Lighting gels

Hi guys-- a complete newbie to this side of things (= help!! please!!).. can anyone recommend a good place for buying lighting gels (preferably 2nd hand-- we're on a really tight budget), or does anyone out there have any they might like to sell? Thanks B

Most professional theatres regularly cull their gels if they are starting to discolour and those gells are no use to you as there is loss of transmission through them. Contact the head electricians at the theatres, explain what you would like the gels for and ask if you can get some gels to experiment with. gels are costed into a production and they will not be out of pocket if they give you the discards at the end of a season. Also try NIDA and some of the other Sydney training organisations. Try asking for sponsorship from your local politicians and councils. Their office managers can usually donate $50 from petty cash and that will buy you two half sheets of standard gel.

If the venue s are anything like the venues that i work at, we use the gel until it is crispy. I think it is false economy to use secondhand gels as the colours will never match and you won't be able to replace with the same colour.But sponsorship is the way to go.

Alternatively, for about $3 each, you can buy a book of sample gels. Rosco, etc, all sell these books and will help you decide what you need and how the gels will look through the lights. You might want to consider investing in some gels. I bought a few sheets of a blue, a few of an orange, and a few cyc colours (red, green) several years ago. As a 'fringe' and freelance lighting designer, I've found it handy to have some spare gels around me when I need it. The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com Puppets in Melbourne www.freewebs.com/puppetsinmelbourne