TV flicker

[thelightingmancan]

We have a technical theatre class at our school, and for our exam we have to answer 10 problems using any resource available. Here is my question, "How do you create a TV flicker?" I think this might have been intentionally vague, but I think our director is talking about a cathode ray tube TV, probably when it has no signal. I don't know of any time we would use this on our stage, if they want TV we can play a TV show or use an antenna and show noise. If you have any ideas, that would be cool, I'm working on mine.

[sk8rsdad]

If this were another forum I used to frequent the default response would be "Do your own homework!!!".

I think you can get a realistic flicker from a DL3, but I've never had the budget for them. I'm sure there are more sensible solutions.

[Footer]

Hm.... I like the idea of that final... THANKS!....

And, you won't find your solution here. We can guide you to do something if you have the idea, but we will not give you the answer. Any resource available means go to the library, or start playing with lights.

[thelightingmancan]

I know how to make white noise and play it on a TV, which gives the black and white fuzz, but I have never seen a TV flicker, unless it is filmed and played by anoter TV. I did some research first, only finding information about white noise and other interference. I think the playing of noise will be the closest thing to a flicker you could get.

[sk8rsdad]

You may be interpreting the assignment incorrectly. I would have thought a technical theatre course would be about using lights and sound and other techniques taught in the course to give an audience the impression that a TV was flickering, or that actors were watching a TV, not to necessarily make a TV flicker.

[hsaunier]

Go home, turn on a TV and stand behind it to see what happens to the space as the light from the TV washes the room. Recreate that. Don't make it hard.

[gafftaper]

Originally Posted by sk8rsdad

You may be interpreting the assignment incorrectly. I would have thought a technical theatre course would be about using lights and sound and other techniques taught in the course to give an audience the impression that a TV was flickering, or that actors were watching a TV, not to necessarily make a TV flicker.

I think that's the right thought. Turn on your TV and turn the lights in the room off. Have a friend stand in the normal viewing location facing the TV. You stand next to the TV facing away from it toward your friend. How is the room lit? How is the person's face lit? Is there a pattern to it? How can you create that effect.

In my next show "Crumbs from the Table of Joy". One character is always having these side conversations to the audience. The script calls for them to often be lit like she is at a movie. This is a real effect that is commonly used in a variety of shows. There are MANY different ways to do it.

As has been stated, CB is about learning, not getting answers for free. But like all good teachers we will help guide you to a good solution. Start by doing what I suggested above to get a good sense of what it should look like, then come post some ideas of how you think you can create that look. There are lots of ways to do this with standard theater lighting equipment. Post your ideas and someone will point you in the right direction from there.