Train passing lighting effect

[pclaydon]

Has anyone any suggestions or experience of a lighting effect where a train is passing. The idea is for the actor to be centre stage and a train to pass stage right. I would like to use side light to give the train effect. Thought about using some sort of effects wheel but not sure what might do the job. Any ideas

Thanks

[peternewman]

A long while ago our school did a show with a train, "The Ghost Train", I believe. I wasn't actually involved in it, but I've heard some rough details. They did all the sound effect as well using rollers and about 5 people, but thats a different story. The way they did the train was very cheap and low tech. Basically just a light, or some lights, with cans or something suspended over them. These had slots cut in them like those victorian animation things. The cans were then spun and you get the beams of light rotating round like a train going past. At least I think this is what they did.

 

An alternative may be to get one of those "fuzz" lights, the tacky disco effect with a coloured dome, and take the dome off. This may also work.

 

HTH

 

PN

[James C]

Haven't tried this, so I've no idea how successful it would be, but DHA do a couple of train-window gobos. Go here and search for "train". I assume the idea is that you alternate flashes, ideally with more than one of each???

[Just Some Bloke]

If the train is supposed to be running on electric lines a strobe set to random looks just like those flashes you get as the train hits the contacts. If the power would be with the rails (as in the south east) put it on the floor, if it would be suspended above the rails (like everywhere else) put it high. Simple as that!

 

To be honest, a great train-passing effect is best created by the right sound effect. Get that right and you don't really need a lighting effect at all!

[themadhippy]

done simaler effect a few times,3 methods that worked best

1-dha effect wheel and suitable gobo

2-sevral profiles with sutiable gobos focused across the stage on a chase

3-moving yoke with sutable gobo (yes they do make a train window gobo's small enough)

[the kid]

I agree with No. 2 of themadhippy's ideas for going across stage. But im still confused is the train off stage ie lights in the wings say 2 pars/floods next to each other and flashed on an off like "a police car" so just as one goes off te other comes on or if on stage themadhippy's idea

[robloxley]

done simaler effect a few times,3 methods that worked best

1-dha effect wheel and suitable gobo

2-sevral profiles with sutiable gobos focused across the stage on a chase

3-moving yoke with sutable gobo (yes they do make a train window gobo's small enough)

I've found 1) works better than 2) as the lamps don't go off quick enough for it to look realistic. Never tried 3) though.

[andy_s]

seen the dha efect - wasn't overwhelmed. (perhaps it wasn't focussed right). also seen a sweep effect with a moving mirror - this worked quite well for a "very distant" train. I would suggest that the sound is much more important than the light here - get the SFX right, and people will "see" what you want them to see.

[Stu]

I agree with the whole SFX idea - I lit a production of Fame last year and when Carmen got squashed by the train there was a VERY LOUD sfx, along with a scream... So hopefully the punters would have guessed there was a train involved without me having to squeeze another bit of kit into my budget! ;)

 

Stu

[minimac]

same here, when we did a production of fame this year, we used a gauze with screenshots of a train and a very good sound effect, screeching to a holt. ;)

[Potassium Neuf]

same here, when we did a production of fame this year, we used a gauze with screenshots of a train and a very good sound effect, screeching to a holt. :P

I bet that scared the **** out of the otter ;)

[david.elsbury]

When we did Fame last year we were cheap... an acceptable sfx of the train, plus her scream, and a 500w flood in the wings where she left thru- the only thing on, on a chase that slowly decreased speed as the train stopped.

 

-david-

[minimac]

went to see footlose today at the everyman cheltenham. they had a good effect of using smoke, with help from fans. then flashes from stage left, intime to the sound effect, as the window lights.

 

Very effective.

[beamlight]

at lot of thick smoke and a dark stage right.

 

Then three parcans (as train headlights) mounted on an ordinary road-case (ideally with noiseless blue rubber wheels / maybe the aluminium profiles made black with lots of gaffers tape).

 

If the smoke is thick enough and no other light is cast on the area, the whole "fake-train" should vanish, including the guys (in black dress) who push it across the stage.

 

Hey! It's magic!

 

On top of that all the effects that have been suggested already to give the illusion of the _passing_ train.

 

Have fun!

 

Philipp

[Richard Bunting]

In the olden days(before DMX or even D54), Theatre Projects used to have a moving train effect, which had been built for various productions of Arnold Bennett's "The Ghost Train". This consisted of a wooden octagon cylinder with angled sides (if this makes sense) with a length of mirror on each side. This was then attached to the top of a cast base stand and rotated at the appropriate speed, with a profile focused on to one side of it. The whole set up was hidden behind either a piece of set (eg a window) or a gauze. The effect was the lights of the carriages moving past at whatever speed it was rotated.

 

Richard B.