Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: glow in the dark vs. black light paint

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glow in the dark vs. black light paint

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Category: Producing Theater
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Topic: glow in the dark vs. black light paint

Posted By: jt7724
Subject: glow in the dark vs. black light paint
Date Posted: 6/19/11 at 5:14pm

I am about to start working on props for a show in which there will be an "under water"scene for which the director wants to turn off the lights and use glow in the dark fish (which I assume will then be manipulated by extra actors dressed in black to make them look like they are swimming)

So, my question is this, in my very limited research up to this point I think I am understanding that there are two different types of glow in the dark
paint; straight expose to light glow in the dark type, and glow under black light type. Has anyone had experience with either or both of these? Do you have a preference for ease of use? intensity of glow? perhaps most important, is one significantly less expensive than the other? I may or may not already have access to black lights, so that might lean me in that direction.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

Replies:

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:08pm

Go for the black light since you have access to the lights themselves. The glow is much, much brighter - plus you can have a few different colors, ergo more interesting and varied effects.

Posted By: gelcat
Date Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:53pm

the Wild Fire line of blacklight paints are really worth the money, but you must have a good primer coat beneath them. You will likely want to experiment a bit with your materials and see what happens with each material

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www.actorsguildonline.org
Actors Guild of Parkersburg
Parkersburg, WV

Posted By: cubbieco
Date Posted: 6/20/11 at 6:38pm

We bought 7 4 ft. black lights from Guitar center and it did a marvelous job on our little stage. YMMV but I would use black light over glow in the dark since I've never seen any glow in the dark effects show up like black light effects. Just ask if you can see this from the back row.

Posted By: jt7724
Date Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:37pm

Thanks for the advice everyone, as suggested I'm going for black lights as opposed to glow in the dark, and after some research it looks like I'm going to try and use normal day glow tempera paint, which glows under black light very nicely and is less expensive than black light paint.

One more question though, at first I thought the obvious thing to do was to hang black lights from batons and have them lighting straight down onto the stage, then I started thinking that maybe, since the front of the props are the only parts that need to glow, it would be better to lay the lights on their side along the front of the stage (sort of like footlights)

has anyone tried either or both of these techniques and has a preference

thanks in advance

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 6/26/11 at 11:05am

If you want to purchase lights, then fluorescent lights would be the less expensive solution. If you can rent lights there may be better solutions, talk to your local suppliers and see what they have to offer.

The front edge of the stage would be much better than directly overhead. Typical fixtures have rather wide reflectors and might block the audience's view more than you would like. You may be able to mount the lights in front of the stage just peaking over the edge of the apron, or modify the reflector. Another option would be to use the black-lights without a reflector, but you will not get as much light. You may also be able to hide the lights in "props" that can be brought on stage as needed.

Consider what you might do to protect the lamps so they don't get broken.

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David M