Set Design and Construction: Gobo on a black traveller

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Gobo on a black traveller

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3827
Printed Date: 10/30/25 at 10:23pm
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Topic: Gobo on a black traveller

Posted By: Kim L.
Subject: Gobo on a black traveller
Date Posted: 2/14/09 at 8:29am

We need a New York Street Scene for a small portion of the musical we are doing. Instead of making marquis signs, I would like to use a gobo of a street scene, shined on the black traveller curtain. I have never used a gobo before. Can I shine it on a curtain with ripples in it instead of a flat screen? Will the audience be able to see that this is a NY street scene? I can't afford to rent a scrim. Also, is it difficult to use a gobo or relatively simple?

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Kim

Replies:

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 2/14/09 at 10:57am

To use gobos you need a decent ellipsoidal spot and a gobo holder and a gobo. Typically a gobo is a thin piece of stainless steel with cutouts in the shape of whatever you want to project. Examples can be found at

http://www.premier-lighting.com/sales/roscogobocat/world.html - http://www.premier-lighting.com/sales/roscogobocat/world.html .

It most likely won't look that great on a black curtain, or any curtain that has fullness. It will be a pretty dim image too. Another issue is that the image will be distorted and only part of it will be in focus if the light isn't pretty square to the projection surface. Older (and newer cheap ellipsoidal) cause a lot of damage to the gobos and cause them to warp which limits how in focus you can get the image.

You might be better off with a "cut-out" skyline. If you put some lights behind the cutout, that will give a little light along the horizon.