Epilepsy at gigs

[spin mobile disco]

Have a gig tonight and the client has made it clear that I cannot use any form of flashing lights as one of there guests has epilepsy set off by flashing lights etc. As she is also pregnant sha cannot take her medication so is unusually sensitive.

This as you can imagine gives me a bit of a dilemma on what to take tonight. Cant take the imposibleds, cant take the dynarocks, dynamo's, cant use flashing starcloths (although thought I may take them and leave them on static) Cant take lasers cant take starcluster laser etc.

I have 2 optikenetics oil projectors was thinking of taking them and maybe 4 pars and lock them on a colour rather than the usual linked dmx operation.
But other than that im a bit stumped as to what else to take.

I have to choose from.

4 xtcs
2 vango arcs
3 source bats
4 source virusators

none of these actually flash but was wondering what may be the most suitable. Any one else with experience can offer suggestions?

[Vectis]

I quite often gig for our special olympics folks with a very wide range of disabilities including severe epileptics.

I generally handle the lighting thus and have had no problems:

1. Leave the room lights on low so that the contrast from the disco lighting is minimised

2. Use LED PARs on slow-fade from colour to colour. Definitely no sound-to-light.

3. Starcloths on static

4. Lasers are OK into the roofspace

5. A pair of dynarocks (barrels) under DMX control on a veeerrrrryyyyy....sloooooowwwww..... roll sweeping a static gobo/colour around the room in all dimensions

6. Use passive effects such as a projector with abstract graphics


The oil projectors sound ideal.

For info, if you're dealing with mild epileptics, check this out: http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/oc/200-299/225_5.pdf

For severe sufferers, don't chance it.

[JDB Entertainment]

In my opinion and in the past from having gigs and family with epilepsy.

Depending on how sensitive she is I would just use:

Starcloth on static
4 par cans dmx'd on very slow fade

With the lady being pregnant aswell the last thing you want to do is make her have a fit and then the baby could be harmed.

[Tony Scott]

XTC's with the sound-to-light control turned right down stay static IIRC, lots of colour but no movement? :)

[Excalibur]

Virusators. You can even have them on static, fixed gobo, with the slow colour change. In my opinion, it's their biggest plus.

[OllieJames]

To play it real safe, how about just using the oilwheels and the pars with the static starcloth?

[spin mobile disco]

Thanks for all the replies, in the end I took 4 pars all locked onto colour, My starcloth and left it static all night and my 2 xtc's with the sound to light turned off.
Seemed ok and the bride and groom where pleased i took the effort to check what would be suitable.
I was concerned the oil lamps would become a bit hypnotic after a while due to the high contrasting colors so left them at home.

[OllieJames]

Thanks for all the replies, in the end I took 4 pars all locked onto colour, My starcloth and left it static all night and my 2 xtc's with the sound to light turned off.
Seemed ok and the bride and groom where pleased i took the effort to check what would be suitable.
I was concerned the oil lamps would become a bit hypnotic after a while due to the high contrasting colors so left them at home.

Glad it went well Matt :)

[JDB Entertainment]

nice to see youy took the time out to speak to the bride and groom!

I would always do the same!

Glad it went well as well! :D