Live fire indoors

[Ike]

To be honest I think

look at putting fire coloured flickering lighting into the trashcan and triggering a smoke machine inside to give the effect of fire in the can lighting up its own smoke. Add a small silk flicker to reinforce the illusion.

may be your best option. Solid fuels are messy and a pain in the arse and the use of gas on a budget ain't too easy (at least here in the UK), if you wanted to go down that route maybe get in an outside consultant?

 

 

So USITT say that DMX is not to be used for any effect where incorrect, lack of, or interruption to reception could cause damage or injury. 

 

In my book, flame effects fall into that category! 

 

It sounds like mikienorth's venue know that and have produced a system which covers the safety relatively well - an EM-Stop alone would be insufficient in my book, but dual deadmans handles should cover for most eventualities.

There are a few commercially available DMX controlled "flame throwers" and I have been involved in the manufacture of a custom made system for an arena tour a few months back. The system was armed only when the effect supervisor could see the danger area was clear, the control took the form of a deadmans/deadpersons handle which disconnected power and purged gas lines if released.

[Wilf dLampy]

The other feature often employed with the DMX flame devices is you set them up as if they were going to be always on. i.e. there is no possibility of anything/ anyone getting in the area a flame MIGHT be. If used correctly like that, then the DMX control aspect does not make the flame unit any more dangerous that an "always on" flame -which is more straightforward to risk asses.

[JREMF]

For hire of real fire stage effects please contact me offline.

[Sam Jelfs]

As an aside, I would not recommend using paraffin as a fuel. I use it for my fire performance, and as has been said does burn with a relatively cool flame, the issue is it burns with a fair amount of smoke. For me, outside and at night, this is not an issue, on the stage in a confined space, the last thing you want is a relatively thick smoke being produced.

 

Sam Jelfs

[Pyromark]

We are going to start selling flame gel from next week!

[gaspipe58]

Hello all, seem not to have posted for about 6 months!! Oh well, nice to be back....

 

 

I think there used to be something called Lycopodium powder that burnt realistically but created very little or no heat....Never used it and it probably isn't available anymore but please someone tell me I am not dreaming....   

 

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K

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Lycopodium is available. We have a pot of it :unsure: It is expensive and no use for the effect in question. It is a dust and only burns when blown into a flame. Then it burns rather too well. Bit like an explosion in a flour mill :blink:

 

In the mid 80's I worked on a show with a fire eater. She used lighter fluid. Not nice. Very smokey leading to black boggies for weeks :D

 

Tim

[jagardner1984]

Someone else may be able to provide a fuller answer, but I did a show a while back with Flame Paste from Howard Eaton - it worked really well and was a good slow burning effect.

[JCoster]

Tomorrow I'm doing a scene of Shakespeare's Macbeth and for the witches couldron, I'm using an orange floor can and wavey smoke... Should be interesting! It would have been better if I'd tested it but hmm...

[Jivemaster]

There is a point to be made. Real fire in a theatre challenges the licence terms and the alarm system and may actually be too realistic, and prompt real fear in the paying audience.

 

Simulated fire is a practical choice and can easily be realistic enough. Most shows wont have the budget for a full legal challenge to the licence terms.