Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Holder for a banner

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   I am doing Narnia next weekend.  The sacrifice scene is played behind a banner to allow the audience to imagine the sacrifice instead of whitnessing it.  My banner needs to be 5 ft. long to cover the stone tableabd about 4 ft. high to cover the top of Aslan.  I was thinking I would put two dowels in some plaster paris in a cup and string fabric across the two dowels for the banner.  But, I ran into two problems.  My dowels are only 3ft. high (so not high enough).  And, when I tried to string the fabric across, the dowels tipped over in the plaster.  It was not heavy enough to support 5ft. of fabric.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?  

Thanks!!

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Kim L. Star Joined: 2/03/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 86	Topic: Holder for a banner Posted: 4/11/08 at 9:56am
	I am doing Narnia next weekend. The sacrifice scene is played behind a banner to allow the audience to imagine the sacrifice instead of whitnessing it. My banner needs to be 5 ft. long to cover the stone tableabd about 4 ft. high to cover the top of Aslan. I was thinking I would put two dowels in some plaster paris in a cup and string fabric across the two dowels for the banner. But, I ran into two problems. My dowels are only 3ft. high (so not high enough). And, when I tried to string the fabric across, the dowels tipped over in the plaster. It was not heavy enough to support 5ft. of fabric. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks!!
	Kim

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JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 4/11/08 at 11:02am
	Why don't you just use a Flat that's at least 7'x5', you can use 'pelmet clips on the flats frame & pelmet sockets on the table &/or 'French' braces or adjustable stage 'jacks' to hold the flat. Pelmet 'Clip' & 'socket';- http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/shop/23/index.htm You could skin it in scrim & do a lighting transformation, with the DS side painted as the banner. Save you a heap of messing about with dowels or whatever!
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
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belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 4/11/08 at 11:36am
	Consider using 2"x2" lumber. Cut it to the length you want (or the lumberyard will do it for you). Use scrap 2"x4" lumber (about 1 foot long) to make a base. Screw 4 pieces of the 2x4s around the base of the 2x2 to make the base. Put one 2x4 on each side of the 2x2, each 2x4 going in a different direction (looks like a pinwheel) when looking down from the top. You can throw a sandbag on the base if the fabric is still too heavy. Put some extra fabric around if the base to cover the 2x4 "feet" and sandbag for a nicer look. This is from an experienced set builder/designer who is not a carpenter. I've made taller ones of these with a 4x4 to hold up bigger things. I'm sure the "real" set builders will have much slicker ideas.
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TonyDi Celebrity Joined: 9/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 4/21/08 at 1:36pm
	Well you realize you CAN get a dowel as large as about 2" or so. I used a wooden "dowel" for a curtain rod in my basement - that was about 12' long. So that's plenty of length. You could put the dowel in a bucket and then fill it with sand and THAT should be sturdy enough to hold the dowel rod in place and whatever you hang on it....especially if you WET the sand. Camoflogue the buckets and the dowel rod could be painted to look like something other than what it is - but you CAN get dowel rod stuff that's much, much larger and as long as 12' or so. Good luck TonyDi
	"Almost famous"
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Set Design and Construction
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