Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: theater effect

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musicmom1212
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 3/14/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Topic: theater effect
Posted: 2/24/10 at 3:18pm

I would like to know how to make a scene out of fabric. We want the fabric to look like a solid wall with some kind of castle scene on the front, but then put a person behind the "wall" and when lit from behind the person shows up as a silhouette.

HELP ME PLEASE!!!

Cathy

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JoeMc
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Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 832

Posted: 2/24/10 at 5:35pm

Almost any woven fabric will give a silhouette effect, such as muslin [calico]. Also you may get a more revealing effect with a scrim [transformation cloth].

a scrim as demonstrated on the site.

The CEO of studio productions is a membber here [Vicki Frank] I'm sure she could help you further.
Do you have a backdrop or cyclorama [skycloth (infinity cloth)] or what is the castle scene wall made up from?

Edited by JoeMc - 2/24/10 at 5:54pm

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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MartyW
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Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
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Posts: 555

Posted: 2/25/10 at 1:26pm

Yeah!!! for "Mattress..."

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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Mr. Lowell
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Joined: 1/30/07
Location: United States
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Posts: 269

Posted: 2/26/10 at 11:43am

For a Junior High production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, I moved my white cyclorama to a down-stage batten to create a silowet effect for the opening prologue. The crew brought out a 1000 watt scoop with diffusion gel on a short boom and placed it 6 feet upstage of the actors. When the old lady transformed the prince into the beast, we had the prince collapse and roll out of the beam of light. Then an actor dressed as the beast rolled into the light and stood up. It was seamless.

This little "shadow puppet mime show" worked very well and helped set the storybook theme of the entire show.

Here is a photo: http://www.lowell.to/posters/Beast03.jpg

For a High School production of Children of Eden I used a similar effect with animal shadow puppets. This time it was a small seamless muslin backdrop that flew in center stage. A scoop flew in behind in on chains. The cast held up various shadow puppets on sticks. The effect was not as clean as I would have liked, because the muslin drop was poorly sewn along the bottom, leaving many ripples in the fabric.

Here is a photo: http://www.lowell.to/posters/EDEN01.jpg

Good luck with your effect! -Dana

Edited by Mr. Lowell - 2/26/10 at 11:56am

Mr. Lowell,
Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director,
for the Linda Sloan Theatre,
in the Davison Center for the Arts,
at Greensboro Day School

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vickifrank
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Joined: 9/21/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 332

Posted: 2/26/10 at 1:53pm

We have an exterior castle scrim for rent on the site. Its 15' x 30' and rents for $295 for two weeks. Here's the web page that you can find it on http://studio-productions-inc.com/rental_order.html

You can create a silhouette most easily by lighting the wall behind the scrim, then any character who walks between the wall and the scrim will appear in silhouette.

_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

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Lights and Sound
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Lights and Sound

Author	Message
musicmom1212 Walk-On Joined: 3/14/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: theater effect Posted: 2/24/10 at 3:18pm
	I would like to know how to make a scene out of fabric. We want the fabric to look like a solid wall with some kind of castle scene on the front, but then put a person behind the "wall" and when lit from behind the person shows up as a silhouette. HELP ME PLEASE!!!
	Cathy

	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 2/24/10 at 5:35pm
	Almost any woven fabric will give a silhouette effect, such as muslin [calico]. Also you may get a more revealing effect with a scrim [transformation cloth]. a scrim as demonstrated on the site. The CEO of studio productions is a membber here [Vicki Frank] I'm sure she could help you further. Do you have a backdrop or cyclorama [skycloth (infinity cloth)] or what is the castle scene wall made up from? Edited by JoeMc - 2/24/10 at 5:54pm
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 2/25/10 at 1:26pm
	Yeah!!! for "Mattress..."
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
	IP Logged

Mr. Lowell Celebrity Joined: 1/30/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 269	Posted: 2/26/10 at 11:43am
	For a Junior High production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, I moved my white cyclorama to a down-stage batten to create a silowet effect for the opening prologue. The crew brought out a 1000 watt scoop with diffusion gel on a short boom and placed it 6 feet upstage of the actors. When the old lady transformed the prince into the beast, we had the prince collapse and roll out of the beam of light. Then an actor dressed as the beast rolled into the light and stood up. It was seamless. This little "shadow puppet mime show" worked very well and helped set the storybook theme of the entire show. Here is a photo: http://www.lowell.to/posters/Beast03.jpg For a High School production of Children of Eden I used a similar effect with animal shadow puppets. This time it was a small seamless muslin backdrop that flew in center stage. A scoop flew in behind in on chains. The cast held up various shadow puppets on sticks. The effect was not as clean as I would have liked, because the muslin drop was poorly sewn along the bottom, leaving many ripples in the fabric. Here is a photo: http://www.lowell.to/posters/EDEN01.jpg Good luck with your effect! -Dana Edited by Mr. Lowell - 2/26/10 at 11:56am
	Mr. Lowell, Lighting/Set Designer & Tech Director, for the Linda Sloan Theatre, in the Davison Center for the Arts, at Greensboro Day School
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vickifrank Celebrity Joined: 9/21/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 332	Posted: 2/26/10 at 1:53pm
	We have an exterior castle scrim for rent on the site. Its 15' x 30' and rents for $295 for two weeks. Here's the web page that you can find it on http://studio-productions-inc.com/rental_order.html You can create a silhouette most easily by lighting the wall behind the scrim, then any character who walks between the wall and the scrim will appear in silhouette.
	_____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people
	IP Logged

Topic: theater effect( Topic Closed)