R80, learn to love the dark
Roscolux 80, Primary Blue, is consistently one of Rosco Laboratories’ best sellers. It has a devoted following of lighting designers using this gel onstage and a fanatical following of crew who prefer it backstage for running lights.
It has been said that R80 brings its own mood to the table. This rich even blue tone is phenomenal with evening, night-time and other back alley scenes. For the less literal, this color sculpts performers well and is an excellent addition to movement pieces.
For backstage, blue light is standard. How to achieve the perfect running lights in blue is as varied as the different types of arts venues. One of our favorite ways is to cover clip lights with R80 (only attach corners to the fixture with JLAR or Gaff Tape if needed) and point away from audience openings. It provides enough light to work by without straining your eyes, yet doesn’t distract from performance if inadvertently viewed through an open curtain. Some crew folks we know even use it to cover their working flashlights.
Simply one of the best blues to keep in your gel file in our opinion. It comes in many forms: sheet, quick sleeves, and rolls to name a few. It’s been used in countless productions from Hamlet to Cinderella, Our Town to Grease, not to mention Cats and Phantom to name a few.
Next time you’re trying to get just the right blue, give R80 a shot and see if it’s just the right blue for you. We think it might be. If not, don’t fret there are over 40 blues produced by Rosco Laboratories alone.
If you need some help picking, try a swatch book. Don’t hesitate to contact StageSpot once you’ve made your color choice.
