Creating a camera flashgun effect

[howard binysh]

currently working on a production and need to create the effect of photographers flashguns going off - three situtions :

 

1. a series of six flahes at specific intervals from three different lamps

 

2. a bank of flashes

 

3. mug shot flashes from a single source

 

Any suggestions on how to do it

 

thanks

 

We have just purchased a jester TLXtra (and I am new to this )

[Jon Hole]

Hi Howard,

 

Do you have the budget to hire something in to do this effect for you?

 

If not, what do you already have?

 

If it's just tungsten, it's quite hard to get the effect you want, as there's a natural dimming curve with a tungsten lamp due to the filament warming up and cooling down. You can, however, slightly get around this by putting a preheat on the lamp, so instead of flashing from 0% > 100% > 0% you instead flash from 10% > 100% > 10%.

 

You could program a "follow on" cue within you memory stack (search the manual for "auto" and "dwell") or you could put this onto a submaster and manually use the flash buttons.

 

Hope that helps a little bit. Remember to use some CT Blue gel to get a cooler colour temperature from your tungsten lamps

[howard binysh]

Thanks , we will have two tungsten floods and a single DMX strobe.

 

With the Dwell function is it possible to effectively set up a chain of flashes in a pre timed pattern ?

[Jon Hole]

We've discussed this on the phone, but for everyone else's help...

 

With the Dwell function is it possible to effectively set up a chain of flashes in a pre timed pattern ?

 

Yes, so for example:

 

Memory 10 - Trigger GO - Fade 0s - 1st Light on

Memory 11 - Trigger AUTO - Fade 0s - Dwell 0.2s - 1st Light off

Memory 12 - Trigger AUTO - Fade 0s - Dwell 0.2s - 2nd Light on

Memory 13 - Trigger AUTO - Fade 0s - Dwell 0.2s - 2nd Light off

Memory 14 - Trigger AUTO - Fade 0s - Dwell 0.2s - 3rd Light on

Memory 15 - Trigger AUTO - Fade 0s - Dwell 0.2s - 3rd Light off

 

Obviously change the dwell time to the length that gives you the effect you prefer.