BenJones Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Hello All, I've been told by a friend of a device that mimics an arrow being shot into a piece of scenery. It essentially springs an arrow out from a piece of scenery so that it suddenly appears as if it has been shot there. I have never heard of anything like this, has anyone else come accross it and if so, do you know where I'd get hold of one? CheersBen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigclive Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Traditionally in Robin Hood style panto applications this would be achieved by swinging a spring-loaded arrow up on a pivot from a hidden vertical alignment to a visible horizontal alignment. This could be as simple as a little cord operated latch operated by a member of the cast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Dunno where you'd hire one but last time I needed this effect I built it myself. A length of 20mm PVC conduit, a length of dowel and a bungee are all you need. I'll see if I can find a photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenJones Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Thanks guys. Yeah I know exactly what you mean Bigclive, this is how I've seen it done before. Unfortunately there won't be anything vertically above our arrow, so it will have to shoot up from beneath. Brian, that sounds roughly like what I've drawn up as an alternative. If you do have a picture that'd be great. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 There's a good description of this in the book, "Special effects in Television" ( Bernard Wilkie, Focal Press, ISBN 0-24051361-4) if you can lay your hands on a copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Can't find a photo but here, courtesy of PaperCAD , is a drawing... ...it's shown in the 'fired' position. To load it, push the arrow in and hold it in place with a pin through the trigger hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Are you using the 64bit version of Papercad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Nope, that is definitely the HB version. I might be going bonkers but how does "I have never heard of anything like this" then become " I know exactly what you mean Bigclive, this is how I've seen it done before", Ben? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitlane Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Spring loaded door closers are the route to much special effects fun and games. Combine this with a couple of screw eyes, a hing pin and some sash cord and away you go. A few years back we hired an archery target with the mechanism that Brian shows built into it. But it also had another arrow within the first one so you could do the 'Robin Hood's arrow splits the Sheriff of Nottingham's arrow down the middle' gag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 The alternatives are the item being pushed into view by a spring or bungee as Brian's drawing or the item being swung into view by a big spring -think wood based rat trap. Both ways work and cost little. Both ways need careful setting and good ACTING to draw attention to the firer not the target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 This topic exists elsewhere I think this time last year as well. We did it with just a hole in the wall and pushing through for a terrible cheesy effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 A slight variation on that design, accidentally produced a very good side effect for a local panto. The attachment position of the bungee meant that once fired it was free to vibrate & the set piece it was attached to acted as a sound board. It made the exact "Thwack, Boing" sound that real arrows don't, but we wanted so a tricky sound cue got dropped off the list :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenJones Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Nope, that is definitely the HB version. I might be going bonkers but how does "I have never heard of anything like this" then become " I know exactly what you mean Bigclive, this is how I've seen it done before", Ben? Because I've been told of a device that fires the arrow on a flat plane from the offstage side of a piece of scenery through it (i.e. what Brian describes), not concealed on the onstage side of the scenery and then rotated into position via a spring (like Big Clive describes). Two very different methods, one of which I have heard of and know will not be suitable.What I'm after is basically what Brian has drawn, and is shown perfectly in this video of a homemade version (with an knife instead of an arrow obviously). However; apparently there is a professionally made version of this that can be operated by button and an electronic release catch from a control box instead of having to physically hit a catch/quick release on the deivce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Any effects company could knock you out an electriclly operated one no problem.... but standby for a shock on the price. Unless this is for a proper long-term job it will cost you less to employ somone to hide behind the prop and release it than it will cost for an "automatic" one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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