Author Topic: PROPS: Bottomless bag  (Read 3554 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

loebtmc

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
PROPS: Bottomless bag
« on: Dec 07, 2012, 07:12 pm »
We are doing Around the World in 80 Days and need a bottomless carpetbag similar to the bottomless carpetbag gag in Mary Poppins. Has anyone done this? Are there any suggestions to help our prop mistress?

Thank you all!

Maribeth

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1056
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #1 on: Dec 07, 2012, 11:52 pm »
Can you do a bag that opens on the bottom, and is set on top of a trunk or something else that has props concealed inside? Or, there could be a place on the stage floor with a removable plug and props could be fed from the pit.

loebtmc

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #2 on: Dec 08, 2012, 01:26 am »
The feed from under is what's planned. That's the problem. The prop mistress wants to build a carpetbag that holds up (and holds small stuff) during the parts of the play when it is NOT being opened and stuff pulled thru, then easily opens for things to be fed through, then relatched to hide the gag.


On_Headset

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 402
    • View Profile
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #3 on: Dec 08, 2012, 01:38 am »
If you can get someone's hand into the mix, you could try cutting a hole in the bottom and holding it shut with a drawstring. The bag would remain essentially intact (no gaping hole in the bottom), you can open and close the bottom from below without creating any noise (and with minimal visual disruption), and unlike a zipper it won't catch or get jammed on you.

loebtmc

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #4 on: Dec 08, 2012, 01:47 am »
That's a thought - and the latch could clip at the top so it could actually hold things and have business in the meantime, to hide the gag. And that would allow the integrity of the walls to hold its shape.

Will toss this in the direction of my prop mistress.


PSMKay

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1357
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • http://www.smnetwork.org
  • Affiliations: None.
  • Current Gig: SMNetwork *is* my production.
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #5 on: Dec 08, 2012, 01:55 am »
Is there any time when small stuff and big stuff has to be pulled out in the same scene with no ability to do a hidden swap of identical bags?

Maribeth

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1056
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #6 on: Dec 08, 2012, 02:34 am »
If the small items are small enough, they could be stored in pockets on the inside of the bag, and have the latch accessible even when things are inside.

loebtmc

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: PROPS: Bottomless bag
« Reply #7 on: Dec 08, 2012, 04:04 am »
That's what I was thinking - the prop mistress is gonna have to build this with pockets inside for those smaller items that cover the gag of the big stuff.

I have sent a note to some magician friends as well - but it's an arena style, 3/4 thrust stage so things really need to be dressed well, since the audience can see stuff from 3 sides and are only 10-12 feet away from the stage edge.

[on edit] a magician friend who knows the space suggested building a bag with a bottom layered fold held together by 3 strong magnets, the actor pushes thru easily to go into the trap, and the last item is a big one needing two hands, so the act of closing the bottom is masked.

« Last Edit: Dec 09, 2012, 11:16 am by loebtmc »