Sun/Moon/Clouds Ideas
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3709
Printed Date: 10/05/24 at 12:28pm
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Topic: Sun/Moon/Clouds Ideas
Posted By: musicalmonster
Subject: Sun/Moon/Clouds Ideas
Date Posted: 1/03/09 at 1:56pm
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Hello,
I was just wondering if anyone here had to construct a sun, moon or clouds for a production, and if so, how they did it. For my high school play, the director has asked me to design these pieces so that they can fly in and out. The only thing I can think of is to paint and cut the sun, moon, and clouds out of luan. Thank you! |
Replies:
Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 1/03/09 at 6:02pm
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If I were doing these, for the CLOUDS, I would cut the basic shape of the cloud out of luan (Earthbound, looking up perspective), and then give it dimension by building up (and underneath) with cotton or batting material to give it a real cloud shape. You may need to give it depth with a light touch of spray paint, but stage lighting and natural shadows might be good enough. Simply suspend it via monofiliment fishing line. (Something to always keep in mind, if you use anything for your cloud "shape" that is heat sensitive or combustible, keep it well clear of any of your stage lighting. They get fearsome hot!)
For the MOON, again I would start with a disk cut from luan and then give it texture (craters, mountains, and a face if you are so inclined) with spackling compound, or light weight wall texturing, or that expansion foam (although that is not very easy to work with). Even papier-mache would work, I suppose. Paint it the grays and blacks of a lunar surface. It's kind of two dimensional, but probably good enough for a theatrical production.
Now the SUN could be done in a very similar way, although I would be inclined to get it internally illuminated so it at least glowed in some fashion. You could use a frosted bass drum head with a shallow, circular frame behind it, and the solar features painted on it and lit from behind. Instead of painting the solar features you could attach colored tissue paper to the front of the disk and give it the illusion of dimension and sun rays emminating from it. That would look pretty good with a good light source behind it.
You could ALSO go buy the blow up solar system from the NASA Space Store ( http://www.thespacestore.com/insosy.html - http://www.thespacestore.com/insosy.html ) and use those. The Sun is around 36 inches in diameter and everything else is scaled accordingly.
Just my two (or three) cents worth! Good luck with whatever you do!  ------------- Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. |