Random question about effects in theatre

[Kiwi]

Basically, I was reading something the other day about how to most people smell is the most evocative of all the senses, and that got me thinking - I've never heard of a theatre show where they've tried using different scents to create (perhaps subconsciously, if you're not paying enough attention...) a particular mood or scene? It seems to me that if you could pull it off, it would be really effective at setting particular scenes.

 

I know that the 'smoke' in smoke machines comes in different 'flavours', but I'm not sure this really counts. It could be a useful device to use though if you could get a chemical that didn't cloud the air. I suppose that you might have some problems with allergies, perhaps, but I'm just curious really.

 

Anyone ever heard of this being done? and experience? and do you think it would be an interesting idea, or would it not work?

[scjb]

There are units out there for exactly this purpose. Try looking on (for example) the Effects Company website (www.effectsco.com) for their aromatech machine. It's been around a good long time, and I'm aware of it (or something very similar) being used on at least one tour. I should imagine there are a large number of machines of one brand or another pumping out that "freshly-baked bread" smell in supermarkets... or am I too cynical!?

 

Hope this helps.

[Ynot]

I've never heard of a theatre show where they've tried using different scents to create

And for a very good reason.

Lights you can turn off.

Sound you can turn off.

Sets you can strike.

But smells, once in the air, are DARNED difficult to lose.

What may be great for one scene is likely to be pretty darned inappropriate for others.

And unless you permeate an aroma as a prep pre-doors, you can't hit all the people at the same time, so the effect is delayed for many of your punters (unless you have state of the art delivery systems!!)

 

So, unless you have a single-set play with no changes and the smell's fine all the way through, then my advice is don't even think about it!!

[eastwicktown]

We used a machine at Alton Towers when I was there to pump the smell of Candyfloss into the Big Top for are Circus Ice Show. Worked ok but it tended to hang around some areas more than other so you got a build of a nasty sickly smell mainly around the DSM control tower in the middle of the Big Top.

 

Daniel

[Brian]

For christmas shows in one of the major London venues they use 'Christmas Pudding' aroma in all the foyers.

[Andrew C]

We've used pine air freshener as a pre-show smell for a play set entirely in a forest. Was OK, but I don't remember any specific comments from the punters.

 

Oh, and yes the supermarkets do use tinned "bread scent"!

[Neil Frazer]

I remeber several years ago working on a Tribute band, Illegal Eagles I think, where

they used incense stick to create an atmosphere. It was a 1400 seat venue so they needed a lot

but it worked quite well.

[Light Console]

I can't remember which company it was, but one of the performers was a Vicar in a wheelchair. They had Frankincense as a scent, that was created by a hot plate and a fan. Made the place smell of it for days. Very effective though.

[pete LD]

That sort of thing gets used more in theme parks and theme museums where your in a mock up war time street or something and you get the smell of smoke or something!

I suppose it could be used in theatre but as posters have said it wont be instant and it wont go away all that quick!

I do remember it being used on a Disney 4D show but that had huge fans that blew the smell at you and then it went again because of the air movement.

HTH Pete

[David]

Take a look at

 

http://www.effectsco.com/aromatec.htm

 

they have all the kit to make any venue smell!!!

 

 

David

[andy_s]

I toured with a Trestle Theatre Co show which required a loaf of bread to be baked from scratch as part of the performance - on some of the trickier one-nighters when lunch and supper had both flashed past unnoticed, the smell was pure and cruel torture. Really enjoyed working on the show though....

[Simon E]

PSL do a range of machines too, never used 'smell' in a theatrical setting but have for a themed party, which work OK (but to be honest the punters were probably too drunk to notice!)

 

http://www.psl.it/en/catalogo.asp?categ=10...gruppo=010aroma

[dbuckley]

There was a piece on the news the other day about a cinema fiddling with Smellyvision. They had this thing that looked like a bucket with half a dozen aerosol cans and a pile of solenoids that was shoved under the seats at intervals. Of course, I cant comment on how effective it actually was...

[sparkyweb]

When scented fluids were the rage years ago, I heard of one theatre using chocolate scented smoke during their panto run. Interval and end of show sales of chocolate incresed dramatically!

[the kid]

Kind of going in to a legal thing but what is the standing on doing something like that to sell products?

I heard somewhere there was a law that said you can not have a film with frames within the film that show food, making you subconsely want to buy food.