Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Slide projectors?

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kaelidancer
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Topic: Slide projectors?
Posted: 7/11/09 at 1:10pm

There's a similar thread right now, but it's about video projection, whereas I only need still images. I'm looking to snag a slide projector for our space... and with everyone upgrading to digital projection, carousel units are going fairly cheap on ebay.

...my question is this: would a regular old Kodak carousel slide projector even be appropriate for theatrical use? Our venue's not huge, but it'd have to throw 15-20 feet or so. I'm not talking about doing anything amazingly complicated, initially - for my purposes, just splashing the show title against a blank wall during preshow, and maybe "INTERMISSION" at, well, intermission, would be plenty.

Also - Having never used a slide projector in this capacity, I'm wondering if I'd be able to run it through the light board. Any insight here?

Thanks in advance!

Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
www.jcct.us
www.gardnerarts.com

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David McCall
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Posted: 7/11/09 at 3:06pm

I believe that I've seen slide projectors where the lamp can be controled separately, but they are not common. You might not want the whole thing on a dimmer because the lamp needs the fan to cool down properly. It is possible to control a show control unit via MIDI and many consoles can speak MIDI. There may be DMX options as well.

A slide projector designed for a livingroom would be disapointing, but there are projectors that were used in bigger presentations with larger lamps and longer lenses.

David M

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Gaafa
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Posted: 7/11/09 at 9:37pm

We use a Selecon pacific [profile] lamp, with a 'fergo' fitted [gobo]

Selecon Lighting. Which are cheap enough to purchase the lamp [or hire]. That is if you require only one image to be projected?

However I have used ordinary slide projectors, which are hung in psition like any lamp. sitting on a tray & suspended with 'C' clamps.

As David Mc posted, they are on a Non Dimmed Circuit, but you will get a mixed outcome. depending upon the House lights brightness ['house to half', can help] - so be prepared to play about!

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}

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David McCall
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Posted: 7/11/09 at 11:12pm

I sometimes use a source 4 with a Rosco Image Pro to do single images. The slides can be made on an ink jet printer. It's cheap but it does take some time and effort to make good slides. The worst part is that Rosco sells the slide holders for ~$25 and they are intended for a single use. I've gotten away with reusing them to some extent.

Kaeli was hoping to get off cheap which neither of our suggestions provide. A slide projector might just do what is needed. the only question is how to control it that way you can blackout the projector by switching to a blank slide. I might consider cutting the cord on the remote and extending it to the booth. If I was being real ambitious, I might even rewire the projector so that I could put the lamp on a dimmer.

David M

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Spectrum
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Joined: 4/16/04
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Posted: 7/11/09 at 11:42pm

If you want to control the projector through your dimmer board, there is a possibility of rewiring an inexpensive projector to power the lamp and fan separately. You can't run the fan motor through a dimmer driver (usually) because they are an INDUCTIVE load and will burn out the driver element. Just plug that part into a wall outlet. The lamp is RESISTIVE and can be controlled by a typical dimmer driver. Ideally, leave the fan running continuously (if noise is not an issue) and bring up the lamp as needed. Good luck with whatever you do!

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

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kaelidancer
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Joined: 8/06/08
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Posted: 7/12/09 at 10:04pm

Awesome suggestions, thanks!

Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
www.jcct.us
www.gardnerarts.com

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TonyDi
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Joined: 9/13/06
Location: United States
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Posted: 7/13/09 at 7:08am

We used a standard slide projector BUT with a LONG THROW lens to project about 20' for the slideshow in Nunsense - several times. Then for SYLVIA we used 9 projectors and back projected a series of slides done by a local artist to depict the different views from three long "windows" of the out of doors - albeit more impressionistic paintings done to depict that. But we didn't need long throw lenses with those as they were positioned in three rows of three and each vertical row was synchronized along with the horizontal projections too so that it looked like one scene from the three long vertical windows. THAT was a total nightmare and thankfully I didn't have to wrangle any of it. I was IN the show and not part of the tech side for once.

ANYway if you're projecting a distance you can use a regular projector although as most everyone has pointed out, the clarity is not GREAT. It wasn't bad, some black and white slides, a few color slides but overall it worked ok with the long throw lens (borrowed). But it wasn't bad. As others have pointed out now though with everything digital using one of the new computer projectors is a pretty reasonable way to go.

Good luck

TonyDi

"Almost famous"

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

Author	Message
kaelidancer Lead Joined: 8/06/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 49	Topic: Slide projectors? Posted: 7/11/09 at 1:10pm
	There's a similar thread right now, but it's about video projection, whereas I only need still images. I'm looking to snag a slide projector for our space... and with everyone upgrading to digital projection, carousel units are going fairly cheap on ebay. ...my question is this: would a regular old Kodak carousel slide projector even be appropriate for theatrical use? Our venue's not huge, but it'd have to throw 15-20 feet or so. I'm not talking about doing anything amazingly complicated, initially - for my purposes, just splashing the show title against a blank wall during preshow, and maybe "INTERMISSION" at, well, intermission, would be plenty. Also - Having never used a slide projector in this capacity, I'm wondering if I'd be able to run it through the light board. Any insight here? Thanks in advance!
	Kaeli Gardner Johnson City Community Theatre www.jcct.us www.gardnerarts.com

	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 7/11/09 at 3:06pm
	I believe that I've seen slide projectors where the lamp can be controled separately, but they are not common. You might not want the whole thing on a dimmer because the lamp needs the fan to cool down properly. It is possible to control a show control unit via MIDI and many consoles can speak MIDI. There may be DMX options as well. A slide projector designed for a livingroom would be disapointing, but there are projectors that were used in bigger presentations with larger lamps and longer lenses.
	David M
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 7/11/09 at 9:37pm
	We use a Selecon pacific [profile] lamp, with a 'fergo' fitted [gobo] Selecon Lighting. Which are cheap enough to purchase the lamp [or hire]. That is if you require only one image to be projected? However I have used ordinary slide projectors, which are hung in psition like any lamp. sitting on a tray & suspended with 'C' clamps. As David Mc posted, they are on a Non Dimmed Circuit, but you will get a mixed outcome. depending upon the House lights brightness ['house to half', can help] - so be prepared to play about!
	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}
	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 7/11/09 at 11:12pm
	I sometimes use a source 4 with a Rosco Image Pro to do single images. The slides can be made on an ink jet printer. It's cheap but it does take some time and effort to make good slides. The worst part is that Rosco sells the slide holders for ~$25 and they are intended for a single use. I've gotten away with reusing them to some extent. Kaeli was hoping to get off cheap which neither of our suggestions provide. A slide projector might just do what is needed. the only question is how to control it that way you can blackout the projector by switching to a blank slide. I might consider cutting the cord on the remote and extending it to the booth. If I was being real ambitious, I might even rewire the projector so that I could put the lamp on a dimmer.
	David M
	IP Logged

Spectrum Celebrity Joined: 4/16/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 176	Posted: 7/11/09 at 11:42pm
	If you want to control the projector through your dimmer board, there is a possibility of rewiring an inexpensive projector to power the lamp and fan separately. You can't run the fan motor through a dimmer driver (usually) because they are an INDUCTIVE load and will burn out the driver element. Just plug that part into a wall outlet. The lamp is RESISTIVE and can be controlled by a typical dimmer driver. Ideally, leave the fan running continuously (if noise is not an issue) and bring up the lamp as needed. Good luck with whatever you do!
	Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
	IP Logged

kaelidancer Lead Joined: 8/06/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 49	Posted: 7/12/09 at 10:04pm
	Awesome suggestions, thanks!
	Kaeli Gardner Johnson City Community Theatre www.jcct.us www.gardnerarts.com
	IP Logged

TonyDi Celebrity Joined: 9/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 7/13/09 at 7:08am
	We used a standard slide projector BUT with a LONG THROW lens to project about 20' for the slideshow in Nunsense - several times. Then for SYLVIA we used 9 projectors and back projected a series of slides done by a local artist to depict the different views from three long "windows" of the out of doors - albeit more impressionistic paintings done to depict that. But we didn't need long throw lenses with those as they were positioned in three rows of three and each vertical row was synchronized along with the horizontal projections too so that it looked like one scene from the three long vertical windows. THAT was a total nightmare and thankfully I didn't have to wrangle any of it. I was IN the show and not part of the tech side for once. ANYway if you're projecting a distance you can use a regular projector although as most everyone has pointed out, the clarity is not GREAT. It wasn't bad, some black and white slides, a few color slides but overall it worked ok with the long throw lens (borrowed). But it wasn't bad. As others have pointed out now though with everything digital using one of the new computer projectors is a pretty reasonable way to go. Good luck TonyDi
	"Almost famous"
	IP Logged

Topic: Slide projectors?( Topic Closed)