Set Design and Construction: Repurposing a hollywood flat

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Repurposing a hollywood flat

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=3377
Printed Date: 10/30/25 at 10:52pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Repurposing a hollywood flat

Posted By: bftcbrian
Subject: Repurposing a hollywood flat
Date Posted: 8/22/08 at 10:50am

I'm currently designing/building a set that, among other things, requires a large, abstract-y style of window.

I'm using a half width Hollywood flat as the base. I've removed the face of the flat and restructured the supports to look like a window frame. The next step is to recover the flat in a translucent fabric that can blend into the set when lit from the front but can expose the frame when backlit with gels.

Has anyone ever done something along this route before? What is a good (re: also inexpensive) type of fabric to use? Ideally I'd like to be able to apply an extremely thin coat of paint to texture with the walls... but it's not terribly necessary.

I'm not used to getting stumped. Any help would be appreciated!

Replies:

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 8/22/08 at 9:41pm

Vicki Franks a member of this forum, is the guru on scrim materials, used for lighting transposition effect.

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com/ - http://www.studio-productions-inc.com/

In the mean time I'll throw in my tra bits [thruppence] worth!

The cheapest material I have used is domestic Continuous net curtaining. The other is ordinary Shadecloth, because it comes in 3.metre widths.

When i designed 'Hotel sorrento', I used white shadecloth [70%] for the us wall, which became the veranda over looking the bay, painted on a backcloth.

I used the Rosco Iddings saturation paint, casein is soy milk;-

http://www.rosco.com/us/scenic/iddings_deep.asp - http://www.rosco.com/us/scenic/iddings_deep.asp

In preference I would of found it far easier to use a natural fabric, as it does not bounce the lighting wash as much as the plastic shadecloth does.

Although the net curtaining did work well painted as an interior wall, I believe Vicki franks scrim fabric will work far better & give a better effect!

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