Ideas needed for 'Spell fight' effects

[perryvic]

Hi there,

I'm helping produce a pantomime at our local theatre (pretty small, seating around 170) and we're doing Aladdin in December. The finale of the play is essentially a magical fight between all the good guys and Abanazar, and then between the genie and Abanazer before Aladdin intervenes.

 

Obviously, as it is the finale we are quite keen for it to be a little more than "Abanazer waves hand and Aladdin recoils" which is essentially what the script is saying. We don't have a huge budget so I was looking for maybe ideas or simple effective ways of perhaps giving the impression there is a magical conflict in progress. We do have an electronic double shot wand, but that will do only two fire effects and we need more "spells" than that in that scene - perhaps up to around 10.

 

Someone I know suggested things could be done with lighting or that there might be handheld effects that might do the trick - anything really! If you've ever done anything like this I would be really grateful for suggestions for something that will leave the audience happy without breaking the bank.

 

Thanks!

Vicky

[the kid]

Does it have to be "spells" per say? You could go for multiple things "cast" and thrown.

I'm thinking a batman esq belt or concealed flaps, and have the wand in hand (or on set safe and choreographed that he picks it up for a big ending).

 

In the "belt" have a couple of feti tubes, pull string are the easiest but a little more expensive (I cant remember how much they were when I last got but I think they were about £3 a piece), as well as random silly items ( a giant sponge, cuddly toy, some flowers ( see where in going)).

Alternatively dress the set and hide the items. Dressing the set right could also mean you can hide some squibs (getting expensive) or other pyro.

 

Hope this helps

[perryvic]

As it's panto, I think anything goes! I like the idea of a 'utility belt' and I'm certainly going to investigate the idea of confetti tubes as that might be the sort of low level handheld sort of effect we need. If you know of any other effects like that - the more glittery and shiny the better, I'd love to know! But I appreciate the answer...it's certainly setting me off on some research!

 

Thanks

Vicky

[the kid]

I have been trying think since last time, at the end of jackass the movie, the guy in the boat has some "wands" that seem to just wave out the fetti. Never seen them to buy though.

[Tom Baldwin]

Does this provide any inspiration?

[Maddison]

Don't know how small the budget is, but Le Maitre do so many products that you could use; this, or this, the coloured version of this or this.

 

Hope that this helps...

 

M

[perryvic]

... some "wands" that seem to just wave out the fetti. Never seen them to buy though.

 

They might be useful, especially if they are refillable. I'll use the might of google and see what I can come up with! Thanks!

 

Vicky

 

Does this provide any inspiration?

 

 

Actually, funnily enough the director had written in a scene for earlier in the panto after seeing that and then another version based more on spoofing the Kung Fu chopping of random things with bare hands. One of the slapstick comedy scenes is going to be done along these lines so in a way it was an inspiration, but not for the end scene - need something different for that!

 

Thanks!

Vicky

 

Don't know how small the budget is, but Le Maitre do so many products that you could use; this, or this, the coloured version of this or this.

 

Hope that this helps...

 

M

 

I have to say, they all look fantastic and ideal- but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Genie appearance flash-bangs (however they decide to do that) is going to eat away at the main effects budget. We've got the wand, which will do two fire balls, but maybe I can convince the director we can have one spectacular one in there to finish the Panto off. I think that will depend on costume hiring and how much money that takes. Thank you for the links though. I know they order most of the SFX from LeMaitre so I'll ask the stage manager to get some prices through.

 

Thanks!

Vicky

[timpman19]

I have seen the flutter-fetti wands for sale but cant remember where off the top of my head, a quick google should find them.

 

Basically they are just a cardboard tube filled with confetti and you flick your wrist to "fire" the confetti out. The shop brought ones don't claim to be re-fillable as they are filled with little packs of confetti that are tight enough to shoot a long distance and then open up to release the confetti once they have reached the desired hight.

 

Obviously if you just filled a tube with normal tissue style confetti its not going to go very far when flicked, thats if it even gets out of the end of the tube in the first place. You could experiment re-filling with the thicker paper rectangle style of confetti as this would have enough weight to fly out of the tube before scattering.

 

As I said I have seen them available for sale in many different forms from a simple single flick wand designed for use at weddings and party's all the way to the more professional double shot wands that claim to shoot the confetti a considerable distance, but it all depends on how hard you throw the thing I guess.

 

I will look for some links or pictures now.

 

HTH

Josh

 

Edit: Re-fillable version! Cheap, 3 per pack version

[Jivemaster]

Can you release or reveal something with flash string?

[paradoxism]

Hi Vicky,

 

Some less pyro based ideas that might save on budget:

 

Lightning gobos positioned so that they appear to be coming out of the actor's hands across at the victim, or summoned from the sky to hit the victim. Maybe use a couple layered together with a basic build effect to show the 'spell' shooting across the stage. Maybe have them going in both directions in different colours to show the good and evil spells colliding and one gradually overcoming the other.

 

Presuming you have a fairly small stage you could mount fans above the stage all pointing in the same direction. Turn them on and pump some smoke from the wings with suitable side lighting and you will have a nice storm / tumult billowing at the victim.

 

On a similar theme if you have a trapdoor for access under the stage replace it with a metal grid and blow smoke from beneath as if it has been conjoured up to engulf the victim.

 

Trap the victim in a tight spot (again with a bit of haze to show the beam) from directly above and have them convulsing in pain.

 

For even a couple of shows and the technical rehearsals a few lighting effects can work out a lot cheaper than the pyro alternatives and be just as effective. The only issue is that most of them rely on the stage being generally quite dark and can be a bit too scary for some panto directors who want a cute and cuddly fight!

 

Using pyro you are looking at a box per night for the number of spells you mentioned, plus all the firing gear and cabling, and for my money having Aladdin recoiling at an invisible spell would be preferable to him recoiling at a stream of confetti!

 

Also don't forget to make sure you get sound involved early as it is the combination of acting and effects for all the senses that will make it believable

 

Above all - have fun and be inventive!

 

Paul