Bang!

[daifuse]

I've been asked to provide a very loud report from a hand gun on stage. Problem, it's an amdram production and with the current regs it's proving difficult to cover all the requirements involved. One solution is to use a blank firer which is used for dog training and which is not regulated in the same way as conventional firearms. Has anyone else any experience of these? The particular one I have in mind is the Turner Richards Blank Firer.

Any other suggestions welcome! :(

[Stagemaster]

I've been asked to provide a very loud report from a hand gun on stage. Problem, it's an amdram production and with the current regs it's proving difficult to cover all the requirements involved. One solution is to use a blank firer which is used for dog training and which is not regulated in the same way as conventional firearms. Has anyone else any experience of these? The particular one I have in mind is the Turner Richards Blank Firer.

Any other suggestions welcome! :(

 

 

This isn't a difficult one – providing there is really no other reasonable way of getting the effect (recorded sound effects don't always do it) then the first thing to do is to talk to the technical manager at the venue you will be using. They are almost certainly already covered but it is best to check, and they may impose some conditions of their own. You don't have to notify the police or anyone else unless you are going to attempt to use the effect in a public place or in sight of members of the public (other than the audience!).

 

 

 

The second thing is to conduct a risk assessment. There are two main issues here – one is noise level and the risk to hearing, the other is the potential for injury from the discharge. Your choice of device deals well with the first as it is chambered for the .22 short which is very unlikely to cause any damage unless you discharge it right next to someone's ear! The second risk is dealt with by fully understanding how and where the gas is vented from the gun on firing, and ensuring that it is never vented directly at anyone. The user of the effect should be trained by someone who knows the device and its characteristics well.

 

 

 

It is best (and the venue may insist on this) to keep the blank-firer in secure storage until it is required and under the control of a designated person, to whom it should be returned when no longer required on stage. The blanks should also be kept secure and away from curious fingers. Adults are just as bad as children in this respect!

 

 

 

Do bear in mind that it is an offence to have a 'realistic looking' representation of a firearm in a public place, so it should be transported to the venue out of sight and used only on the stage (the auditorium can count as a public place under some circumstances!). You may use the effect at your rehearsals provided they are not in a public place and you take the same care over transport and use.

 

 

 

You may get fed folklore about all sorts of restrictions – my advice is to read the most relevant pieces of legislation yourself. The main one here is the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 which specifically mentions the use of weapons in a theatrical context.

 

Hope his helps.

[daifuse]

Thanks for the info.

 

As I am the Tech.Manager and responsible for the venue (it's a complicated set-up) the precautions you mentioned are those I normally take with any form of pyro etc., but it's nice to have someone elses thoughts on the matter. Incidentally, the blank firer I mentioned is supplied in fluorescent colour to avoid any misunderstandings.

Thanks again,

Dave

[drummerrhys]

We did something similar for blood brothers last year, and we managed to acquire a starting gun which gave only a very small discharge and a very loud bang. We simply made sure that it was kept in a locked cuboard at all times when it was not on stage.

[Bryson]

What I've seen done before is to issue the onstage person with a dummy, and give the blank firer to a designated member of crew situated nearby but out of view of the audience who has a more controlled environment in which to discharge the firearm, and nothing else to do but "operate" the gun on cue. As long as the theatre is big enough, the minor difference in sound source shouldn't be a problem, and it allows you to control the risks much more effectively. (ie: they can wear hearing protection, discharge the weapon in such a way that the gases are vented safely etc etc etc.) All stuff that an actor onstage doesn't need to be worrying about - all they need to do is act!

[Dmills]

One off the wall suggestion, but it has worked for me in the past:

 

get a bit of 3 by 1 about 3 feet long, put a screw eye in one side, to which a short rope is attached.

 

Then have some member of the crew stand with a foot on the end that does not have the rope, pull up on the rope causing that end to rise off the floor, on cue - let go of the rope...

If done right, it can give a good bang that can sound very similar to a small calibre firearm. Obviously this does not work for simulating large calibre or shotgun fire (nowhere near loud enough), but to emulate a .22 or similar it does work.

 

The advantage is that there is no propellant involved, no police interest and no real safety concerns to speak of.

Give it a go, the effect does depend on what your stage floor is of course, but it might work for you.

 

Regards, Dan.

[Jram]

Second that, get a length of 3x1 - I'd suggest two-feet long rather than three, but experiment. Stand on one end firmly, raise the other, then let it go on cue - it'll snap out your hands and hit the stage floor creating a loud, sharp bang.

 

Just be sure to write on the timber that it's a prop, in case some would-be do-gooder removes it from the wing.

[scjb]

<checks the date... nope, definitely 13 November>

[andy_s]

even if you have a blank firer fully risk-assessed etc etc, having the piece of 3x1 and sashcord in the wings (a tried and tested method of simulating gunfire from the early days of theatre sound) is a good idea as a backup in case of the occasional misfire. You don't want the actor to end up in the faintly ridiculous position of having to bludgeon the victim to death with a fake firearm...

[adamcoppard]

We did something similar for blood brothers last year, and we managed to acquire a starting gun which gave only a very small discharge and a very loud bang. We simply made sure that it was kept in a locked cuboard at all times when it was not on stage.

 

We've done the same thing for both Bugsy Malone, GCSE Drama Sketches and Oliver, and are going to do the same with Blood Brothers this year, so must agree, this is the most effective way of doing it.

[daifuse]

Well, thanks to everyone for the answers, the wood is a good idea but our floor in the (verysmall) wings isn't suitable. A very kind friend has now offered the use of a blank firer at no cost so the problem has been solved. I must admit I was surprised just how loud the report was on the rather small stage when I tried it, but it's just what was needed. Gonna have to put a warning in the programme though!

 

Thanks again to all. :)

 

Dave