for your reply...Can you give me more information on the computer driven presentation projector? Where do I find one? how much? how does it work? Is this the one that work behind a screen and project an image? Doesn't it have to be quite a distance behind the screen?

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 7/06/07 at 9:06am

As an alternative to using gobo's, try the Selecon Pacific range of profile lamps.

You can project an image printed on clear mylar from your computer.

The Pacific {Elipsoidal (Profile)} type lantern disapates the heat from the light source enabling plastic to be used.

They are cheap to purchase & available thre.

hire one in check it out.

http://www.seleconlight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=211 - http://www.seleconlight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=211

With image projection back stage, bounce it through a mirror on tto the upstage side of a scim. By using the mirror you can 1:5 increase in area.

This is the cheapest way to go & you may have to introduce Legs, boarder & groundrow to mask the projection.

Also you can hire image projectors & use them in the same fasion.

Actualy we in theatre should term them BOGO"s meaning Black Out Go rather the film interpritation of Go B/O,

(but that's another story when DC Voltage was prevelent)

-------------
Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}