Fingers of light

[nplatt]

Please point me in the right direction if this has already been discussed.

 

In our panto early next year the director wants a sword to be pulled out of a stone. As it is removed he wants fingers of light to come out of the stone.

 

The stone is to be made out of a polystyrene as it will be about 1m cube.

 

I am thinking of mounting a light inside the stone but I am concerned about the heat and melting the polystyrene.

 

How can I produce this effect without melting the polystyrene?

 

Thanks

 

[callumb]

Some LED birdies and a touch of haze to get the effect and there we go.

[ramdram]

We made some boulders for the "landslide" scene in Railway Children from chicken wire covered in chopped fibre glass mat and resin...painted up they looked quite good. said boulders were baked potato shaped (** laughs out loud **) and about 18" by 30", easily lifted by a 10yr old.

 

I suppose you could bung a Parcan in there and ramp up the level as the sword is plucked out by the future King Of England. Slosh black paint over it then do the artistic bit on top. More fire resistant that 'styrene and unlikely to lift quite so easily if the sword is too tight a fit. Perhaps a fan inside and a cutout if the heat threatened to return the rock to its igneous state...

 

If you have a hazer, say, you could set the scene so the shaft of light is more visible...even try different gels to get the mood right.

 

HTH

[jonathanhill]

ACL's and a hazer/smoke machine would be my suggestion. However, you may have a issue with the hiding of the PAR cans.

[andy_s]

Make a box from class 1 plywood a little smaller than the eventual size of the stone. Clad the exterior of this with polystyrene to acheive the required dimensions. Carve, scrim and paint to resemble a large boulder. Cut holes / slots through polystyrene and plywood to receive the sword and allow the light through for the "fingers" I imagine the thicker the covering and deeper the holes, the more "parallel" the beams of light emerging will be; you could drill holes off the vertical to get a fanning out effect.

 

regarding the light source, personally I'd probably go for a 500W sunflood type thing* inside the box, and install a tiny fogger in the box as well, or duct in some fog from a larger machine if you can do this without being too obvious, so the smoke to define the light beams comes from within the stone as well. General haze in the air would do a job, but I don't really associate haze with summer sunshine, which is what I associate with this scene from seeing the movie and reading the book**... your production may take a diferent approach. I'd also suggest that to make it effective, you need to devize a little sound and lighting cue sequence: if it is simply turned on in a brightish outdoor lighting state it may not read very well. Reducing the general lighting, pulsing the "fingers" light and combining with a nice musical "sting" might make a nice magical moment, although it's not exactly naturalistic ...

 

glass fibre is a good material for making light but bulky props, but personally, I'd avoid glassfibre unless you have someone with experience of using it and access to a reasonable workshop area; it can be quite nasty and messy. carving polystyrene is messy, but it is dry mess and relatively easy to clear up afterwards.

 

*these will run quite hot, which might be seen as an issue. However, when risk assessing, take into account how long the effect needs to be on for: I imagine not very long at all as this might be a momentary effect for when the sword is withdrawn from the stone, in which case the heat produced by the light is minimal and becomes less of a problem. Leaving it on for more than a few minutes might give some cause for concern, however.

 

** I've assumed your production is "The Sword in the Stone", but you don't mention the title, so this may be eroneous!

[Jivemaster]

To get much light in the beams you will need a LOT of light inside the rock. Some serious control to ensure that the light (and associated heat !) are only momentary is essential with anything but a refractory "rock". Can you make something out of plaster or cement? GRP will stink if it gets too hot.

[andrewg112]

Some LED birdies and a touch of haze to get the effect and there we go.

I have to agree, this would be how I would want to do it. Obviously the rock would need to be hollow (ish!)

 

Andy,

[Brian]

Some LED birdies and a touch of haze to get the effect and there we go.

Not really bright enough.

 

...I'd probably go for a 500W sunflood type thing* inside the box,...

And if you shine the light out though a slot, you'll maximise the light out if you orientate the filament with the slot's axis. You could even play with some lenses from old disco type units to focus the light into a flat beam.

 

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Some LED birdies and a touch of haze to get the effect and there we go.

Not really bright enough.

 

...I'd probably go for a 500W sunflood type thing* inside the box,...

And if you shine the light out though a slot, you'll maximise the light out if you orientate the filament with the slot's axis. You could even play with some lenses from old disco type units to focus the light into a flat beam.

 

 

And thinking about it a bit more, some concealed PAR36 pinspots in haze would look very good.

[Robin D]

How about using a white or blue laser in a narrow frame? You've need to ensure that Arthur keeps his eyes clear as he pulls the sword but otherwise it could work well.

[sleah]

How about using a white or blue laser in a narrow frame? You've need to ensure that Arthur keeps his eyes clear as he pulls the sword but otherwise it could work well.

 

Similar ideas have been discussed previously on here, and the general consensous was that it can't really happen.

Apart from the fact the effect may not be ideal - a laser is less than a matchstick in width...

 

It's OK to say "ensure that Arthur keeps his eyes clear " but will he? Would you risk your reputation and that of the theatre on it?

Is there absolutley no possible way that laser could be energised at any other time? (Rather like leaving a loaded gun lying around)

It just isn't worth the risk that he may well not look away at the right time or for long enough or that the beam won't reflect off the sword and hit someone else...

 

 

 

 

Not to mention having animal rescue involved as the insurance company would probably have kittens.....

[ramdram]

Or, make the boulder fairly big (3/4ft). Engineer a suitable step so Art places foot on boulder so the boulder does not need loads of ballast to prevent boulder moving as sword is drawn out. Boulder sits across stage, so Art is in profile.

 

Engineer skeleton metal sword holder mounted directly in line with the lantern. Make hole in boulder same D as lantern inside.

 

Lampie pulls main lanterns down. Art draws the sword with metal scraping on metal holder as lampie ramps up the level of whatever lantern you end up using directly on Art's face.

 

Cue haze as light level increases say??? Cue tinkly panto type "magic in progress music".

 

Experiment with suitable gels for whatever effect Director matey wants. Art assumes suitable expression, brandishes sword, all gasp, kneel etc etc Lampie cross fades between "stone" lantern and main lanterns.

 

All cry in joy, speech by Art, all exit, dancing and laffing for bacchanalia scene in the Palace. Lights fade, curtains close, boulder off.

 

Curtains open on aftermath of monumental p!55 up in Palace ballroom..enter Art fresh as a daisy, ready to start King job that very minute.

 

Large hole in boulder obviates the need for fan and concern for excess heat.

[swampman]

Disco effects (used to) use a really bright 400w/36v halogen as a small filament light source (Or a 12v H3/100w fog car lamp - battery operatable for a short effect.) Switch on (foot pedal ?) and open holes as you pull sword out (*). Fan (12DC from a PC power supply) to pump some talc powder around inside and puff out if you can't afford/find space for fog machine (watch deposits on the bulb and allergies!!).

 

I do NOT recommend use of polystyrene/resins/plastics with something as hot as a lantern in non-pro situations - a moment's distraction and disaster can strike. Plaster or papier maché on chicken wire with plenty of bicarbonate of soda or flame retardant is advisable as an Art Dept project. At the worst you may be able to get flame resistant expansion foam in a canister and shape it (In Spain it is pink to distinguish it from normal foam.)

 

(*) Light beams closed on lighting but opening more and more holes as sword is pulled out would look much cleaner than a fade up - the brightness would be inmediatly apparent and more dynamic but more ingenuity will be needed eg twisting sword a bit to open a "circular vent".

[beware]

You could always position lots of lights pointing AT the boulder. Same effect.

 

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Or, put a big hole in the top of the boulder and a half mirror ball inside, then shine a profile into it?

[ramdram]

Mirror ball inside? Shine a light on ball (from side to get right angle)? Genius! I like it and it's not my show.

 

And, Beware, the same effect could work on the opening of "the" treasure chest/secret cave etc. in any other panto say.

 

A little bit of thought in the actual mechanical cobbling bit and no need to worry overmuch on the heat = reeking resin.

[WooferHound]

I would use a few pinspots shining out of some holes in the rock