Lights and Sound: How to make a starry night sky

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How to make a starry night sky

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=3700
Printed Date: 5/04/24 at 9:45am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: How to make a starry night sky

Posted By: Karin
Subject: How to make a starry night sky
Date Posted: 1/01/09 at 2:06pm

I would like to have a starry night sky in the carriage and horses scene in Cinderella but know nothing about lighting. What would I need for equipment to have this effect?

Replies:

Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 1/02/09 at 1:43pm

I see three ways to accomplish a starry night sky. The first and simplest way is to use one or more starry night Gobos and project them onto a cyclorama or plain colored back drop.

The second way would be to project a starry night pattern on the back side of a scrim (subdued lighting in front of it), using one of those astronomy study projectors. Some models are not too expensive these days.

The third way would be to arrange a myriad of small lights (the tiny white Christmas lights would work nicely) in a random pattern BEHIND a thin black fabric back drop. When illuminated, they would glow through the fabric and appear as a starry night sky. You could even make a few of them (not many!) "twinkle" randomly for a nice effect. When the lights are turned off, the back drop would appear to be plain black again. (It works very much the same as the "scrim effect" does.) Good luck with whatever you do.

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Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

Posted By: dexter74656
Date Posted: 1/07/09 at 7:02pm

Depending how big you're looking to cover, you might explore taking a large black background and sewing sequins on it and then use something to very lightly keep this in motion so that the light catches the movement of the sequins?

Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 1/08/09 at 4:10am

Stage Directions magazine had a very detailed article on making a starry night sky about a year ago. It involved using a durable black curtain and cutting small slits in it where ever you want a star to be. Then poke small Christmas lights through the holes from the back and light. Anyway that seemed to be the "jist" of it. I am sure there are subtle intricacies involved that I am not conveying here.

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 1/09/09 at 8:42am

The 'SD' mag article was great Kathy S, I'm trying to find it - if I do I'll post it here.

However I have had great success using Black Shade Cloth, which is available in upto 3.6M [12'] widths, which is easier to pop the Bud [Xmas] lights thru & used as a cyc scrim. Also most come with variation mode control units.

Although the better one I did the strings of bud lights were gaffer taped to the backstage wall [painted black] & the black shade cloth was used as a scrim down stage, also just kicking the cloth tail batten occasionally, created a shimmer effect.

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

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 1/09/09 at 11:15am

Word of warning: A theater I've worked with in the past made a starry night sky out of their upstage black curtain by poking Christmas lights through it. They figured, once the show was over, they could re-use the curtain by just pulling the lights out and nobody would notice the tiny holes left in place.

Unfortunately, to secure the lights to the back of the curtain, they used duct tape. Every time they pulled out a light, the tape pulled the backing of the curtain away, leaving large, faded spots that were VERY noticeable.

Since they could not afford to replace the curtain and before the curtain could be ruined entirely, they stopped pulling the lights and left them in place. Now they have a permanent set-up for a starry sky whenever they need it.

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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: David McCall
Date Posted: 1/30/09 at 1:12pm

You can rent fiberoptic star drops. These are usually black velour with small fibers poked through. All of the he fibers go back to a common lightsource that is capable of creating a twinkle effect, as well as any many color choices all through DMX.