Author Topic: Fire but without Fire  (Read 3992 times)

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OrchDork

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Fire but without Fire
« on: Jul 05, 2007, 07:37 pm »
Hello,

I have been doing a show for two weeks and the director just figured out that we could go to jail if we have fire on stage. And guess what...We DO! So, everyone is scrambling to make torches for Romeo & Juliet without actual fire.

It's now about 4:30 and go is 8:00!! Does anyone have tips or diagrams or something to help us make a torch? It needs to be as realistic as possible and last for a bit and not be too noisy and we need it now.

Thanks for help in advance!!!!  ???

KMC

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Re: Fire but without Fire
« Reply #1 on: Jul 05, 2007, 07:42 pm »
Flashlights, orange gel and some muslin to wrap around the base of the flashlight.  Won't be pretty, but trying to figure out what you'd have handy and enough to make a few torches.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

Mac Calder

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Re: Fire but without Fire
« Reply #2 on: Jul 05, 2007, 08:03 pm »
You can buy silk flame torches, which look really cool if you are over about 10 feet away from it. They are basically a flame coloured bit of silk with a small fan which blows it upright, as well as a light to illuminate the silk, and the people arround it. The fan makes the silk flap arround which gives you the flicker of flames.

I just did a quick google, and found an (admittedly dodgey looking) silk flame torch for around $25 at a halloween shop - URL

I am sure they can be found for a lot cheaper, and a lot nicer looking.

However as you only have a few hours - I would just make fake torches out of paper/fabric etc - and either omit the flame, or make a paper one out of tissue papper, then do most of the 'fire lighting' using a few parcans on H-stands at the sides/front of stage. Basically you gel them red/yellow/orange/white and create a flickering chase - keep them all at about 25% for example, then create lots of steps where you bring one or two colours up a bit, or some channels down. The more steps you make, the better it looks (I have one in my effects library which is 1340 steps long which I used for a caveman scene).
« Last Edit: Jul 05, 2007, 08:08 pm by Mac Calder »

 

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