Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Growing christmas tree

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mlittle329
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Joined: 2/01/07
Location: United States
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Topic: Growing christmas tree
Posted: 10/11/07 at 9:25am

Need to create a tree that will grow from about 6-8' to 15' for the transformation scene in The Nutcracker. We have a basic plan of flying a muslin drop in a triagular shape, but need ideas on reinforcing drop edges and a support system to connect tree to fly system.

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Gaafa
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Location: Australia
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Posted: 10/11/07 at 11:20pm

You can reinforce the trees profile edges, by epoxy glueing muslin/calico strips to the US edge, & paint over them on the back of the tree edges.
If the venue has what the call invisable wire, which is used for droppers from fly battens, use that to suspend the tree, run the batten dropper as a compression lift from the set piece tail batten of trees follage.
Allowing the muslin/calico extention cloth to grow from the follage base batten, allowing the follage to spread as it grows to it's dead height.

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}

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MartyW
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Posted: 10/12/07 at 9:15am

It wasnt very hi tech, but in a produciton of Annie we did a long time ago, we had a box/troth along a blank wall, painted in to the color scheme of the flats behind it. In the box was a muslin tree with each "branch" point reinforced with a small peice of wood running accross the back of the "tree" from branch point to branch point. As it was raised against the blank wall, the sticks kept it from collapsing in on itself. (today you might want to use a small pvc pipe or such) The raisning was fairly low tech too.. they painted the rope to blend in with flat and it was pulled from behind when it was time for the tree to rise... again.. low tech and I'm sure there are swankier ways to make it happen.

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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Gaafa
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Location: Australia
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Posted: 10/12/07 at 12:32pm

The slats would work well for the muslin extention. Much the same as used when hiosting a sail. Also it would assist it to unfold better without fowling up, as it flys out.
Good idea Marty!
The only tree I have grow on stage, was a Beanstalk, which is quite different.

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}

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Set Design and Construction
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Set Design and Construction

Author	Message
mlittle329 Walk-On Joined: 2/01/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Growing christmas tree Posted: 10/11/07 at 9:25am
	Need to create a tree that will grow from about 6-8' to 15' for the transformation scene in The Nutcracker. We have a basic plan of flying a muslin drop in a triagular shape, but need ideas on reinforcing drop edges and a support system to connect tree to fly system.

	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 10/11/07 at 11:20pm
	You can reinforce the trees profile edges, by epoxy glueing muslin/calico strips to the US edge, & paint over them on the back of the tree edges. If the venue has what the call invisable wire, which is used for droppers from fly battens, use that to suspend the tree, run the batten dropper as a compression lift from the set piece tail batten of trees follage. Allowing the muslin/calico extention cloth to grow from the follage base batten, allowing the follage to spread as it grows to it's dead height.
	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}
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MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 10/12/07 at 9:15am
	It wasnt very hi tech, but in a produciton of Annie we did a long time ago, we had a box/troth along a blank wall, painted in to the color scheme of the flats behind it. In the box was a muslin tree with each "branch" point reinforced with a small peice of wood running accross the back of the "tree" from branch point to branch point. As it was raised against the blank wall, the sticks kept it from collapsing in on itself. (today you might want to use a small pvc pipe or such) The raisning was fairly low tech too.. they painted the rope to blend in with flat and it was pulled from behind when it was time for the tree to rise... again.. low tech and I'm sure there are swankier ways to make it happen.
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
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Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 10/12/07 at 12:32pm
	The slats would work well for the muslin extention. Much the same as used when hiosting a sail. Also it would assist it to unfold better without fowling up, as it flys out. Good idea Marty! The only tree I have grow on stage, was a Beanstalk, which is quite different.
	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}
	IP Logged

Topic: Growing christmas tree( Topic Closed)