Closed Topics: Silhouettes

Print Page | Close Window

Silhouettes

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Archives
Forum Name: Closed Topics
Forum Discription: Uncategorized posts from the previous version of our discussion board. For browsing and searching.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1347
Printed Date: 5/06/24 at 2:19pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Silhouettes

Posted By: JPilkonis
Subject: Silhouettes
Date Posted: 4/06/05 at 10:08pm

Hi there. I'm new to the discussion board, from Villa Rica, Georgia. I'm currently directing an original play during which we will have vignettes done entiredly in silhouette, with the actors moving behind a scrim and backlit. I was wondering whether anyone had any suggestions for the best type of light source to provide a crisp, solid shadow.

Replies:

Posted By: NickH.
Date Posted: 5/13/05 at 4:32pm

JP, it may be too late to do you any good, but I'll post it, anyway. Use a slide projector with a zoom lens, and set is as far behind the actors as possible. The actors should stand close to the screen, almost touching it for realistic scale and sharp silhouetting. Use an empty slide mount in the projector for clean light. (The slide mount masks out the imperfections of the lamp and condenser lens.) Use the zoom lens to concentrate the light onto the screen for optimum brightness. You may use colored gels in slide mounts, or color slides of backgrounds, walls, clouds etc, and project them in or out of focus for special effect. You may also plug the projector in one of your dimmer circuits and control it from the light board.

-------------
If all the world is a stage, what am I doing in the wings?