Author Topic: KIT: Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?  (Read 7012 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Mac Calder

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Today I was looking through a box labled 'misc show stuff' which had a bunch of things I had made for shows over the last few years and was just wondering what strange and unusual items you have accrued over time. Here is a brief list of some of my favorite things I have built and or sourced which I reuse show after show.

  • Home made projector shutters which work in tandem or seperatly
  • Home made cue lights
  • Home made phone ringer
  • Home made 4 station, full duplex intercom
  • 4 camera 'security' system
  • Home made string of 50 candles arrayed like the small candles that you light in a catholic church which flicker
  • Home made 'smoke curtain' creator
  • LED gooseneck lamp powered from battery
  • gooseneck lamp powered from phantom power
« Last Edit: Jun 08, 2009, 10:31 pm by PSMKay »

isha

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 101
    • View Profile
    • http://
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #1 on: Sep 04, 2005, 04:42 pm »
I've been made the production stage manager over the auditorium at my highschool, and I was going through some boxes of random stuff (setting the auditorium to rights is now my responsibility) and found a box of recorders...like the plastic clarinet thingys. The randomness of it made me happy.
-isha
~isha

centaura

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 405
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
I have a diet
« Reply #2 on: Oct 02, 2005, 11:52 pm »
About the oddest thing that I have from a tour is a diet that I had to create for a show about a group of women in a weight loss club.  I had to create a whole diet package, from a planner book to a clothing catalog, to a beauty-pagent like sash that one of the actors wore at the end.  All in a lovely shade of lavender.  The pieces sit on my shelf with my prompt books.  Adds a bit of color.  ;)

-Centaura

giabow

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 32
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #3 on: Oct 03, 2005, 11:11 am »
I have lots of random bits of things left over from shows.  The ones that raise the most eyebrows are:

6 styrofoam cornish hens (I made them last summer for The Nerd.)

a pigeon made out of sports socks and paint with a wooden beak (for Sherlock's Last Case)  

   I also have a stuffed fish pillow (rainbow trout) that my grandmother gave to my father.  Dad sent it to me a number of years ago to use for The Complete History of America (abridged).  I've used that darn thing in about six shows.

jenk

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 54
    • View Profile
    • http://
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #4 on: Oct 07, 2005, 08:33 pm »
I have a piece of wood. It's a very special piece of wood. It is exactly long enough to be the straight edge when I draw those lines in my book during rehearsals for blocking or whatever, but it is only about 1/2" wide, and it's squared at the ends (it's kind of hard to describe). Anyway, it fits across the rings in the 3-ring binder the way a ruler just never does. I found this piece of wood randomly about 2 years ago in the rehearsal room, and it has stayed in my rehearsal book ever since, with the words "Jen's Blocking Stick" written on it in black Sharpie.

smejs

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 475
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA, USITT
  • Current Gig: Freelance SM in Denver
  • Experience: Professional
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #5 on: Oct 07, 2005, 10:22 pm »
I have a piece of wood, too, but it's very different from jenk's...I have a stairway bannister top pyramid with glow tape on it from the very first show I was an assistant stage manager for...and I put the glow tape on it.

I also have amassed quite a collection of light up toys, especially flashing Christmas trees.  They're great to guide people in fullbody bear costumes offstage.  And my favorite light-up gift is a Lumipad...kind of a write-on/wipe-off board meets Lite Brite.  Wherever you write (which you can erase) shows up in neon.  

Erin

giabow

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 32
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #6 on: Oct 08, 2005, 06:20 pm »
Erin,  where would one find one of those Lumipads?

smejs

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 475
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA, USITT
  • Current Gig: Freelance SM in Denver
  • Experience: Professional
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #7 on: Oct 08, 2005, 06:50 pm »
Quote
Erin, where would one find one of those Lumipads?


I got mine as a gift for Christmas of 2003, but at the time they were available at Brookstone.  About a year ago I saw them at Dry Ice - the shop with psychedelic colors and lots of feathers in the malls.  At the time they were going for around $40.

Online I haven't had too much luck... this one http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=26487 is $98!!!  This place http://www.loftykids.com/ST1113.html has it for $45, so closer.

I will say that if you get one, be sure to take the batteries out when storing.  The button invariably gets turned on and you'll have to replace them if not.  The screen also has choices to flash your message either the whole thing at once, or in 3 sections in various combos.  

It's an expensive toy, but SO much fun.  I do a show that usually runs over 60 performances and the cast and crew want to be entertained backstage.  This thing even has a mini-easel stand behind, so I can write a message, prop it on a set piece backstage, and leave it "on" with my message during a scene shift/mass exodus/crossover, etc.  (Out of sightlines of course).  I also have used it to get the attention of the person in the booth next to me (through a glass window).  You can't have your mic on though, when it's on, as it does emit a very fine high-pitched noise, which carries quite well in a headset system.  

Erin

smejs

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 475
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA, USITT
  • Current Gig: Freelance SM in Denver
  • Experience: Professional
Interesting (and unusual items) - what have you accrued?
« Reply #8 on: Oct 08, 2005, 07:13 pm »
Ah, even though it's technically LumiPad (one word), a search goes through better on Froogle (the products part of Google) if you separate into two words.  ToysRUs has them through Amazon for $15...hmm....may have to pick up another!!  Hee.
OR...the 14" version for $35 has an a/c adaptor.  Hmmmmmm...

Erin

 

riotous