Here are some of the ideas we had for special effects:

 

1.  For our "chocolate river" we used children!  We had 20 kids wear brown pants, brown long sleeved tee-shirts, and brown socks.  They laid face down on the stage side by side (4 across) and held onto the ankles of the person in front of them.  We had 5 groups with four kids each.  As the curtain opened, they all wiggled to look like a rumbling river.  As Augustus fell into the river, the kids on the end raised up and allowed him to crawl under, looking like the river "swallowed" him up.  The audience was amazed at our creative river and it added 20 more kids to the cast which created more ticket sales!

2.  For the pink candy boat scene we used a strobe light.  It made the scene more mysterious.  At the end, when the characters scream, our stage-hand took the boat away and Wonka moved over to the side and the parents and children were left in a huddle as the lights came up. 

3.  Violet wore a halloween sumo wrestler costume under her blue dress.  It inflates slowly so she turned it on as soon as she took the gum.  By the time she got to the end of the song, she was completely inflated as she ran around the "gum machine."  The 2nd time around, we traded her out for a large 4 foot beach ball that we made to look just like her.  The Oompa Loompas rolled her off the stage, into the audience and out the side door.

4.  Veruca popped a balloon with a saftey pin and kicked over a pile of wrapped presents while singing her song.  Then at the climax she climbed on top of a desk hidden inside our "nut machine."  As she hit the last note, one of our Oompa Loompas turned on the "bad" sign and she jumped backwards making it look as if she flew down the shute.  Mr. Salt dove in after her. 

5.  Mike TV got the biggest laughs during the show as he appeared on the small TV screen.  Basically, he jumped through a large cardboard cut out that was covered with black double-knit fabric with a split in the middle.  He hid behind scenery as a small doll appeared on another TV screen made from more cardboard.  We made a "camera" out of a large box and attached a clamp light.  We blackened the stage lights for a few seconds and cut the spot light as one of the Oompas turned the "camera" toward the audience.  It "blinded" them and diverted their attention long enough for Mike to jump through the fabric.

6.  Grandpa Joe and Charlie "floated" by climbing opposite sides of a ladder.  We painted the ladder black to match the backdrop and put a black cover over the side of the ladder that was facing the audience.  With the bubble machines covering the scene in bubbles, it looked as if they were flying when they would extend an arm and leg out while ducking and stretching.

 

Also...   we sold concessions during intermission.  We sold large lollipops that we ordered on-line.  Our art teacher made replicas of the lollipops out of paper and cardboard and we used them in the candy-man scene.   Basically, she found a large lollipop on-line and we printed out several copies.  She glued them onto 4" circular cardboard cut outs and hot glue lollipop sticks to them.  We wrapped them in clear plastic wrap and stuck them in styrofoam in the candy cart.   Seeing 20 actors on stage with these lollipops encouraged the audience to fly to the concession stand.  We also created "Fizzy Lifting Drinks" by buying colorful solo cups and stuffing them with assorted candies.  Each cup had colorful tissue paper and a straw.  Each night we hid a golden ticket inside one of the cups and offered a prize to the winner.  The winner was told to bring the ticket back to the audience to receive their prize at the beginning of act two.  The Oompa Loompas came out to help escort the winner to the stage.  The winner received a prize and also got to pose in a picture with the Oompa Loompas.  The audience really enjoyed this part of the show.

 

Again, please visit our website to see pictures of the sets, costumes, and special effects.  We are an elementary school in Dallas, Texas.  Our actors were in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.  We held auditions in August and performed in May.  We rehearsed two hours after school Monday-Thursday.  We worked very hard but it all paid off in the end.

 

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

 

Robert Jones

 

I'd really be interested in seeing your graphics - the labels, posters, etc -  - my specialty is building & lighting and the graphics stuff i usually end up handing off to one of the kids, with varying degrees of success.

 

Mike

 

Unless the production on the video has the video rights to distribute and sell, any cash changing hands is illegal. Be sure to check your contract, you could encounter major legal issues with videos that get distributed and sold. 

 

I know that most people don't believe this is a big deal, but this is the same principal as musical artists taking on Napster and other music sharing sites. You don't have those rights, don't do it!

 

Archival and educational are normally the only video rights offered on a standard contract, but a lot of times, not even then.