Stuart R
Member
Hi all - I'm working on a school production of the stage version of Disney's "Descendants" and would appreciate some tips for finding/fabricating a few "magic" props:
Light-up spell book: This is a paperback sized "grimoire" (book of magic spells). We'd like a light to shine out of it when the cover is opened. There are a bunch of light-up books for sale out there, all with a sort of fan of pages that all light up, but that's not quite what the director has in mind. I've seen a couple of DIY light up books on Instructables.com, but they involve soldering strips of copper and scraping rubber of LED strip contact points and such, which I have no experience with. I keep thinking there must be a little light that will go on when a spring-loaded switch opens (the way a music box would start to play when the lid is opened).
Magic hand mirror: Also needs to light up when it's being magical, except it's more like the mirror glows, or the shape is outlined with fiber optic that turns on with a little button, etc.
Magic wand: A magician's wand (more of the Fairy Godmother style than Harry Potter style) that can "throb with power" (director's exact words). I'll just let that lie there.
Floating and/or magically moving wand: Said magic wand is on display in a museum. It's on a square cube lit from inside (looking to use a wireless DMX transmitter, a power inverter that turns 18v DC into 110/120v AC, and an LED uplight). Ideally the wand would seem to "float" above it rather than be on a stand but it won't be in a place where black or monofilament hang line would blend in with the background. Late in the show, one character manages to get the wand from another by sort of summoning it, at which point it flies out of Person A's hand and lands in Person B's hand. I assume "invisible" line is what's needed, but can't quite wrap my head around how it would work.
Thank you.
Light-up spell book: This is a paperback sized "grimoire" (book of magic spells). We'd like a light to shine out of it when the cover is opened. There are a bunch of light-up books for sale out there, all with a sort of fan of pages that all light up, but that's not quite what the director has in mind. I've seen a couple of DIY light up books on Instructables.com, but they involve soldering strips of copper and scraping rubber of LED strip contact points and such, which I have no experience with. I keep thinking there must be a little light that will go on when a spring-loaded switch opens (the way a music box would start to play when the lid is opened).
Magic hand mirror: Also needs to light up when it's being magical, except it's more like the mirror glows, or the shape is outlined with fiber optic that turns on with a little button, etc.
Magic wand: A magician's wand (more of the Fairy Godmother style than Harry Potter style) that can "throb with power" (director's exact words). I'll just let that lie there.
Floating and/or magically moving wand: Said magic wand is on display in a museum. It's on a square cube lit from inside (looking to use a wireless DMX transmitter, a power inverter that turns 18v DC into 110/120v AC, and an LED uplight). Ideally the wand would seem to "float" above it rather than be on a stand but it won't be in a place where black or monofilament hang line would blend in with the background. Late in the show, one character manages to get the wand from another by sort of summoning it, at which point it flies out of Person A's hand and lands in Person B's hand. I assume "invisible" line is what's needed, but can't quite wrap my head around how it would work.
Thank you.