narnia set construction
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=2670
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 1:41am
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Topic: narnia set construction
Posted By: kmdded
Subject: narnia set construction
Date Posted: 9/16/07 at 8:39pm
| I am looking for set construction ideas for Narnia. I saw one rec. for 3 sided flats for spring, winter and the witch's palace. Anyone out there do this? |
Replies:
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/16/07 at 9:32pm
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Do you mean periactoi [Medici] flats? Which are 3 or more flats set up as a revolving prism or cube. which is fairly easy to set up on a truck with a central spigot or pivot pin. Here is something that may help, this link was posted here some time ago;- http://www.bscl.org/periactoi.htm - http://www.bscl.org/periactoi.htm ------------- 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: Kim L.
Date Posted: 10/23/07 at 5:29pm
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I am doing Narnia this spring with my middle school drama class. Our stage is a stage in the gym...very small with no passageway from one wing to the other. I am planning to take several small fallen trees (no more than 2 inch diameter) from my yard (I live on 10 wooded acres) and nail/support them to a board. Then I plan to use the canned flocking (fake snow) to spray on the remaining branches of the trees so that it looks like snow stuck to the bare trees (like in a snow storm). I may borrow fake Christas trees to fill in between the twiggy trees. I think I will also use the rolled out fake Christmas snow or a large white sheet on the ground to depict snow on the ground. For the spring scene, I plan to sew a bunch of sheets together and dye the large piece green then paint little spring flowers here and there on it. I'll have the large green sheet underneath the white (snow) sheets. When it is time for the scene change, I will just have to pull the white sheet up to expose the green underneath. Then I will take the twiggy winter trees out and bring in ficus trees, putting burlap or something over the bottom to hide the pot. Then walla! I have spring. Our production has a $70 budget so we are not talking high tech stuff here.
We would not have the manpower or money to do one of those 3 sided flats. I forget the name...Petroki-something. Kim ------------- Kim |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 1:25am
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Cheap calico [musiln] & apply the snow on to wallpaper 'size' areas or on plastic [latex] paint areas. The calico [muslin] comes in fairly wide loom'd fabric & roll lengths to cover the 'gymeatre' decking. Which might be easier than mucking about with sewing sheets together. Also the raw calico/muslin might be esier to dye? If you mount your tree branches on a ground row flat, french braced [jacks] to give stability, either profiled as tree under growth or painted to suit. Affix old strips of deep pile carpet to the under side of the flat Style, set as the ground row on it's side. Or a board ground row, as you suggest. Ensure the pile is face down on to the stage deck, this will make it easier to slide off when striking. With the calico have a wongy with a friendly local furniture manufacture or lounge maker, he might bung you a bundle of the muslin used to cover the underside of lounge chair furniture. With the french braces [jacks] on the US of the ground row, put them on hindges, so they can swing away for shifting & storage, using the sand bags for the next braces at the 'Spring' scene. The calico snow stage cloth can be scolped into a snow snow drift shape & drag it off or roll it up, reavealing your 'green sward' cloth under neath. Or even attach the upstage edge of the snow cloth to a batten & fly it out. If you can put pulleys in the roof viod & use dropper rope lines or cables, If height is a factor, just rig up a breasting [tripping] batten attached under neath the centre of the cloth. Which will cut by half the height it neads to fly out past the Boarder ['X' masking]. Then cleat the line off stage to secure it. {counterweights can be hitched to the hauling ropes, but I doubt you would need to, as the weight factor would be next to nothing.] It is always best to work out the sceneoligy to K.I.S.S for seamless set Moves [shifts]. [more than "10 seconds is far too much time spent on a scenic Move". Chookas  |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:18am
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Projection is easy and cheap--as long as you have access to a projector.
Or for a cheaper solution consider 'shadow projecting' the scenery. You can use a small cut out of the witches palace (maybe a foot or two high piece cut from cardboard or plywood) and place a light source behind it . A scrim goes in front of the scenery but behind the actors. Now you have a witches castle in the distance.
Similar things can be done for winter and spring. Perhaps a cutoutsof a forest/mountains (again only small piece), but with a green wash of the walls behind the cut out for spring and a blue or grey wash for winter.
Or--Gobos can be used to project a leaf pattern for spring and a snowflake pattern for winter.
You can have superquick set changes with any of these--and very limited cost and effort. You only need a scrim and a decent lighting guy.
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Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 1:12am
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Good idea Vicki! A bit like a 'LinnebachProjection on the upstage of a scrim or bounced thru a mirror on to a cloth. Or if you could borrow or half'inch an over head projector & print out a pictur on Mylar, to project via the mirror [magnification should be 1:5 thru the mirror or there abouts] You will have to experiment with positioning & play around for awhile with focus or whatever - but it works! If you can grab an old Fresnel lamp like a Strand Patt 45, take out the lens, using the gel frame slides to drop in a painted piece of glass, this is much better than just a Linnenbach silouette projection. There again with your massive budget, which you are undoubtably dipping in your own pocket to top up, You would not have enough to hire in a Pro Image Projector Lamp or a Selecon Pacific light. Which ordinary clear plastic gobo's can be used on. So you might be stuck with ground rows? |
Posted By: Kim L.
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:28am
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Wow, thanks for all the advice. I would like to show (what I call) and inspiration photo of the tree effect I am looking for. I don't know how to post photos, so here is the link:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/michpowell/White%20Witch/Mich2.jpg Like I said, I was planning to nail 4 little support pieces to the lower portion of each small tree (like how Christmas trees stand up) and mount a few to a board. I like the idea of using carpet on the underside of the ground board for ease of striking it. Using a ground row to affix the trees to is intriguing but I can't picture it in my mind. I love all the ideas...thanks!! Kim |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 10/26/07 at 10:55am
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I have had a word with Gaafa? As you use cardboard on frames. You could do the same with the ground row. Lay a Jogger flat [1'- 2' wide] on it's side [Stile edge]. Attach the trees to the upstage of the frame, then skin with cardboard, cut out a profile of the undergrowth betwen the trees. Paint it up & add the French braces to US frame, using hinges to attach, so the brace can be folded out & counterweighted {sand bags or whatever}. You may have to reinforce the profiled cardboard cut out edges with ply, but if you work it out when cutting the cardboard. affording minimal undulation , you may have no problems. Rather than using 'tank trap style' bases, as you suggested. to support the trees on boards. |