self opening and closing door
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Topic: self opening and closing door
Posted By: Aimee
Subject: self opening and closing door
Date Posted: 3/15/05 at 1:29pm
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We are doinh Harvey for our spring play and we need a door to open and close by itself. Closing isn't a real problem, but how do I get it to open on it's own? It is a right handed door set upstge left. Any ideas? Aimee ------------- Aimee |
Replies:
Posted By: JCCTony
Date Posted: 3/15/05 at 4:13pm
| you can tie invisible string to the door to open it. Magicians use it for levitating small objects and such so any magic supply store would have it...or even sewing thread depending on how close the audience it. |
Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 3/15/05 at 9:50pm
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I must not be clear on what you mean. I was planning on using that to pull the door closed, from offstage left, but how can I get it open using that method? Is is stong enough to push open a door? Is there something else I can use to "push" the door open from offstage? I don't think you mean to have someone cross stage. Sorry, my mind is muddled, it's been a frustrating day ------------- Aimee |
Posted By: JCCTony
Date Posted: 3/15/05 at 10:58pm
| I guess it's hard to visualize without knowing the position of the door on stage and which way it's supposed to open and close. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 3/16/05 at 12:02am
| Without knowing the positioning of the door onstage and the rest of the set, it still seems that a fishing line could be rigged to both the front side handle and the back side handle and operated from somewhere backstage (to open operate from one side and to close operate from the other with the operator out of sight in the wings or backstage.) |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 3/16/05 at 1:13am
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If the door opens inwards, the simplest solution
would be to have a stagehand (or free actor) turn the knob, push open the door, and duck out of sight before it reveals them. Wait a tic, then use your invisible wire to pull the door shut. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 3/17/05 at 12:45am
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Topper hit it on the nose. We did HARVEY and I stood behind the wall (backstage), next to the door. Wearing a black glove, as the cue for the door to swing open (outward) neared, I slowly turned the knob, still holding the door closed. When Harvey "entered," I just flicked my wrist and the door swung open. I got my gloved hand out of view before the audience could see (when the door opened enough to expose the open doorway). To close the door we had a heavy duty, black fishing line attached to the underside of the door (mid width) and just pulled it at floor level from back stage to close the door with enough force to latch it. Since it was black line against a black floor and masked from audience view once the door started to close, the illusion was very effective. Care must be given when opening the door to swing it only PART way open (not difficult at all), so that closing it is not a problem. You don't want the door to go banging against the wall as if Harvey charged into the room. He just walks in, so the door only opens part way before closing. Have fun! ------------- Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. |
Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 3/17/05 at 9:53am
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Thanks, I'll certainly give those try. It was the opening part that was giving me the most trouble. We'll start from there and see what we get. Thanks again, it's nice to be able to bounce ideas or questions off others. ------------- Aimee |