Theater lights

[mitosmany]

Hello,  
 
I've been checking out this site, reading posts and learning so much from them. This is a great place and dvx community. Thanks so much.
 
I will have to get Barry's book to, just recovering a little from the computers/dvx/shotgun mic purchases. but I will, no dout. Yes, this is very new for me but I do have some idea and basic knowlege on all this.
 
This is what I'm trying to figure out now and maybe someone can help me here. I'm getting some jobs shooting live dance performances in theaters and my big concern right now is how to deal with the light situation.  
 
If I had time to set the white balance, under what light should I do this? the lights will be changing all the time.
 
last show I set the white to a not so bright lighing but then i had a scene with way to much light. What can I do to correct this on the spot? will it be the iris? I have auto iris, should i have manual iris? if I switch from auto to manual as i'm recording will that show on the recording? How can i correct light as I'm rec?
 
If i had no time to set whaite balance before is there something I should do that will help get a good color, picture balance?
 
OK, i'll stop here now. Sorry if this is too long or boring any of you. Any guide or suggestions will be appreciated.
 
Thanks again and keep the good work.
 
oz



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[filmmaker58]

Re: Theater lights

If you're going to white balance, do it under the main front light source, this would be the spotlights, or the front wash. If none of the lights are tungsten, or daylight source (sometimes the front wash has no-color pink), then just go with 3200 pre-set. Most theater lighting (except for most spotlights, and most moving lights) is tungsten, so the 3200 setting will work, If the spotlights look blue when you do this, then you could set your camera to 5600 pre-set (unless you can color correct them with some CTO gel). The rest of the lighting will look very warm (orange), but it's correct skin tones that you're after.
Unless you can talk to the lighting guys about keeping the different scenes closer to the same intensity, you're going to have to ride the iris, which will be a pain in the butt. In professional settings, there is a guy in the camera truck riding the irises remotely, so the cameraman doesn't have to deal with it. I try to never use auto iris because the iris fluctuates during shots, and a wide shot with dark audience in the foreground will open your iris and overexpose the stage. If riding the iris is not working tho, you might try auto as a last resort.