Projecting Black and white film

[ahou1]

Hi - new to the site - and wonder if you can help me - from a small but creative! amateur theatre group

 

I'm trying to design a 'movie theatre scene - I've got the following ideas and want to findout what might work and also get advice on the materials we should use.

 

I'm planning to use a gauze about 2.5 - 3m square with a frame

 

I wanted to paint fluourescent paint on the frame to simulate the colour lights around a old-style projection screen - with some words at the top - RADIO CITY Music Hall or the ROXY or something like that. This would be lit with UV light.

 

I will them project black and white film images - probably from the front onto the gauze.

 

Behind the gauze will be a run of cinema seats that I'd like to light sporadically with a tightly focussed spot light to get the reactions of the 'stage' audience

 

so - will this work ?

 

My questions are

 

1) What type of gauze to use - sharkstooth ? muslin - what colour ?

2) Will I be able to leave the UV on permanently - or will this mean that the Black and White images will not be clear enough ?

3) Do you think the black and white images will be viewable at all while the spot is on behind ?

4) Would colour images work better ?

5)what would be an appropriate projector and how far back from the screen would be the best distance ?

 

Any help would be greatfully recieved - I've got another question posted separately about a related effect ... So please take a look at that too...

[Tomo]

Ok, the ones I can answer:

 

2) Depends on your projection screen, and what is behind it. Any UV-flourescent materials will glow. If none are on the screen or behind it (and lit by the UV source), then you will be fine.

 

3) Depends on your projection screen and the relative brightnesses. If gauze, it will dissolve partially - how much depends on the brightnesses of the projector and the spot behind.

 

4) Colour images will be in colour. Black and white images will be in monochrome. Nobody can answer this - it's an artistic decision.

 

5) In general, you want the brightest projector you can afford. Distance depends entirely on the lens in the projector and the size of the screen.

For yours, I think the minimum throw distance you can get is around 12 feet.

 

In your situation, I'd probably be looking at back-projection.

Not because of any change in the projected image itself, but because back-projection onto gauze would mean that you can see the projector lens, thus adding to the feel of being in the cinema.

[Grahame]

1) What type of gauze to use - sharkstooth ? muslin - what colour ?

I would go with black sharkstooth for the gauze. B/W images will still show adequately well on it and the gauze will disappear well during the bleed through. Projector brightness might be an issue however. You should be OK with the UV on, but it would depend on what fireproofing has been used on the gauze; you might get specks of white fluorescing.

I'd try and avoid white - although that would be better for the film, it's unlikely to disappear properly, especially if you're leaving the UVs on.

[ahou1]

1) What type of gauze to use - sharkstooth ? muslin - what colour ?

I would go with black sharkstooth for the gauze. B/W images will still show adequately well on it and the gauze will disappear well during the bleed through. Projector brightness might be an issue however. You should be OK with the UV on, but it would depend on what fireproofing has been used on the gauze; you might get specks of white fluorescing.

I'd try and avoid white - although that would be better for the film, it's unlikely to disappear properly, especially if you're leaving the UVs on.

 

Thanks - that great advice - really helpful - I'm feeling like it might actually work now !

 

Ok, the ones I can answer:

 

2) Depends on your projection screen, and what is behind it. Any UV-flourescent materials will glow. If none are on the screen or behind it (and lit by the UV source), then you will be fine.

 

3) Depends on your projection screen and the relative brightnesses. If gauze, it will dissolve partially - how much depends on the brightnesses of the projector and the spot behind.

 

4) Colour images will be in colour. Black and white images will be in monochrome. Nobody can answer this - it's an artistic decision.

 

5) In general, you want the brightest projector you can afford. Distance depends entirely on the lens in the projector and the size of the screen.

For yours, I think the minimum throw distance you can get is around 12 feet.

 

In your situation, I'd probably be looking at back-projection.

Not because of any change in the projected image itself, but because back-projection onto gauze would mean that you can see the projector lens, thus adding to the feel of being in the cinema.

 

Thanks for the excellent help here - I like the idea of the projection behind - I hadn't thought of that - though I'm not sure how well that woul work with the downlighting on the actors - whetehr you would be able to override that light with a downward spot - in order to flick between proijection action and the actor reacting - may have to play about with that .....

[ahou1]

Just to let you know - this all turned out great - we back projected onto the widest net curtain we could get hold of at about £5 a metre and it worked fabuluous - built as a roller blind and rolled down - so took up no space either.

 

no hot spots - projector just made it seem more like a cinema - fab !!

 

thanks for all your help

:D

[Tomo]

Glad to hear it!

 

It's wonderful when a plan comes together!