|
Introduction:
|
A template (commonly referred to as a "gobo") is
a pattern inserted near the gate of an ellipsoidal
reflector spotlight to project an image.
|
|
Materials:
|
Templates can be made of steel or glass. Due to their vulnerability to heat,
glass gobos should be used only in fixtures with dichroic reflectors. Homemade
templates can be cut (carefully) out of aluminum pie plate. If you have access
to used offset printing plates, these are an even better medium to use for
do-it-yourself gobos.
Most manufacturers will cut or print your custom pattern, although this can
be quite expensive. The Selecon Pacific line of fixtures has especially efficient
heat dissipation and can be used with plastic gobos, purchased commercially or
printed on an inkjet printer. Glass or plastic gobos can be multi-colored.
|
|
Standard Sizes:
|
Gobos are available in "standard" sizes: "A", "B", "M", and "E".
There are other sizes, but these are the most common.
Various manufacturers have slightly different definitions of exactly what those standards
are, but in most cases, the differences are so slight that the products are interchangeable.
|
Manufacturer:
|
A
|
B
|
M
|
E
|
Outer
Dimension
|
Inner
Dimension
|
Outer
Dimension
|
Inner
Dimension
|
Outer
Dimension
|
Inner
Dimension
|
Outer
Dimension
|
Inner
Dimension
|
|
Apollo Design
|
89mm
|
76mm
|
82.5mm
(Steel)
79mm
(Glass)
|
64mm
|
66mm
|
48mm
|
37.5mm
|
25mm
|
|
GAM
|
100mm
|
75mm
|
86mm
|
60mm
|
66mm
|
49.5mm
|
38mm
|
27mm
|
|
Goboman
|
100mm
|
75mm
|
86mm
|
64.5mm
|
66mm
|
49.5mm
|
37.5mm
|
28.13mm
|
|
Rosco Labs
|
100mm
|
75mm
|
86mm
|
64.5mm
|
66mm
|
48mm
|
37.5mm
|
28mm
|
|
Fixtures:
|
ETC Source 4
Selecon Pacific
Strand SL
|
Altman Phoenix
Altman Shakespeare
Altman 360 and 360Q
L & E AQ61
Older Strand and
Century
|
Altman 3.5Q
ETC Source 4 Junior
Various moving lights
|
Various moving lights
|
|
Fixtures designed to accept "A"-sized templates
can, in most cases and with the correct template
holder, also use "B"-sized gobos. The field size
will be reduced by approximately 20%.
|
|
|
Template Holders:
|
Gobos are usually mounted in a template holder.
Each manufacturer uses a different sized template holder, and usually, different models made by each manufacturer
will use different holders. Additionally, each size of gobo requires a different holder, and glass gobos use
different holders than do metal templates.
|
|
Common Uses:
|
The effects you can achieve with gobos are limited only by your budget, technical restrictions,
and the limits of your own creativity. Common uses include:
- Abstract breakups
- Clouds
- Doors and windows
- Foliage
- Projecting your own name
|
|
Gobo Rotators:
|
Various manufacturers offer devices which rotate gobos for special effects.
Typically, these accept two "B"-sized templates, rotating in opposite directions,
with speeds set either manually or by the control console. A gobo rotator will not
fit into the usual gobo slot, but is inserted into the accessory slot, located in front
of the gobo slot on most modern fixtures.
Before ordering your gobos, make sure they will fit in the rotator you plan to use.
An "indexed" gobo rotator allows the users to start and stop the gobo at a specific point.
|
|