what size gel frame

[wheatgrinder]

Hi,
Im new to lighting..
I picked up a L&E 4.5" 500W Fresnel of ebay with barn doors, I want to drop in a color gel, but I have no frames.. where and what do I order?

Also, can I put diffusion gels in those frames and drop them right in front of the Fresnel light? I had assumed so, but I had tried using some C47 clamps to hold them in front of my other halogen and they now have permanent creases where they were clothes pined on.. this probably is normal. .but.. my studio is also my house, my house is stick construction from the 1900's LOTS OF WOOD

 

[wheatgrinder]

Oh hey, I just learned something new..

"A47" is a clothespin that has been taken apart, reversed, and put back together so that the small end comes together. This gives a tweezer-like tool, useful for a task such as pulling a scrim from a hot light.

what a bunch of geeks!

 

[2001 Productions]

You should be able to get a frame from Hollywood Lights in Portland.

C47's do the job, too. Creases and other wear and tear is normal. Shouldn't be a fire hazard as long as you're using real pro diffusion (Lee or Rosco, designed for use with high heat instruments) and not paper or plastic report covers or something like that. And gels wear out with use, which is why they're called "expendables" in the biz.

One thing to consider is that the fresnel is a focusable instrument. Placing too heavy a diffusion on it overrides the lens' spotlight capabilities. Nothing wrong with that, but I recommend flooding it out (lamp closest to the lens) when using a diffusion gel, otherwise all the heat will be concentrated in a small area in the center of the diffuser, which will wear it out more quickly.

 

[2001 Productions]

Now that I reread your post, I see you got barn doors with the fixture. Forget the gel frame, just clamp a gel sheet to the doors. The further away from the lens it is, the more effective it is -- plus it'll last 10 times longer.

 

[wheatgrinder]

cool, I like your solution..

 

[directorik]

Also, can I put diffusion gels in those frames and drop them right in front of the Fresnel light? I had assumed so, but I had tried using some C47 clamps to hold them in front of my other halogen and they now have permanent creases where they were clothes pined on.. this probably is normal. .but.. my studio is also my house, my house is stick construction from the 1900's LOTS OF WOOD

Two things:

Gels are expendables. They are meant to have a very short life.
They will get creased, folded, burnt and melted. When they do
you simply replace them. Like you would gaf or camera tape.

Gels do not burn. Meaning they do not catch fire. They will melt.
This is not much of a fire hazard. You could place very dry kindling
underneath a melting gel and it won't ignite. That doesn't mean
you don't need to watch them or that you can just place them
against the light and let them melt away. But don't worry about
the melted material starting a fire in you house.

 

[wheatgrinder]

Thank you sir, may I have another?

 

[niik000]

yah gel frames are more of a live theater thing, in film you just clamp them to the barn doors with clothespins (c47's) unless your talking about like a 4x4' frame for a big 18k or something.