More about the History of Colour Changers Some scrollers could handle up to 16 different gels, and sophisticated effects could be achieved, as long as the gels were moved slowly to avoid a rustling noise. This enabled a long string of taped-together gels to be passed in front of the lantern under the control of the lighting desk. In the 1980s, a different idea appeared, called a Colour Scroller. Some manufacturers enabled you to remotely select the colour that you wanted the wheels to go to – a very simple way of achieving a range of colour washes with only one set of lanterns. Over the stage or in the wings, a more simple device called a Colour Wheel was used, consisting of a wheel with a number of holes to take different gels, which could be rotated in front of the lantern. These had the advantage of being able to use multiple gels at the same time to achieve a wider range of colour mixing effects.

Due to limited space in the auditorium, colour changers known as Semaphoreswere used to electrically raise and lower gel holders in front of the beam. In large venues, profile lanterns (aka ellipsoidals) are used front of house, to throw / project the light a long distance to the stage. However, these weren’t very efficient, so higher-power individual lanterns with fresnel lenses were able to produce a more focussed pool of light.įrom those early days, there were ways of remotely changing the gels in front of each lantern. For a red wash, all of the red-gelled lamps were turned up. These consisted of a number of lamps with a reflector behind each, and a different gel in front of each. In the very early days of stage lighting, coloured battens were used in rows above the stage. For a large musical, the rig would very quickly be filled just by colour washes. It therefore follows that for a show that needed a number of different colour washes, you’d need a set of lanterns with the appropriate gels for each of the colour washes.

The Rosco Supergel range is widely used, as the gel numbering system is easy to use. Gels are produced by a number of companies, but two popular ones are Lee Filters (in the UK) and Rosco Laboratories (in the USA). Swatch books – Lee Filters and Rosco SupergelĪ sheet of coloured gel (originally gelatine, and now heat-resistant plastic) is placed in a colour frame (or gel holder) in the colour runners at the front of a stage lighting instrument.

Led light colors for different moods