Breaking glass onstage

[JoshB]

I have been approached by the director of the show we are currently planning to consider breaking a drinking style glass onstage. being a show with many barefooted performers I was very wary of this idea. the only possible solution I could come up with was to have the performer throw the glass into a bin placed in the wings away from the audiences eyes. basically the director wants the performer to throw the glass in anger and for the audience to hear the breaking glass.

 

if anyone has any suggestions as to the safest way to do this, or a better idea that will look more effective I would appreciate it.

 

cheers josh

[herb]

Plastic glass as found in picnic sets/camping supplies stores thrown into wings and sound effect cue?

h

[w/robe]

Sugar glass is the traditional method of breaking glass on stage, have a search as I'm sure it has been discussed before. However it is either difficult to make your self or expensive to buy, and you would probably still not want to walk on it bare foot.

[Jammie300]

I would second the idea of plastic glass at the wings and having a decent sound fx. I would be just too dangerous to use proper glass even in the wings. Glass shatters into millions of tiny fragments.

 

My tuppence worth(I think)

 

Jammmie300

[timtheenchanteruk]

If you dont have too many sfx, and have the resources, a well placed speaker in the wings where the glass is to be thrown works well,

[Seano]

Or you could get old-school. Steel dustbin (with a lid, preferably), a few bits of glass in the bottom, maybe a pebble or two, and a pair of gloves.

[Neil Hampson]

If you decide to go down the sugarglass route, be careful as the bits are still sharp (esp. if there are barefoot dancers on stage), and usually the sugarglass tends to fragment into much smaller pieces than normal glass that end up everywhere. I remember one show were the we used a sugarglass bottle, hit over the head of an actor that caused a nasty cut across his head.

The last time I needed an off-stage glass break effect I wasn't happy with the SFX I could get so we used a bin with a pane of glass from a £1 shop clippa frame in the bottom, and dropped a hammer into the bin.

 

(Edited for c**p spelling)

[smartrad]

I frequently use a company called 'Break-away uk'

fast service for sugarglass.

off the shelf items and specific measurements or copies made.

 

http://www.breakawayfx.com/