shadow/ silhouette performance tips

[martin ewen]

I am planning on having a 2 minute intro behind a large sheet with my silhouette putting my stilts on and repeatedly falling off a stool.
Anyone have any experience producing shadow work?

Thanks in advance

[Doctor Eric]

I do, but the bit already sounds funny, and I don't think you'll have any problems translating it visually as long as you stay close to the scrim.

[martin ewen]

Imagine theres no heaven.

I thought there might be rules or something but I guess I'll have to workshop distances for the light source and the sheet/scrim.
(its one of those add after the dress rehearsal stage managers nightmares, -insert evil laughter here-)
For a local talent night in a small village in Connecticut full of strangely powerful ex NY moguls.
In a church hall.
Part of the soundtrack's Bush sampled singing John Lennons Imagine. Should be a hoot.
Like how big a light will I need?

[Doctor Eric]

How tall are the stilts?
The one problem you'll run into is that you need the light/s to be at least about 10ft away, but they'd be better at 15-20, depending on how "big" you will be.
The best way to do it cheap is to use four or five halogen spots, maybe more if you will be really tall, and a large piece of translucent plastic to diffuse the lights, so that you get only one clear shadow.
Pick it all up at home depot and return it at a full refund afterwards.

[Stretch]

Lights? What about the landing?

Just be carefull falling off the stool, and be sure someone films this. Should be a riot!
Wish I had thought of it.

[bilbo]

There are several ways you can do this.

The first one is having you between the lights and the screen. The closer you are from the screen the better. The problem is that as soon as you move away from the screen the shadow blurs. Since you intend of falling that might be a problem. You also need to check the quality of the screen. if it's too thin the light will go throught and may disturb the audience, If it's too heavy the shadow won't come throught.

A way you can come around the "distance from the screen "problem is to use cut out puppet that you manipulate close to the screen (think indonesia's shadow theatre) since it's behind a screen and if the puppet and set are well design it might pass as you doing it. I know it's a strange idea that I just got but it might work.

An other way is to have the screen upstage with lights in front of the screen, next to it,lighting up or down only the screen (they are called Cyc I beleive) and no light on stage. Anything in front of this luminous screen will appear as a shadow (but really blocking the light to goes to the audience). With this solution you can do whatever you want without worrying about distance. You also don't need to worry about moving the screen when your done. just bring the next light cue up.

I hope that it's clear.

Cordialy,

Alex

[scot]

sheets get hotspots. paper is better. contact my friend Leon for q&a...
Leonidas Kassapides <leonidaskass@yahoo.com>

http://www.kassapides.com

[Lynneski]

Laughing with, not at, right?

Aytahn's done lots of shadow scrim work, as have Green Fools. Neither frequent these pages, I believe, so best to ask directly.

Church hall means little space and no production values, and even less budget, yes?

I'd go to your local big box home reno store, get the strongest halogen you can find, and a stand for it. Yellow caged thingys, people use them for painting, among other tasks. (Put the receipt in Celia's pocketbook.) It gets wicked hot in only minutes. This will become apparent only after you've scorched your hand on the first forgetful movement.

Put the light on the stand at about your knee level (practice will determine if that is to be interpreted as stilt knee or regular knee) and point towards sheet. Yes, you'll have a hot spot. It's a church hall, for chrissakes.

You on stilts are very near, if not more than the height of a sheet. You'll have to work practically on top of it, as any distance from sheet-you-light only makes you greater (in the height sense, don't go getting any fat head).

Also, anything that drops to the floor will have a foreshortened shadow. Harder to read. Again with the practice.

Sheet can be mounted with thumbtacks to a convenient beam if there's an easy way to exit/sidestep the intro and still have performing room. Otherwise, consider something like a slideshow screen contraption. Heck, even a piece of lumber, sheet stapled on it's length, with an A-frame of cord attached to either end, looped over something at ceiling height, can be tied off and raised/lowered as needed.

Take photos.