Screen/fabric for shadow work from behind and projection from in front

[Tregilibob]

I'm trying to find out whether the following is possible:

A screen, painted to match set (castle/grey) that can not only be used to project on to from in front, but also used to show shadow work from behind.

It's for a production of Macbeth in a school, I don't have the most amount of space behind for the shadow work (beheading/characters being killed off) but the director would like it not to look like a screen for the rest of the show. If we can't project on to it from the front, there are options to project to elsewhere on the set. Budget not a huge problem. We don't have any flys to swop/reveal anything.

Anyone got any ideas? I was about to call J and C Joel but they close early on Fridays!

 

Tregi

Edited September 13 by Tregilibob

[Robin D]

Did similar to this some years back for An Inspector Calls if my memory serves me correctly. We had a section in the wall that was covered with a very thin translucent fabric painted to match the wall, In front of this we had a standard white fabric roller blind, that was also painted to match the background colour of the wall. We projected the image of the wall onto the front with a gobo. We then ran the pull chain through the set so it could be operated from behind. It was the type of blind with a chain on a continuous loop so it could be raised or lowered as required. So the projection was onto the blind, and the even with it up, with front lighting, you wall looked continuous. As soon as you back lit it, and left the front on darkness the shadow effect was visible. Note that you need a single source light fairly well back to get a decent shadow.  

The difficulty we had was knowing when teh blind was fully up or fully extended. This was solved by pulling a cane that extended the bottom of the blind sideways by a foot or so and extended it across the edge of the flat. Two pieces of lx tape on the reverse of the flat gave enough guidance for the crew to get it right.   

We played with doing away with the blind completely, but it may have been out bad artwork, or wrong lighting, but the projection definitely looed better with the blind, as taking teh front light out, removed the gobo effect. 

Probably smarter ways of doing it now, but it worked for us. 

Robin

[Dave m]

Use a focusable light like a profile to get good shadows.

you could use a projector and mirror if space is tight. You could even rear project video of the whole shadow play. Use software to edit the film into hard luma key.

You could use a scrim over the screen and drop it prior to the shadow work but you’d need to replace it if there is more stage action afterwards. If you can’t fly, you could pull the cover up from behind the screen?

Edited September 13 by Dave m

[Jivemaster]

First a basic "try for size". Projection eats up space, and shadows are always bigger than the object itself. You could project some undersize "puppetry".

[mac.calder]

80% nylon, 20% lycra/spandex tends to work pretty well for both rear and front projection - and is "relatively" easy to integrate into sets and keep taught... Any material that supports rear projection and front projection will - by its very nature - not be the best at either.

[Tregilibob]

Thanks for all the replied, I've had a chat with the director, and due to the difficulties in achieving all of what they want, we have now decided to film the shadow-work, and project it back, which means I now only need to build a solid wall with sections to project on too!

I did like the idea of revealing one section, either with a cloth rising or a door opening, but the director didn't like that idea.

All good knowledge to store up for a later date!

Tregi