Three Sided Flats
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=3881
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 6:09am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Three Sided Flats
Posted By: imamember
Subject: Three Sided Flats
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 7:57am
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First....what are these called? I know they have a name but it escapes me. Second...are there any online guides that show how to make these? I wanna make about five or six of them for use in children's shows. I want to paint different scenes on each side. Any help would be appreciated. |
Replies:
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 11:02am
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There seems to be 2 spellings on the web
Periactoi and Periaktoi
I didn't find a lot on the web, but with more patience you might do better.
Typically you would henge 3 traditional flats (not Hollywood style flats) together using loose pin henges on the 3rd corner. I'd use at least 3 hinges on each corner. Then build a 3 sided dolly to fit the bottom. There will be ugly seams at the corners where the flats come together. 4" wide Gaffer Tape is one solution that can be used to cover the corners.
http://www.bscl.org/periactoi.htm - http://www.bscl.org/periactoi.htm
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hstech.org/howto/carpentr/flats/periaktoi%2520011.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hstech.org/howto/carpentr/flats/periak.htm&h=491&w=653&sz=74&tbnid=FHbkCzXhPQj5lM::&tbnh=104&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dperiaktoi&hl=en&usg=__1YloSJRc95MtIZC3nCdn1rIk930=&ei=b2O-SeClHoyxtwfak7j4Cw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=8&ct=image&cd=1 - http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hstech.org/howto/carpentr/flats/periaktoi%2520011.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hstech.org/howto/carpentr/flats/periak.htm&h=491&w=653&sz=74&tbnid=FHbkCzXhPQj5lM::&tbnh=104&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dperiaktoi&hl=en&usg=__1YloSJRc95MtIZC3nCdn1rIk930=&ei=b2O-SeClHoyxtwfak7j4Cw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=8&ct=image&cd=1 ------------- David M |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 11:37am
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I've always had a hard time with that name too.. thats why I go around ticking off the "real theater" people and call them Pterodactyls ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 2:43pm
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We use them a lot. Very fast scene changes. Just finished Grease using them and Gypsy last summer. Music Man before that. ------------- KEB |
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 6:55pm
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Periacktoi are very cool. I inherited 6 of them in our group. They took up a lot of space and were screwed together and painted over so many times that it was impractical to take them apart. Put them together with loose pin hienges so they are easy to take apart. Build a 3 sided dolly for it to ride on. I've found that it can be hard to position them accurately with the typical swivel casters. If they only have to rotate in place, set them up with a pivot. At it's simplest, it would be a short piece of pipe going through a hole in the dolly. The piece of pipe has a flange that might be screwed down to the floor. You probably can't do that, so make a 4' circle of plywood. It could be fairly thin. Glue and screw a smaller piece of 3/4" plywood in the center, and mount the flange to that. You might also want to use non-swiveling casters for smoother direction changes.
------------- David M |
Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 2:09pm
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I never though of it till now, but we must be very lucky. We don't anchor our Periacktoi in any way. We just have spike marks on the floor and put them in position. No brakes or stops or anything. They just stay where we put them. They have never rolled or moved when they weren't suppose to.
Now watch! Next production they'll roll all over!  ------------- KEB |
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 2:18pm
Sorry, I wasn't too clear. I was referring to the repositioning them during scene changes. With a pivot you just spin them and stop them when they get to the new orientation. If you have a stagehand (or actor :-) on each one, you get a 1-2 second scene change and it looks cool  .------------- David M |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 10:25pm
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If you having problems with pronouncing the Greek name [periacroi (Rotate)- we just call them 'Medcci' flats. ------------- 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: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 10:37pm
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I call them flats now
They are easy enough to build if it comes up again, and I would build them quite differently. ------------- David M |
Posted By: techdirector
Date Posted: 3/20/09 at 2:42pm
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I have plans for building both 4'x10' and 8'x12' sets of periactoi. If you would like to e-mail me at mailto:techdirector@comcast.net - techdirector@comcast.net I would be happy to send a copy to you.
My plans use hard covered "hollywood" style flats with set-back edges and no big seams in the corners. They produce very proffesional quality pieces that can last for years if properly stored.
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 3/20/09 at 2:51pm
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I'm sticking with Pterodactyls... But then, hey, I never use them, so I only use it when talking about someone elses set.... lol ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/26/09 at 11:12pm
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Thinking about Davids previous post, about theterm 'trilon' {which i can't seem to find now?]
The Peractoi can be any number of sides [flats] used, not just three. Quite often they are are just double sided [Legs] flats, that revolve.
So could they become 'Bilons' [just a thought].
This why we term them 'Medicci Flats or wings.
Having another think!
Thus any Revolving Set could also be a 'Periactoi as well?
{I have managed to restrain Gaafa & get him back in his box}  ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |