Set Design and Construction: Walk Through Wall

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Walk Through Wall

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4878
Printed Date: 4/23/24 at 12:22pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Walk Through Wall

Posted By: FrankDrack
Subject: Walk Through Wall
Date Posted: 11/20/10 at 4:42pm

I am a furniture maker that helps out the local high school with sets/props for their drama productions. The next production is Sight Unseen. The drama teacher has asked me to build a wall that a ghost can walk through.

I can build just about anything, but need design ideas. I have no idea what has been done before.

Any suggestions & pointers would be great.

Thanks - Frank

Replies:

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 11/21/10 at 6:00pm

What comes to mind is some variant on "Pepper's Ghost" (Google it) It involves a large mirror that reflects a background that isn't there but appears to be solid. I have not given it enough thought to figure out the details to make it work, but there might be something there. As for the mirror part, look into "shrink mirror" (Google again) and other products like that. It is a plastic material that you mount on a rigid frame, and then heat up with a hair drier or heat gun and it shrinks into a very tight decent mirror, if you did everything right. Rosco Shrink Mirror comes in a 54"x 30' Roll so you will get a couple tries out of it.

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David M

Posted By: FrankDrack
Date Posted: 11/22/10 at 12:16pm

Thanks David,

I will look into your suggestions.

As a furniture maker I don't have a lot of background in sets but I try to help out the high school when they ask.

Posted By: KiltedTechie
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 9:04am

I have in the past had great success with assumed walls. for example if the fireplace jutts into the room three feet the downstage side is seen but the upstage return is assumed. the mind just fills in the blanks like that. on the upstage wall we had bookcases and the end of bookcase closest to center was also assumed since the audience could not see that wall either, both of these were very effective for ghost to enter or exit. a well timed effect will add to the illusion.

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KiltedTechie@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/steven.mildward?ref=name
you never have to grow up when you live in neverland

Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 6/19/13 at 5:52pm

I've used KiltedTechie's idea of the assumed wall successfully.

You can also use a scrim wall to 'reveal' the ghost behind. And you can rear project on a scrim wall (a Chameleon scrim can be a rear projection surface, not sharkstooth). The trick to rear projection is to project from an angle. Imagine how cool it would be to 'see' the ghost on the wall papered wall! (Yes you can paint or print the wallpaper on the wall).

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