Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: Need a knife throwing effect...

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Need a knife throwing effect...

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=5447
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 12:12am
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Topic: Need a knife throwing effect...

Posted By: rabbifrank
Subject: Need a knife throwing effect...
Date Posted: 1/31/13 at 12:03am

....for a scene in a musical. The actor is standing in front of a 4x8 board with his outline painted on it. Actress 'throws' the knives to surround him.

I read online somewhere, sometime, someone's viewpoint of this effect and cannot find it now.

Actress must not throw the knives and the knives need to come from behind the actor on the board. I have a few ideas already but anxious to hear your views. Any suggestions?

Replies:

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/31/13 at 12:09pm

Spring-loaded knife "handles" pop through the board as the "thrower" palms the knife she's holding (that is to say, she "throws" with her upstage arm, an overhand swing with a follow-thru that brings her knife-bearing hand down in a vertical line with her thigh, which will hide the fact that she's still holding the knife, then she swaps hands and appears to be ready to "throw" another knife).

Meanwhile, all on-stage eyes are on the target and the noise of the knives popping through the board will be sufficient distraction.

An additional effect is useful: Put balloons on the board where the knife handles are going to pop out. It will appear as thought the knives have broken the balloons.

Note: It's good to have the "thrower" do a "one-two-three" count to help give an audio cue to off-stage people with the timing of the pop-thru knife handles.

An additional touch to the count: the "thrower" can hold a knife in each hand, striking one blade against the other as a "one-two-three" count without having to say the words "one", "two", or "three".

Posted By: rabbifrank
Date Posted: 1/31/13 at 8:03pm

edh915, Thank you so much.

Love the balloon idea, had not thought of that. That would help cover the slots for the knives She will be yelling an appropriate word as she throws on the second syllable to alert the background personnell.

Great advice and well appreciated.

Frank