Set Design and Construction: Fake Breakaway window glass

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Fake Breakaway window glass

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=4316
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 4:01am
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Topic: Fake Breakaway window glass

Posted By: BelizeAA
Subject: Fake Breakaway window glass
Date Posted: 11/05/09 at 1:24pm

I'm in need of breakaway window glass. Anyone know of a company with reasonable prices. I need 8 individual window panes, and one company quoted me $800. I was floored, and that included "shipping".

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Friendship is the wine of Life.

Replies:

Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 11/05/09 at 3:21pm

Try http://anaspecialeffects.8m.com/breakawaylist2.htm - http://anaspecialeffects.8m.com/breakawaylist2.htm (I've heard they do custom window panes) or make candy glass yourself on a cookie sheet. Here are one set of directions that I've found http://www.likeastory.com/boards/cgi/noncgi/Forum18/HTML/000294.html - http://www.likeastory.com/boards/cgi/noncgi/Forum18/HTML/000294.html

YouTube has a video of two kids doing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZBuHglAGhY - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZBuHglAGhY This video is funny & cute: its kid filmed complete with little mistakes and 'Oh yeah and you also...'. Or google it yourself with candy glass or sugar glass.

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http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

Posted By: BelizeAA
Date Posted: 11/06/09 at 8:04am

Thank you.

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Friendship is the wine of Life.

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 11/06/09 at 2:17pm

What show are you doing? Sometimes the break can be faked with simply a sound cue. When we did "Noises Off" there's a scene where Selsden enters by breaking a pane of glass and climbing through the window. We simply used a solid piece of plexiglass and he would push out the entire pane. (It was held in place by bent staples. No need to replace the glass; simply re-used the same pane over and over.

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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: BelizeAA
Date Posted: 11/06/09 at 3:52pm

We are doing A Streetcar Named Desire. The window Stanley throws the radio out is right infront of the audience.

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Friendship is the wine of Life.

Posted By: gelcat
Date Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:11am

I would be concerned with shrapnel hitting the audience if the area is that close- New Orleans is hot, and windows are normally open- I've always seen that scene as the radio getting thrown offstage, and a crash box providing the sound of the radio crash landing wherever.

Sugar glass is still sharp and can cut and hurt, as well as create a mess if it is humid in the theatre, and wet mopping can create sticky sugar streaks from where the mop picks up shards.

good luck!

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www.actorsguildonline.org
Actors Guild of Parkersburg
Parkersburg, WV

Posted By: jt7724
Date Posted: 3/21/11 at 8:52pm

I'm sure your show is long over, but if someone else is looking for a creative idea on how to do this, what if you were to build a window of the type where there are a series of small panes divided by trim
(like this http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-271200/stock-photo-old-fashioned-windows - http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-271200/stock-photo-old-fashioned-windows ), leave out the glass and make the trim break away then add the breaking glass sound effect. I have never tried this but I would think it would work.