Pantomime Special effect

[Steve-B]

 

We are performing a version of "Babes in the wood" which requires arrows to suddenly appear in a target as if they had been fired across stage.

Any ideas how to achieve?

[J Pearce]

Have a double-sided target, one side without the arrows, one side with. Flip it fastly as you need the arrows to appear.

 

This obviously relies on the audience not being able to see the back of the target.

[Ynot]

 

We are performing a version of "Babes in the wood" which requires arrows to suddenly appear in a target as if they had been fired across stage.

Any ideas how to achieve?

Haven't done this with arrows, but for the knife-throwing scene in Pajama Game a few years back I constructed a spring-loaded mechanism using blades that were concealed behind the flat, and on cue, the spring released to let them shoot up in view. The satisfying THUNK as each knife hit the end-stop also added to the effect.

 

Could be modified to work with arrows.......

 

TD

[PeterT]

Haven't done this with arrows, but for the knife-throwing scene in Pajama Game a few years back I constructed a spring-loaded mechanism using blades that were concealed behind the flat, and on cue, the spring released to let them shoot up in view. The satisfying THUNK as each knife hit the end-stop also added to the effect.

 

Yes I have seen it done with Arrows (for Babes as well actually) basically the arrow is held on a sprung hinge and when the pin is pulled, the arrow flips up. If the spring's strong enough it'll be virtually instant. And with some clever lighting your audience will never notice

[Brian]

Haven't done this with arrows, but for the knife-throwing scene in Pajama Game a few years back I constructed a spring-loaded mechanism using blades that were concealed behind the flat, and on cue, the spring released to let them shoot up in view. The satisfying THUNK as each knife hit the end-stop also added to the effect.

 

Could be modified to work with arrows.......

Indeed it can. Think bungy cord and quick release mechanisms. The arrow comes straight out of the set (or in my case the pub sign).

[robert morley]

I constructed a spring-loaded mechanism using blades that were concealed behind the flat, and on cue, the spring released to let them shoot up in view. The satisfying THUNK as each knife hit the end-stop also added to the effect.

 

Could be modified to work with arrows.......

 

TD

This seems like the best idea to use. :) just make sure the arrows can withstand that amount of force because no body wants to see a member of the audiance walking around with a broken off arrow in there noggin do they

[TechManBill]

Yep as above.

 

We used a little spring loaded door closer as the spring mechanism and the arrow was made up as an extension of the "closer bar" without the rollers on it. It was the bar that made the Thunk!!

 

The unit was attached on a rail behind the flat, and tensioned by pulling the arrow round , against the back of the flat, and held rhere with two screw eyes and a split hinge pin. when the pin was pulled the arrow whipped up, through a slot cut in the flat,(just wider than the arrow) and came to rest against the top edge of the batton, protruding from the face of the flat.

 

The same mechanism, (without the arrow extension), if placed under a shelf with a slot cut in it so that the arm can whip round and back into a concealed place, can be used to simulate the effect of a gunshot smashing an ornament or crockery placed on the slot on a dresser or sideboard etc