Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: need advice for muslin backdrops

Author

Message

Majicwrench
Celebrity

Joined: 2/07/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 178

Posted: 12/01/10 at 9:05pm

I have bought several varieties of 1/8" 4' X 8' panelling and then just a quick and easy 1X4 framework for my flats. Maybe not quite as light as muslin but sturdy and easy to hang pictures etc. and they have worked well for years. Just takes a few minutes to build one. If you need more details let me know. Methinks you are overthinking some of this, once you have the flats, all sorts of creative ideas can, and will, hold them up, and together. Rather than hinge pins, which work fine BTW, a chunk of scrap 1x4 and a couple of screws work wonderful. And the flats will be self-supporting to a cetain extent if they are placed in an arc. )

Personally, I would try to avoid 10' flats, harder to move, store, more expensive yada yada.

IP Logged

ChanaGoanna
Player
Player

Joined: 10/05/10
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 16

Posted: 12/02/10 at 7:02am

Well, darn it. After asking around it looks like I'm back to the pipe and drape idea because I can't find anyone to make the flats for me quickly enough. So I guess I'll go with my original idea of attaching them to the pallets for sizing, fire retarding and painting and then construct a top pocket and suspend them as backdrops. Holler if y'all see any red flags there. I'm running out of time so at this point I just want to order the muslin and supplies and get it done.

The good thing is that this production is a fundraiser, and part of the proceeds will go to building real flats, so I will print this out to have all this valuable info when we start constructing those. Majicwrench, the panelling sounds like a good idea and less susceptible to student damage than muslin. I may follow up with you on that.

I can't thank you all enough for your help on this. I am so grateful for this forum!

IP Logged

JoeMc
Celebrity

Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 832

Posted: 12/02/10 at 9:49am

Don't dispair channa this is comeatre & your not going in ever deminishing circles - although it my seem so!

While I agree with Keith [majicwrench] who posts a good option that could work for you &/or venue.

However I used to make these type flats up when I worked in TV, which is a gaff situation of tinsel, tat & tape. The 'bookcase' style studio flats [a.k.a 'Boxed frame'] do work well, they are cheap, quick & easy to knock up.

However they are not my tea bag, as I find them cumbersome to handle as opposed to the soft flats & are a bit more chunky to store, which may or not be a problem in you venues & situation. They can also create the odd hiccup when attempting to Book them. But there again I'm just an old fart who prefers working with the broadway style flats, but that's a t'other story.

Channa surely you could rouse up a students parent or relation that may have an inkling about being a DIY Chippy, who at least is some what famous within their own tool box.

From experience I have always found it much easier to repair a damaged cloth skin on the trot, than attempting to invisible mend a studio flat skin, without the punters knowing the difference.

A few aeons ago I reskinned some flats at an ameatre in the bush. The flats were made by the 'Fuller Theatre which was a proeatre touring company here, that switched from theatre to cinema back in the early 1900's. The canvas that we removed was defiantly original & undamaged with at least more than 20 odd coats of paint on it.

I have found with less experienced crew, that they tend to handle the soft flats with more care & respect than is ever done with the studio [hard] flats.

Edited by JoeMc - 12/02/10 at 10:33am

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

IP Logged

David McCall
Celebrity

Joined: 1/28/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 299

Posted: 12/02/10 at 12:38pm

There are certainly pros and cons to both styles. Fabric flats can be recovered easily because the fabric can be pealed off because it is only being held on with glue (the staples get removed when you trim the excess. Once you get a few coats of paint on the studio flats it is very difficult to strip them.

A compromise is to build the flats in the Broadway style and then skin them with plywood and then cover that with luan before putting the muslin on (glued only at the edges and trimmed like a muslin flat. The first coat of paint will stick down the rest of it, but you may be able to peal it up to restore the surface. These will make nice corners and take up less space to store than typical studio flats because the structure is perpendicular to the front surface.

One issue with plywood flats is that you tend to only make 4'x8' and 2'x8' flats. If you go bigger, they get more expensive and you have to deal with a seam. Covering with muslin will help out with the seam though.

The TV studios I've worked in use "C" clamps to hold the Hollywood flats together. This makes for a very fast set-up and tear down.

In terms of red flags with your pipe and drape solution, would to plan on a bottom pocket in addition to the top pocket to help it hang straighter. Electrical conduit, pipe, and wood can be used to weigh the bottom down.

David M

IP Logged

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

Topic: need advice for muslin backdrops( Topic Closed)
	<< Prev Page of 2

Author	Message
Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 12/01/10 at 9:05pm
	I have bought several varieties of 1/8" 4' X 8' panelling and then just a quick and easy 1X4 framework for my flats. Maybe not quite as light as muslin but sturdy and easy to hang pictures etc. and they have worked well for years. Just takes a few minutes to build one. If you need more details let me know. Methinks you are overthinking some of this, once you have the flats, all sorts of creative ideas can, and will, hold them up, and together. Rather than hinge pins, which work fine BTW, a chunk of scrap 1x4 and a couple of screws work wonderful. And the flats will be self-supporting to a cetain extent if they are placed in an arc. ) Personally, I would try to avoid 10' flats, harder to move, store, more expensive yada yada.
	IP Logged

ChanaGoanna Player Joined: 10/05/10 Online Status: Offline Posts: 16	Posted: 12/02/10 at 7:02am
	Well, darn it. After asking around it looks like I'm back to the pipe and drape idea because I can't find anyone to make the flats for me quickly enough. So I guess I'll go with my original idea of attaching them to the pallets for sizing, fire retarding and painting and then construct a top pocket and suspend them as backdrops. Holler if y'all see any red flags there. I'm running out of time so at this point I just want to order the muslin and supplies and get it done. The good thing is that this production is a fundraiser, and part of the proceeds will go to building real flats, so I will print this out to have all this valuable info when we start constructing those. Majicwrench, the panelling sounds like a good idea and less susceptible to student damage than muslin. I may follow up with you on that. I can't thank you all enough for your help on this. I am so grateful for this forum!
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 12/02/10 at 9:49am
	Don't dispair channa this is comeatre & your not going in ever deminishing circles - although it my seem so! While I agree with Keith [majicwrench] who posts a good option that could work for you &/or venue. However I used to make these type flats up when I worked in TV, which is a gaff situation of tinsel, tat & tape. The 'bookcase' style studio flats [a.k.a 'Boxed frame'] do work well, they are cheap, quick & easy to knock up. However they are not my tea bag, as I find them cumbersome to handle as opposed to the soft flats & are a bit more chunky to store, which may or not be a problem in you venues & situation. They can also create the odd hiccup when attempting to Book them. But there again I'm just an old fart who prefers working with the broadway style flats, but that's a t'other story. Channa surely you could rouse up a students parent or relation that may have an inkling about being a DIY Chippy, who at least is some what famous within their own tool box. From experience I have always found it much easier to repair a damaged cloth skin on the trot, than attempting to invisible mend a studio flat skin, without the punters knowing the difference. A few aeons ago I reskinned some flats at an ameatre in the bush. The flats were made by the 'Fuller Theatre which was a proeatre touring company here, that switched from theatre to cinema back in the early 1900's. The canvas that we removed was defiantly original & undamaged with at least more than 20 odd coats of paint on it. I have found with less experienced crew, that they tend to handle the soft flats with more care & respect than is ever done with the studio [hard] flats. Edited by JoeMc - 12/02/10 at 10:33am
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 12/02/10 at 12:38pm
	There are certainly pros and cons to both styles. Fabric flats can be recovered easily because the fabric can be pealed off because it is only being held on with glue (the staples get removed when you trim the excess. Once you get a few coats of paint on the studio flats it is very difficult to strip them. A compromise is to build the flats in the Broadway style and then skin them with plywood and then cover that with luan before putting the muslin on (glued only at the edges and trimmed like a muslin flat. The first coat of paint will stick down the rest of it, but you may be able to peal it up to restore the surface. These will make nice corners and take up less space to store than typical studio flats because the structure is perpendicular to the front surface. One issue with plywood flats is that you tend to only make 4'x8' and 2'x8' flats. If you go bigger, they get more expensive and you have to deal with a seam. Covering with muslin will help out with the seam though. The TV studios I've worked in use "C" clamps to hold the Hollywood flats together. This makes for a very fast set-up and tear down. In terms of red flags with your pipe and drape solution, would to plan on a bottom pocket in addition to the top pocket to help it hang straighter. Electrical conduit, pipe, and wood can be used to weigh the bottom down.
	David M
	IP Logged