Lights and Sound: Scrooge! Revisited....

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Scrooge! Revisited....

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Lights and Sound
Forum Discription: Technical discussion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1795
Printed Date: 12/04/24 at 8:48pm
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Topic: Scrooge! Revisited....

Posted By: MartyW
Subject: Scrooge! Revisited....
Date Posted: 4/11/06 at 8:53am

I am once again doing Scrooge! the musical this coming Christmas. As I was checking out the BBoard, I began to wonder if you might have some ideas to share on how best to accomplish the face on the door knocker effect. In most Christmas Carol/Scrooge renditions, Marley's face appears on the door knocker of Scrooges front door. First year we did this with a cut out hole in the door, an opaque mask, and a back light. The next year we found a real cool door knocker with a face in it that we painted with black light paint and did the black light thing. We have seen fun house displays where there is a head that has a film clip projected on it, and where wondering if thats somthing we could do in the theater or if someone has a better idea.... any help would be appreciated...

Also, any tried and true ideas for the other special effects in Scrooge would always be appreciated..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Replies:

Posted By: Redbeard
Date Posted: 4/11/06 at 11:53pm

I did this effect recently. We built a large Victorian style door knocker out of a Glad plastic storage box. Using the rim for the knocker and styrofoam for trim, I spray painted the edges gold leaving the center clear. Inside I placed a frosted amber gel and behind that a picture of marley. Next I drilled a hole in the door for a light inside the door knocker. We were able to control the whole thing at the light board. Many people were looking for a projector after the show and never suspected the real trick.

Posted By: puck
Date Posted: 4/12/06 at 6:18pm

Another option you could always explore is the use of latex sheeting.

And that's where you streach it over a hole in the door, painting to mask seems and what have you. And then the actor presses his face against the latex and it's all very spooky. If the language I'm using isn't really painting a mental picture, you might want to watch the first A Nightmare on Elmstreet, that effect is used somewhere near the begining, I think.

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 11:44am

As the set is now under construction.. (and I still haven't made up my mind on a technique for this producdtion) I am resurfacing this post... Any one new have ideas??? Anyone thought of any new ones???

Thanks

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 12:31pm

Spit-balling here:

Someone with a talent for puppetry could carve a convincing doorknocker out of foam rubber (like one of the Muppets). This could be operated by an actor behind the door, sticking hand through a hole in the door -- into the puppet mask, manipulating the mouth, making the eyes scowl, etc.

A special light (or spotlight) with an eerie gel color could highlight the effect.

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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: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 12:54pm

Cool idea... One of my freinds recently saw one of those motions sensing toys based on the Pirates of the Carribean... it was a skeleton head, he wondered if we could deactivate the voice and blend it into the door knocker... Thanks..

But will take more options if anyones light bulb kicks in ..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 2:16pm

Well if it's supposed to be nearly the size of an actual human face - here's a proposition. AND this will depend upon whether or not the audience sees behind the door, how much time you have after this effect is done and whether you can have time to "fix it afterwards.

Take this idea for instance - find an actor who can DO the door knocker, create your door with a CUT OUT that THAT actor can fit his face into. THEN do a life casting of your actor and create a vacuum formed plastic copy (lightweight). In performance (and if the door can't be seen from the back side) the door CAN be cut out, the person's face made up to match the door knocker color (metal or whatever, rusty, etc. with makeup) and then inserted into the cut out. Then THAT way you have an actual HUMAN face on the door knocker that can open his eyes, talk and so forth as needed. THEN after the gag is finished and in the darkness or at a scene change or whatever - have the vacuum formed copy of the actors life cast, that is painted up to match the door knocker and replace a plastic vacuum formed likeness of the actor, put in place of the real actor when it's not in use as coming alive. Long and drawn out and really dependent upon whether you CAN see the back side of the door or if you have time to replace the real actor with the plastic, vac formed likeness when you DO have to see the back side of the door - if ever.

Just a brainstorm.

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"Almost famous"

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 2:20pm

Thanks Tony... That one is pretty interesting.. And thanks to all.. Keep em coming and I will be runing them by my set/effects folks..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 2:52pm

There's a thing they sell at the Hallowe'en stores - I think I first saw it last year. Anyway, it's a videotape, and the idea is, you lay the TV down (so the screen is facing up) and the picture is reflected in a mirror, or projected inside a "crystal ball." It's a really good effect when set up right; it looks like there's a head floating in a ball. If you could rig it right, I think that would look really cool.

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POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/06/06 at 3:02pm

Neat idea... I will look for that.. Doing Wizard of Oz in the spring.. Been wondering how to do the Crystal Ball effect...

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: onesongglory
Date Posted: 10/10/06 at 5:15pm

Where are you doing Wizard of Oz?

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~Matt~

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:06pm

School....

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: Ken W
Date Posted: 10/13/06 at 4:48pm

We actually had the actor playing Marley put his head through a hole in the door. The original knocker was just that, and with the lights only on Scrooge, he opened a door, put his face through, moaned his line, and the lights went out and he reversed. Worked great.