Rotating Lighting Rig

[Gabriel Wilson]

Looking for a solution - need a rotating lighting rig to simulate the movement of light on a stationary vehicle. Trying to simulate a train passing through darkness and shade. Any suggestion other than having someone Hollywood the unit or flag.

[JD Hartman]

Use the search function. It's been discussed at least once with images of the lights/hardware used.

[Phil Rhodes]

[Justin P Levene]

Did something similar with a car years ago but we used theatre batten lights mounted on two long lengths of truss (one either side). The lights were then chased using a smooth fade between groups of cells (otherwise you get a stutter effect).

 

We used battens as the cells were close together and we could group more of them for larger passing light objects, or smaller groups for smaller ones. It is important to do smooth fading in and out as you chase otherwise you get that stutter effect of shadows and light.

 

The problem with moving head lights is that a moving light comes from one position and you suffer from a beam angle, whereas the battens actually provided "moving" light in the direction we wanted.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Justin P Levene

[timHealy]

Moving lights are great if you got the bucks to rent a moving light or two as Phil suggested, but you also need a board and a programmer. If you want the lights to move you may have to build a commutator for the lights to spin endlessly. Or build a circular ring of cloraplast(sp?) and cut out sections and that could spin around a light.

[Phil Rhodes]

I think that amount of construction would represent considerably more work than the very elementary amount of intelligent lighting programming required, if that were scaring you. Ten minutes with a manual and you're golden.

[Miguel Angel]

You can always put 1x1 meter mirrors outside of the carriage, one per window and shine a light to them from an angle so when you pan the light it hits each mirror as you pan, creating light and shadow.

[Miguel Angel]

Actually, I'm shooting something similar in both, day and night times and I'm going to use Skypanels to simulate the moving light.

 

The new update has a "strobe" effect, a "club" effect and another one called "pulsing".

 

I think any of the three will work but it is just a matter of plugging them in on a dmx console so the times can be perfect.

Have a good day!

[Phil Rhodes]

As far as I know only Creamsource has the box for doing shutter synchronised strobe effects which will not create rolling shutter artifacts. Hats off to them for doing it, they'll never make a bean out of it.

 

P

[Stuart Brereton]

Depending in the size of the vehicle, I'd try using Quasar LED tubes connected to a dimmer board. You could then either use a cheap lighting desk, or something like the Luminair app to create a chase sequence.