[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jan 20 2005, 11:27 PM\']I actually always wondered about those lights. On the contestant island, there were sets of chasing lights that appeared more like "rings" than anything. Anyone have any clue how that light pattern was done?
No, I'm not off my meds.
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I'm not sure if I'm understanding what you mean, but I think I do because I always thought that they were neon circles or something. You can see that they are large clear round bulbs (like the ones in bathroom vanity light fixtures) because they are open on each end. If you look closely, you can see the 'banks' of bulbs when the turntable spins. I think the "ring" effect is created by the frosted panels that overlay the bulbs.
I know this topic might seem dumb, but I've always been facinated by lights and light patterns in game show sets and for that matter any of the 'nuts and bolts', how it works kinda stuff. It's cool! Ok, maybe I'm just distracted by shiny things.
Seriously, I'd love to know how it all works. Does a computer program the blinking patterns? How do they change them? (like 25K Pyramid did early in it's run).
I can imagine with sets being struck and moved over and over that bulbs would get smashed and/or burn out all the time. There had to have been a constant battle to keep them all working in shows with sets that had lots of lights.
I can remember HR87 having one bulb on the Big Number board that always seemed to be 'out'. It always stuck out like a sore thumb to me because the crawling lights would look strange in that area.
On a side note, some of the Dawson feud episodes have a streak of blue paint on the brown "rail" surrounding the board stage left. I always wondered if that was a quick repair job done before a taping.
ITSBRY
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