izzy Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I'm working on a show called 'fireface' at the end of the play the director wishes for a chair to be set on fire it has to be real, we dont have any problems with risk assessments and license, our problem is that the chair has to be pre-set before the show and then stay on stage for about an hour before being set on fire and then subsequently be used again for the next performance if possible. We tried fire paste but its black and the chairs are likely to be wood. Any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Perhaps paper rope soaked in paraffin, covered in layflat, which is burnt off. It should work, only thing is the fire+wood = no chair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLiEn Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Have more than one chair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Rock Band style flame projectors. Several chairs Written authority from the venue, and the licence holder. Theatre fireman in attendance with one extinguisher per show, and the kit and skill to recharge them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 ... the director wishes for a chair to be set on fire it has to be real, we dont have any problems with risk assessments ... If you don't know how you're going to do it, how can you possibly say you don't have any problems with risk assessments? You can only do the risk assessment when you know how you're going to create the fire. If your risk assessment resulted in a "fail" (or however you care to describe it) don't you think someone might care, even if you're not performing in conditions that need licensing? Sorry to be pedantic and I hope you find a way of making the director happy and creating a fantastic show, but to say you're not expecting problems with risk assessments before you've worked out how to achieve the effect may have been a little rash! Good luck with your show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Could you not compromise and do something like set off a flame jet type pyro in front of the chair and drop the chair down through a trap door?Or does it have to be a long slow burn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipstream Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I would be inclined to get a chair made from steel with pockets to hold suitable flame media, and snuffers to put it out as required, bit like the auto extinguish Olympic flame torches, unless you mean a big soft easy chair in which case forget it. IMHO sounds like a load of work for a dubious effect, which lighting and a smoke machine could be used to sell the concept to the audience just as well. Does it have to be done - realism is all very well, but I am sure the same guy dies in most shows every night and the audience believe it without killing the talent each show. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I hate to burst your bubble but real fire (from burning stuff; be it wood or petrol/meths/lighter fluid based) never looks like real fire on stage and is far too slow - to get the chair "burning" like you or the director imagine a burning chair to look like will take a good 20mins of burning and quite simply there is absolutly no way you're going to be able to safely do that on stage. You're either going to have to have a chair built full of gas jets (powered by a suitable profesional system and with it's own safety expert/operator) or you're going to have to be theatrical and come up with something less literal.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrelly Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I would have the chair made out of steel and have lots of small holes in it where you can use some sort of propellent inside the chair and it will burn out the holes. That being said fire like that from a distance is not very impresive. I would be more inclined to rig it with flash cotton and for it to "blow up" and disapear through the floor leaving a cloud of smoke. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 dear god NO I'm not normally a fan of safety obsessives / RA / H&S but I can't stress enough just how dangerous this is even when done by a professional and how suggestions like covering a chair in flash cotton or making steel chairs full of holes and propellants are dangerously wreckless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzy Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 ... the director wishes for a chair to be set on fire it has to be real, we dont have any problems with risk assessments ...If you don't know how you're going to do it, how can you possibly say you don't have any problems with risk assessments?You can only do the risk assessment when you know how you're going to create the fire. If your risk assessment resulted in a "fail" (or however you care to describe it) don't you think someone might care, even if you're not performing in conditions that need licensing?Sorry to be pedantic and I hope you find a way of making the director happy and creating a fantastic show, but to say you're not expecting problems with risk assessments before you've worked out how to achieve the effect may have been a little rash! Good luck with your show.your right that wasn't worded correctly, I meant that the possiblilty of real flame under the risk assesment isnt out of the question if it could be done, therefore the risk assessment being done and thought of isnt the problem I wanted help on, but it may not be happening now anyway.Have more than one chair!that will be easier now that the director wants 16 of the same chairs instead of different ones as the set but, although its seems obvisous to have more than one chair for this effect we dont have a large budget so if it could be done with the same chair it would have been more preferable.IMHO sounds like a load of work for a dubious effect, which lighting and a smoke machine could be used to sell the concept to the audience just as well.Does it have to be done - realism is all very well, but I am sure the same guy dies in most shows every night and the audience believe it without killing the talent each show.Samyour right if it can realistically been done we'll try something else its turing intoa stylized show anyway, I just was interested to see if anyone had anyother ideas on how it could be done that was all. I realise the differculties and proceedures that have to be carried out but id run out of ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFX1 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I've done a fair bit of real fire on stage including some large touring productions. Questions are :- Budget?Duration?Budget?size of fire?Budget?how's it going to be lit (by an actor or spontanious)?Budget?Is anyone going sit in the chair at any point?Is it likely to tour and thus have to deal with quirky local licencing people?When do you need it by?Oh and how much are you prepared to spend? Preference is for gas simply because you can turn it off! With Paper/fibreglass rope and fuel the only way to switch it off is with a fire extinguisher. But with gas you need a control system. Also wood would not be the ideal material of choice to build the chair from although you could get away with it for small fires kept well away from the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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