Creating a Park Scene

[chidg1000]

Hello there.

 

I was just wondering what colours would go well with a very light yellow (straw gel) to create a park scene on a stage?

 

Many thanks :P

[heinz57]

Hi there,

 

Maybe some greens? You know from like the trees and stuff

 

Heinz

[mark_s]

Alternatively avoid green entirely, as the light which filters through the leaves isn't leaf coloured, but sunlight coloured...

 

Unfortunately it depends entirely on what sort of look you want, really, as well as the style of production, and the set design. I can think of many ways to recreate a park, but it'd be entirely production-specific as to how I would actually go about it. You will probably want some texture to the light though - a soft-focused foliage breakup for example - as most parks will feature trees, unless it happens to actually be an open field.

 

If you could be more specific, that would help a lot :P

[chidg1000]

Alternatively avoid green entirely, as the light which filters through the leaves isn't leaf coloured, but sunlight coloured...

 

Unfortunately it depends entirely on what sort of look you want, really, as well as the style of production, and the set design. I can think of many ways to recreate a park, but it'd be entirely production-specific as to how I would actually go about it. You will probably want some texture to the light though - a soft-focused foliage breakup for example - as most parks will feature trees, unless it happens to actually be an open field.

 

If you could be more specific, that would help a lot ;)

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Basically my director wants a wash of straw on the stage to make it look like a park scene. There is a garden style bench in the middle. I was just wondering if the I could make the straw wash look more interesting by adding a few more colours either by using profile spots or covering the floodlights.

:P

[boatman]

A gobo or two would help. Rosco 79118 or similar would be ideal.

 

http://www.rosco.com/uk/gobocatalog/gobos/sm_steel/79118sm.gif

[chidg1000]

A gobo or two would help. Rosco 79118 or similar would be ideal.

 

http://www.rosco.com/uk/gobocatalog/gobos/sm_steel/79118sm.gif

 

Would this be directed on the stage with a colour gel??

[GridGirl]

Yes. If it were me, I'd probably key it from one side so that the "shadows" formed by the gobo all fall the same way as it does in reality. I'd suggest going to your local park on a sunny day and having a look, but I realise that sunshine is a rare thing in the UK at the moment!

[RoyJ]

I have used green and yellow split gels in side rigged profile spots(condensors if youv'e got them)to give a very nice scene for Iolanthe and also for Macsaul,which gave a very sinister scottish theme to some scenes.Certainly the gobo shown previously would be the way to go,although I have to admit that I've made breakup gobos out of aluminium pie cases(washed or you'll make the stage smell like a pie shop!).I suppose it depends on the size of your stage,as to how many profiles you'll need.One thing I have found,is use a lighter green rather than darker.While I agree this is far from reality,representation can have its licence.Hope this helps Roy

[andy_s]

I'd check with the director that he or she envisages the park bench being located in a wooded area rather than in one of the wide open unshaded areas that are a feature of many parks before going down the gobo route. :P

 

I'd like to turn the question back to the OP: what colours do you think would be more interesting than the straw as requested by the director? Have a look through your Lee or Rosco (or other manufacturer of your choice) swatchbook, decide what you think would be interesting and appropriate bearing in mind the outdoor location, time of day and season if specified in the script, style of production (naturalistic? impressionist? stylized?) and any other influencing factors of which we are not aware, make some choices and present your case to the director.

[kerry davies]

Take Gridgirls advice about angling key lights seriously. No amount of colour will get the same bang-for-buck as a leafy break-up from a set angle.... I actually have in the past used real trees in pots and cut branches as part of the set just like the original LX guys did. Wet the leaves in view and you get the pretty reflections seen in nature.

 

It is actually very sunny here right now, just very cold with it.