ViCount Touring Hazer – Actors Equity

ViCount Touring Hazer Independently Tested by Ramboll for Theatrical Smoke & Haze

The ViCount Touring Hazer has successfully completed independent testing by global environmental and health consultancy Ramboll for professional theatrical smoke and haze applications.

Testing was carried out using both Concept Smoke Oil 135 and Smoke Fluid A, covering aerosol-monitor calibration and Time and Distance testing.

Following completion of the programme, the ViCount Touring Hazer and its tested fluid combinations have completed the recognised testing process for use in Actors’ Equity productions.

The system has been tested in accordance with protocols approved by Actors’ Equity Association and may be used in Equity productions when operated in accordance with the applicable peak exposure guidance and Time-and-Distance conditions.

For Concept, this is an important milestone for the ViCount Touring Hazer and provides theatres, touring productions, rental companies and production teams with independently verified guidance for its use in professional entertainment environments.

Why is theatrical haze tested?

Fog and haze have been used in theatre, concerts and live entertainment for decades.  Sometimes the requirement is for a visible cloud of smoke as part of a scene. In other applications, a much finer atmospheric haze is used to make lighting beams visible and add depth to a stage.

Professional theatre has established testing methods so that these effects can be used in a controlled and repeatable way.  Rather than simply judging an effect by how thick it looks, the testing measures the actual concentration of aerosol in the air.

This is important because two haze effects can look similar while using very different amounts of fluid and producing very different types of aerosol.

What did Ramboll test?

Ramboll tested the ViCount Touring Hazer with two Concept fluids:

• Smoke Oil 135 – a pharmaceutical grade white mineral oil used for a very fine, long lasting haze.
• Smoke Fluid A – a glycerol-based fluid used to produce a water miscible smoke and haze effect.

Professional real time aerosol monitors were positioned at different distances from the machine, while physical air samples were also collected and analysed by an accredited laboratory.

This allowed Ramboll to measure what was actually present in the air and develop calibration and operating guidance specifically for the ViCount and its fluids.

Why does the machine need its own calibration?

Different haze particles interact with monitoring equipment differently.

A very fine aerosol may produce a strong reading on an optical monitor even though the actual amount of material present in the air is relatively low.

For this reason, theatrical smoke and haze testing considers the machine and fluid together as a specific combination.

Ramboll developed calibration factors for the ViCount with both Smoke Oil 135 and Smoke Fluid A, allowing its output to be accurately measured using commonly used theatrical aerosol monitoring equipment.

For the ViCount using Smoke Oil 135, the measured PDR-1500 calibration factor was 0.19, with a PDR-1000 equivalent of 0.34.

In practical terms, this reflects the very fine and optically effective aerosol produced by the ViCount.

A very fine, persistent haze

One of the main characteristics of the ViCount Touring Hazer is the extremely fine aerosol it produces.

Historic testing of Concept oil-based systems typically places particle size in the region of 0.2-0.3 microns.

Producing such a fine aerosol allows a relatively small amount of fluid to be divided into a very large number of particles. The result is a fine, stable effect that spreads evenly and remains suspended for a long time.

This is useful far beyond theatrical haze. In entertainment, it helps create an even atmospheric effect that can be established gradually and then maintained with relatively little additional output. The same characteristics are also valuable in applications such as airflow visualisation, cleanrooms, ventilation studies, wind tunnels, industrial testing, aviation, fire training and defence.

In many of these applications, the objective is similar, to create a clearly visible aerosol that follows the movement of the surrounding air, remains suspended long enough to observe what is happening, and does so without introducing unnecessarily large quantities of material.

For theatrical use, this means the operator does not normally need to continuously produce a large cloud of smoke. Instead, the ViCount Touring Hazer can be used to gradually establish an even atmospheric haze across the stage or venue, before reducing or cycling the output to maintain the required effect.

Ramboll specifically recognised this intended use of the ViCount, describing it as a system designed to produce a consistent and persistent haze across an entire room or stage.

This has always been one of the key strengths of the ViCount technology, it is not simply about producing a large volume of smoke, but about producing a controlled, persistent and visually effective aerosol from a relatively small amount of fluid.

Time and Distance (T&D) testing

Ramboll also carried out Time and Distance testing, often referred to as T&D.

This measures the concentration of haze at different distances from the point where it leaves the machine.

For these tests, the ViCount was operated continuously for around 10-15 minutes, which is much more representative of establishing a theatrical haze than simply producing a short burst of smoke.

The machine was also tested with its Smoke Density control at maximum, producing the thickest effect and largest particle size available from the system.

ViCount with Smoke Oil 135

At 10% output, Ramboll found that the Smoke Oil 135 concentration was consistently below the applicable mineral oil peak guidance level at distances beyond three feet from the haze release point.

For the tested 10-minute release:

The 3ft result is worth putting into context. Close to the machine, Ramboll recorded a wider range of concentrations as the haze plume moved and dispersed, with some readings below the peak guidance level and some above it. For that reason, the formal guidance at 3 ft is production specific testing required rather than a universal zero minute wait.

In practical theatrical use, however, a hazer would very rarely be positioned continuously within 3 ft of a performer. The ViCount is designed to establish a wider, evenly distributed atmospheric effect across a stage or venue, rather than direct a concentrated plume at an actor.

The more representative result is therefore what happens once the haze has had room to disperse, at 5ft, 7ft and 10ft, the ViCount achieved a zero minute wait under the tested conditions. For production teams, that gives a clear and practical operating envelope while still benefiting from the ViCount’s fine, persistent haze and very low fluid consumption.

More than 60 years of artificial smoke technology

Concept Smoke Systems has been developing artificial smoke equipment for more than 60 years.

Our technology is used in applications ranging from theatre and entertainment to cleanrooms, airflow visualisation, industrial testing, aviation, fire training and defence.

Although these markets are very different, many rely on the same basic principles: controlling particle size, producing repeatable effects and creating visible smoke or haze using as little material as possible.

The ViCount Touring Hazer brings that experience into a system developed specifically for professional theatre, touring, concerts and live production.

What does this mean for an Equity production?

The ViCount Touring Hazer with Smoke Oil 135 and Smoke Fluid A has been independently tested by Ramboll in accordance with protocols approved by Actors’ Equity Association.

The tested combinations may be used in Equity productions when operated in accordance with the applicable peak exposure guidance and Time and Distance conditions.

Independently tested for professional theatrical use

The Ramboll testing gives production managers, lighting designers, venues, rental companies and health and safety teams independent information showing how the ViCount performs in professional theatrical haze applications.

The ViCount has always been designed to create a fine, even and exceptionally persistent haze using very little fluid.

That performance is now supported by independent Ramboll testing and practical guidance for use in Actors’ Equity theatrical productions.

Equipment Used:

ViCount Touring Hazer