Closed Topics: Cuckoo’s Nest Electrical Effects

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Cuckoo’s Nest Electrical Effects

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Topic: Cuckoo’s Nest Electrical Effects

Posted By: emilya
Subject: Cuckoo’s Nest Electrical Effects
Date Posted: 8/22/05 at 9:39am

I am directing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a few months. Since the terrible nightclub fire in Warwick RI, our theatre has been prohibited from using pyrotechnics by our local fire marshal, and I need a way to simulate electrical short circuiting visually using lighting. I've seen something call "glow wire" that's a narrow neon wire you can program to flash very quickly, but I'm not sure it's the right tool. We can augment the effect with small smoke bombs because they don't require ignition of an explosion type device. (cap guns are prohibited without permission for the same reason...if you can believe that!) If anyone has done this scene in the past, I'd appreciate hearing how it was accomplished or seeing a discussion of how it might be done.

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Liberty is not being able to do what you want, but rather being able to do what you can. John-Paul Sartre

Replies:

Posted By: basscase
Date Posted: 8/22/05 at 9:13pm

http://mcmorran.com/phct/2004-2005pics.htm - http://mcmorran.com/phct/2004-2005pics.htm

The above link is to pictures of our production. The scene was accomplished with a great voltage sound effect and rapid flashing lights. The nurse's station was lit with 4ft fluoresent shop fixtures that would blink fast all by themself when power was cut to them and relit. Found that one out by accident. I wanted to use the fluoresent lamps to give the set a real bright white hospital feel. We did use a stage flash with loud report from Le Maitre FX that was inside the nurses station. It was just taped to the counter and set off by a stagehand using lamp cord and a 9 volt battery. I didn't want to have to hook up the whole pyro controller for one shot a night, so the battery idea worked great. The stage flash was very loud and sent a great plume of smoke out of the nurse's station. It really scared the audience and the local athorities allowed it because it didn't produce open flames.

Posted By: emilya
Date Posted: 8/23/05 at 8:45am

Wow! I hadn't thought of Fluorescents, but they would work great as part of the effect. I am wondering if our fire marshal would agree to using the pyro if it was contained inside the station and we built it out of fireproof materials. Probably not, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Now I'm thinking that we need to hang a couple of worklights over the dayroom too. I love what you did with your set. Thank you.

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Liberty is not being able to do what you want, but rather being able to do what you can. John-Paul Sartre

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 8/23/05 at 4:06pm

As a substitute for sparks, you can also load a tube
with glitter or foiled paper and force it out on cue with
either a blast from an air hose or a stagehand with
powerful lungs.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: haredirector
Date Posted: 9/03/05 at 2:55am

When I did Cuckoo's Nest for the electro-shock scene we just used a strobe light and sound effects. Worked very well. For the other scenes we did use some pyro, though. Don't know why you couldn't use lights/sound for those, too. As for the florescent lights, that's cool. Can't wait to try it!

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"Power cannot put up with laughter from those without power." -- Dario Fo

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/12/05 at 9:23am

Our guys took a little different approach. They used the strobe and the sound effects, but they also used (and I don?t know if it?s always is or was just their take) a lighted table base for the patient to lie on. It was kind of eerie and when the lights were all out it was the only light left and as the table had arm extensions, he looked like he was on a cross... (Again, I don't know if the script calls for that, but it was cool...)

Posted By: Dudecar101
Date Posted: 9/16/05 at 4:04pm

I think that saying that pyrotechnics in a theatre is bull. I was pyro-tech last year for my highschool play. I actually heard about the fire and noticed many dangerous and (quite possibly) safety violations.

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Im a great 11 student whose a lighting designer...if you got ideas...send em!