Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Hot Air Balloon

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kytheatrechic
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Joined: 3/22/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 1

Topic: Hot Air Balloon - Oz
Posted: 3/22/08 at 11:09pm

Found this message board tonight and already have MANY great ideas based on your input...so here's my quandry. I have a pretty good handle on most of the fx for our upcoming production of Wizard of Oz (RSC), but would LOVE ideas on how to approach the balloon scene. We perform in a borrowed auditorium/stage with no fly space.

All the world's a stage, some of us just have better seats.

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tonyboling
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Joined: 3/15/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 55

Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:11am

I can tell you what we did in high school. We had a hydrolic lift that was used to change lamps (no fly space, no rail) and we dressed it to look like a basket. It was staged at stage right and a leg hid the bulk of the machine. As the professor lifted off we had someone pull it off stage so it looked like he went up and over.

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jvlsm
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Joined: 3/26/07
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Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:25am

my bunch are in pre-production for this show, and we have NO wings and NO flies. our best solution to date is to raise the basket 4-5 feet off the floor with pulleys, while revolving that side of the set. (We are using two revolves to carry the scene changes) Any better ideas will be gratefully received.

once more into the breach, dear friends, and damned be he who first cries hold, enough

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Verdier
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Joined: 2/09/04
Location: Canada
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Posted: 4/28/08 at 4:20pm

We just did Oz last year, and had to be very creative since we have no fly space, no wing space - nothing!

We decided to create a basket on wheels, attach a bunch of helium balloons to it, and have the Wizard slowly move the basket "up" the aisle and out to the lobby doors! Not very technical or fancy, but it did the trick, and noone seemed to mind.

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MartyW
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Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
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Posts: 555

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:22am

We did the lift thing... I know you say "no fly" but is there any teaser curtain space at all overhead? We rigged a weighted cloth "balloon" that went up over a bar and down behind the curtain as the lift went up... Pooled black cloth rose up with the "basket" covering the lift unit... When it got to the point that we couldnt go up any more, we did a light shift and closed the traveler on that spot... It worked great, but no matter your space, its an imagination piece and every one KNOWS whats suppose to be happening.. So whatever you wind up having to do will no doubt be recieved fine..

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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stagekat
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Joined: 1/02/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 1/02/09 at 11:27pm

We had a similar problem no fly space and no wing space to speak of. We suggested the balloon was offstage and rigged some ropes that looked like they were holding the balloon, and then had a small child lifted off the ground while holding one of the ropes, to make it look like the balloon had taken off with him holding the rope. It actually looked pretty convincing, and we didn't have to deal with building a "balloon" or balloon basket at all.

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DFTDONNA
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Joined: 1/25/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8

Posted: 2/16/09 at 1:36pm

We did a similar hydrolic lift balloon. We used a gym parachute for the balloon and it looked great. IT rose up as we pulled it off stage.

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

Author	Message
kytheatrechic Walk-On Joined: 3/22/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Topic: Hot Air Balloon - Oz Posted: 3/22/08 at 11:09pm
	Found this message board tonight and already have MANY great ideas based on your input...so here's my quandry. I have a pretty good handle on most of the fx for our upcoming production of Wizard of Oz (RSC), but would LOVE ideas on how to approach the balloon scene. We perform in a borrowed auditorium/stage with no fly space.
	All the world's a stage, some of us just have better seats.

	IP Logged

tonyboling Star Joined: 3/15/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 55	Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:11am
	I can tell you what we did in high school. We had a hydrolic lift that was used to change lamps (no fly space, no rail) and we dressed it to look like a basket. It was staged at stage right and a leg hid the bulk of the machine. As the professor lifted off we had someone pull it off stage so it looked like he went up and over.
	IP Logged

jvlsm Walk-On Joined: 3/26/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/23/08 at 1:25am
	my bunch are in pre-production for this show, and we have NO wings and NO flies. our best solution to date is to raise the basket 4-5 feet off the floor with pulleys, while revolving that side of the set. (We are using two revolves to carry the scene changes) Any better ideas will be gratefully received.
	once more into the breach, dear friends, and damned be he who first cries hold, enough
	IP Logged

Verdier Walk-On Joined: 2/09/04 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 4/28/08 at 4:20pm
	We just did Oz last year, and had to be very creative since we have no fly space, no wing space - nothing! We decided to create a basket on wheels, attach a bunch of helium balloons to it, and have the Wizard slowly move the basket "up" the aisle and out to the lobby doors! Not very technical or fancy, but it did the trick, and noone seemed to mind.
	IP Logged

MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:22am
	We did the lift thing... I know you say "no fly" but is there any teaser curtain space at all overhead? We rigged a weighted cloth "balloon" that went up over a bar and down behind the curtain as the lift went up... Pooled black cloth rose up with the "basket" covering the lift unit... When it got to the point that we couldnt go up any more, we did a light shift and closed the traveler on that spot... It worked great, but no matter your space, its an imagination piece and every one KNOWS whats suppose to be happening.. So whatever you wind up having to do will no doubt be recieved fine..
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
	IP Logged

stagekat Walk-On Joined: 1/02/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 1/02/09 at 11:27pm
	We had a similar problem no fly space and no wing space to speak of. We suggested the balloon was offstage and rigged some ropes that looked like they were holding the balloon, and then had a small child lifted off the ground while holding one of the ropes, to make it look like the balloon had taken off with him holding the rope. It actually looked pretty convincing, and we didn't have to deal with building a "balloon" or balloon basket at all.
	IP Logged

DFTDONNA Walk-On Joined: 1/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Posted: 2/16/09 at 1:36pm
	We did a similar hydrolic lift balloon. We used a gym parachute for the balloon and it looked great. IT rose up as we pulled it off stage.
	IP Logged

Topic: Hot Air Balloon - Oz( Topic Closed)