Lights and Sound: creating fog fx

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creating fog fx

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Lights and Sound
Forum Discription: Technical discussion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2201
Printed Date: 5/11/25 at 4:53am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: creating fog fx

Posted By: DnoMan
Subject: creating fog fx
Date Posted: 1/07/07 at 9:48am

Hello. I am doing the lighting design for "The Unexpected Guest". I have been asked to create the fog effect at the opening of Act 1-something to do with real fog not taking stage directions. I have been given a few suggestions such as a pinwheel set up and others but as a very "green" lighting designer I don't know which effect may be best. The effect happens in the UR corner and is seen through 2 windows and a set of French doors. Any ideas would be appreciated

Thanks

Replies:

Posted By: bmiller025
Date Posted: 1/08/07 at 8:39pm

I am not familiar with the play, but let me try to suggest some things for you. I am curious what you mean by a "pinwheel setup." If you have a backdrop that is void of detail behind the windows and french doors, and you hit it with a floor mounted lighting instrument, you can create a nice effect with a 'pinwheel' slowly rotating in front of the light. This pinwheel will intermittently block a portion of the light, if you put something inside the pinwheel that obscures a portion of the pathway of the light. The pinwheel needs to rotate very slowly, and there should only be a little of the light blocked at any one time. This might work better if you have more than one light and pinwheel.

What does fog look like outside a window? Very subtle, gradual shifts in shape and intensity.

Instead of using a pinwheel, you could always have a technician very slowly wave a stick or even a pencil in front of the light. I have created a very nice effect of two people watching a movie by hitting them with a followspot, and having a couple people wiggle pencils in front of the light. It creates a subtle flickering that the audience picks up, with no obvious shadows.

When you have a bit more precise detail about what you need to do, let us know.

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http://www.brianmiller.biz/BrianDesign.htm

Posted By: DnoMan
Date Posted: 1/09/07 at 9:41am

Thanks for your reply. The pinwheel idea we had was very much as you describe. After consulting the techie at the theatre she suggests we use a "hazer"-"cracker" in the film industry? That will create particles in the air that we can have our patio light reflect off to look like fog. The effect is at the intro when a character is to be seen lurking about in the fog.

Posted By: avcastner
Date Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:36am

Just want to relate a smoke machine gone wrong story (just in case you decide to go that directon)--

We turned on the smoke machine for the opening of our play during our first tech. We set off the fire alarm system in the theatre, which shut down all of the power in the building for 3 hours. (Considering we were opening that night at 7, it was an interesting day). Needless to say, we didn't use the smoke machine for the play.

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Posted By: whitebat
Date Posted: 8/07/07 at 12:22am

We used a fog/smoke machine and garden hoses to pipe fog where we wanted it. Yes, the machine gets very hot. I believe ends got melted and had to be cut off the hose. But one can fill the hose with fog/smoke and blow it to where you want it. That way the fog can be concentrated... still run the fog machine from one angle and blow it on from another.

Posted By: DnoMan
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 4:12pm

Well the show is over and the effect worked quite well. We ran it through a large ventilation type hose to direct it. The one thing that went wrong one night was it was left on too long and the smoke came up over the top of the set, creating an eerie smoke that mesmerized the audience for a minute or two.

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/04/07 at 6:09am

It's great when a creative acident works! Did you keep it in the show?
I'm sure I have related this before?
Not had a lot of drama with smoke, only dry ice going wrong - No the dry ice worked as it was ment too, it was the crew that caused the blue!
It was an Opera & they had a raked false stage, which went from 6' US at the cyc down to the deck at the setting line, at the apron.
The dry ice machine was mounted on a rostrum usc behind the raked false stage. It was on' stand by' & had bioled. Rgw dry ice was loaded in the basket with the lid secured. When the cue was got the go, they dropped the ice in the water. Nothing happened! A tit [Techie In Training] released the lock down on the lid to check, other techies dived totry & hold down the lid, but couldn't. The The Prima Sop was standing just above the ice machine in a hooped dress, she was just coming to her last big warble of the song. The machine blew off it's lid & exploded a fountain of hot/cold water & ice/mist. The diva hit a note, upon copping the lot - I bet she has never reached it since - & got smothered in her dress, showered in water, then fell to her knees, but because it was a raked stage, almost ended up in the pit feet in the air.
When the techies had set the machine up, it had flexible elephant hose fitted, to deliver the ice/mist to the top of the false stage. For it to roll down while the Diva finished on the last bars.
Unfortunatly the hose had sunk at the centre weighted down with evaporated water, between the rostum & the stage. Filling it up with water, the exspanded ice/mist pressure couldn't force past the water, so it became a build up of pressure inside the water chamber. Resulting in everyone being washed over, the diva receiving a standing ovation & the punters rolling in the aisles.
Moral;- Always Idiot check everyhing, everyrime!

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Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}