Fog/Haze
This section is to let you know your responsibilities as the Production Electrician regarding theatrical fog and haze, you can find the School's policy in the Safety and Health section on the YSDinfo website. Be advised that only water base fog or haze* can be used in our spaces, no mineral oil product. Be prepared to review your plan and installation ideas with the Lighting Supervisor to ensure that all School protocols are followed, this includes closing off certain areas to avoid setting off the alarms. You must also inform the School's Director of Theatre Safety and Occupational Health that a fog and/or haze effect is being used so that it is part of the production's safety inspection. Failure to have the effect as part of the production's safety inspection can result in the effect not being allowed to be used. All fog and haze machines must be unplugged at the machine when not in use.
All YSD/YRT productions must comply with the League of Resident Theatres guidelines, http://www.lort.org/Smoke_and_Haze.html, pertaining to the use of theatrical fog or haze, the purpose of which is to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Additional fog guidance can be found on the Actor's Equity Association's website https://www.actorsequity.org/resources/Producers/safe-and-sanitary/smoke-and-haze/. Either a time distance factor must be used, supplied by AEA, or an air quality sample must be taken. Regardless of which method is used in compliance with the LORT/AEA guidelines, the testing must be coordinated with the Lighting Supervisor, YSD Safety Director, Production Manager and Production Stage Manager.
Prior to the testing as described above you should setup and run the effect several times. The first time the fog, or haze, is run it should be coordinated with the Lighting Supervisor; the goal is to make sure that the equipment is working properly, meets the description of the effect as stated by the Lighting Designer, is within the range of the LORT/AEA guidelines and to determine that the fire alarms should not go off. The second time you run the effect it should be with the Lighting Supervisor and Lighting Designer, and only after that should it be shown to the Director. The actors should only be introduced to the effect after the Designer and Director have seen it. As you can see, even the simplest fog, or haze, effect should not be pushed off to the last minute.
Once the production team has agreed to the effect it must be tested to see if it meets the LORT/AEA guidelines, either with an air quality test or use of the time distance factor. Exposure testing should be scheduled as far in advance as possible to give enough time to adjust the effect as necessary based on the test results. Please note that the safety of the run crew must also be taken into account when the fog/haze exposure test is being done. You must supply the YSD Safety Director with the type of machine(s) and fluid(s) being used. At the start of the test you should hand out a description of the effect similar to the one below. If you have any questions feel free to consult with the Lighting Supervisor.
New Iseman rule: Unfortunately the alarms at the Iseman Theater have gone off several times unnecessarily causing not only the theatre to be evacuated but the Art School as well, not to mention requiring the fire department to come to the building. In order to be allowed to continue to use fog in this theatre we are no longer allowed to have a fog machine placed on the gallery level, or higher, without paying a fee to have the alarms turned off and someone from the fire department present during the deactivation period. This fee is approximately $1,000 for a Student, Fall Project or Shakespeare Repertory Project, and will be paid by the production requiring this service. Fog machines on, or near, floor level is not affected by this fee. The use of haze in the Iseman Theater is not currently affected by this new rule. However, the haze can be placed on the catwalks only with approval by the Lighting Supervisor and can only be turned on after its setup has been approved by the Lighting Supervisor or the Lighting Staff.
Haze*: We are currently allowing the use of a mineral oil haze effect with the approval of the Lighting Supervisor and the Safety Director on a show by show basis. During this time period if the School's Safety Director or the Lighting Supervisor deem the use of this product to be unsafe the effect will have to be suspended until a water base product can be used.
Sample handout at a fog testing
Passion Play- Fog Test
Compiled by James Zwicky, ME YRT1
Vietnam scene:
Unit 1- DSL on DS rolling wall just at bottom of stairs, pointed at “flipper” on masking wall
Interval- 0
Volume- 70%
Duration- (Dial: 0) 5 second burst
Actor proximity- enters through fog, drags fish 5-10 feet on stage
Unit 2- USR behind CS wall, then moved off right for entrances
Interval- 0
Volume- 90% for 5 seconds, 30% for rest of scene
Duration- (Dial: 0) 5 seconds, then ______________
Actor proximity- enter USR as “fish” will walk through the fog
Ascension scene:
Unit 1- USL just outside of doorway, pointed up at Jesus
Interval- 0
Volume- full
Duration- (Dial: 60%) 15 seconds
Actor proximity- top of platform (Jesus)
Unit 2- USR just outside of doorway, pointed up at Jesus
Interval- 0
Volume- full
Duration- (Dial: 60%) 15 seconds
Actor proximity- top of platform (Jesus)
Unit 3- platform fogger, hooked to CS walls
Interval- 0
Volume- 4, 10
Duration- (Dial: 0) 4 seconds at 4, 5 sec at 10
Actor proximity- right above nozzle