Set Design and Construction: Small moveable self support backdrops

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Small moveable self support backdrops

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1791
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 12:58pm
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Topic: Small moveable self support backdrops

Posted By: beach
Subject: Small moveable self support backdrops
Date Posted: 4/08/06 at 4:06pm

Hi All:

I've done many sets for dance & musical theater productions, but now I have a new challenge - creating scenery for my son's senior party. Needs to be set up on graduation day, and taken down after the all night party is done.

They need two themed backdrops for photos of the kids, but we can't hang or attach anything to the walls, and these things have to be moved in/out and set up/taken down quickly.

They would need to stand on the floor, and be about 10 feet high & 15 feet wide.

Any ideas re: materials, framing support, etc would be appreciated.

Thanks

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KB
Community Theater
Set Designer

Replies:

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 4/08/06 at 5:37pm

First of all, I would hardly consider two (2) backdrops 10' x 15' as "small." You're easily looking at 300 sq ft of material.

Second, I would recommend "pipe & drape." These are long metal poles (the height of your backdrop) inserted -- or threaded -- into round, heavy bases.

Horizontal poles (the width of your backdrop) are inserted through connectors at the top (while the entire apparatus is still lying on the ground) and fabric is hung from these poles to reach the floor.

Pictures or decorations can be pinned, taped or attached to the fabric as you desire.

"Pipe & Drape" is a standard rental item. It should be available from a theatrical supply house, a party-rental store, hotel banquet facilities, or even some of your larger caterers might know where to procure them.

They are fairly simple to set-up and take down. However, they are necessarily heavy and unwieldy to transport.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 4/09/06 at 4:00am

As your a set designer Beach.

Just use 10? flats with ?French? stage braces. [which you may know as another name?]
hinge the braces on the ?Stiles? on the US of the Flats & use sand bags or any stage weights.
With a ?15? a header ledger or one that can hook over the toggle rails, will hold them straight & flat. What you could also do is add 2 jogger flats, as Book Flats, one at each end.
Soft flats are easier to transport, however you could use hard TV flats, with a calico [muslin] as skin over, which will help putting the photos on.
If you rope & cleat them together, which quick. Making it easy to Bump in/out.

-------------
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}

Posted By: beach
Date Posted: 4/09/06 at 8:51pm

Thanks for the ideas.

The backdrops will have scenes painted on them (a tropical beach and a pirate ship), so I don't think pipe & drap will work.

i'm thinking of using painted 1/4" plywood, framed with 2 x 2s on the back side and set into a groove in a base (1 foot tall or so) platform to hold it up. That way I could do three 4 foot by 8 foot panels to get a 12 foot width and 9 feet tall - close enough to my desired height to get a gaggle of kids in front of the backdrops.

I could screw upright lumber to the backside of the platform, that the 2 x 2s on the flats could attach to, and could screw the 2 x 2s to eachother.

Easy to set up & move & if they don't want to stay upright, i can add fold out supports & sandbags on the backside.

I'm not very good at explaining it. i'm much better at drawing a picture!

Thanks

-------------
KB
Community Theater
Set Designer

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:15am

If you build your wooden base(s) into an open box shape, you will be able to make them to any height to bring your flats up to the desired level. Think of window boxes that hold flowers, except these won't be filled with dirt.

Securely screw your flats to the front of the boxes and screw 2x2 lumber to the back of the box, joining it to the flat above the mid-line to form triangular supports. Make your boxes deep enough (front to back) to fill with sandbags or other weights to keep your flats from toppling over.

Plywood that thin and tall held up with spars (2x2) will easily catch any breeze and -- as Gaafa rightly suggests -- needs to be weighted down to prevent accidents. Fold out supports in the back are a good idea, but when dealing with adolescents, these can easily be tripped over in the enthusiasm of the performance. The window-box method will keep the units more self-contained and have less lumber protruding out the back.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: Joan54
Date Posted: 4/10/06 at 7:36am

I would reconsider the height. Is ten feet tall really needed? I generally use eight feet and even with adults it usually works. Ten foot long plywood is premium and much more expensive than eight foot.

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"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 4/10/06 at 2:41pm

I would really look into painted drops and pipe and drape. you won't need to add weight to any of it and pipe and drape can often be rented for pretty little $$ a theatre dept may even have the backdrops you need.

Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 4/10/06 at 4:55pm

When I have had to do simliar things I have used "Stumps Prom and Party Catalog". They have lots of quick to assemble and some not very expensive alternatives to traditional theater sets. Most of it is self-supporting and comes ready to assemble. It is worth a look. http://www.stumpsprom.com - www.stumpsprom.com

Linda