Ideas to simulate the motion of a boat rocking in the ocean.
- Thread starterJoeColdwell
- Start date
-Get a shallow pan of water... last time I used a disposable aluminum turkey pan
-Put a cheap mirror in the bottom... I got a 1' square mirror tile for like $2 at the hardware store last time I did this.
-Fill the pan an inch or so deep in water
-Setup an ellipsoidal in a way that it will bounce off the mirror and reflect onto a wall or whatever you want the effect on. Don't forget the blue or aqua colored gel depend on your taste.
-get the water moving just a little... last time I did this I used a 2 liter bottle and with a hospital I.V. drip line to create a slow drip into the water... just enough to stir the surface.
You have a beautiful water ripple effect for next to nothing. You'll probably need to use a couple of them. If you can figure out a way to hide this contraption on your set, it's a great way to put a bunch of water light on your curtains or on the proscenium arch.
-Put a cheap mirror in the bottom... I got a 1' square mirror tile for like $2 at the hardware store last time I did this.
-Fill the pan an inch or so deep in water
-Setup an ellipsoidal in a way that it will bounce off the mirror and reflect onto a wall or whatever you want the effect on. Don't forget the blue or aqua colored gel depend on your taste.
-get the water moving just a little... last time I did this I used a 2 liter bottle and with a hospital I.V. drip line to create a slow drip into the water... just enough to stir the surface.
You have a beautiful water ripple effect for next to nothing. You'll probably need to use a couple of them. If you can figure out a way to hide this contraption on your set, it's a great way to put a bunch of water light on your curtains or on the proscenium arch.
Fabric waves upstage oscillated by fans or stagehands?
(The cardboard trees, the painted seas, the sound here...)
The Guthrie Theater Presents H.M.S. Pinafore | KPBS.org
But really, it's the performers who are going to have to sell this gag. You can do all the visual simulation/stimulation you want, up to and including projecting live video of the ocean, but if the actors are standing/moving as though on terra firma, it will look ridiculous.
I'm assuming a built-up platform and "low-rider" hydraulics are not within the budget?
(The cardboard trees, the painted seas, the sound here...)
The Guthrie Theater Presents H.M.S. Pinafore | KPBS.org
But really, it's the performers who are going to have to sell this gag. You can do all the visual simulation/stimulation you want, up to and including projecting live video of the ocean, but if the actors are standing/moving as though on terra firma, it will look ridiculous.
I'm assuming a built-up platform and "low-rider" hydraulics are not within the budget?
JoeColdwell
Member
My budget is $50.00, this is for a middle school performance, so I wanted something simple that adds a little movement to the sett.
Gafftapers idea is interesting, I may play around with it, but I'm not sure if that will give the effect I'm going for. I'd like the waves to seem large and ocean like.
I'm already using the cyc with 3 shades of alternating blue in a waveish effect, but I'm hoping to through something on the skirt, proscenium, and shells. Since the cyc gives the feeling of moving foreword, I'm wondering how to get the up and down effect of ocean waves. Is there an inexpensive way to get lights to have the motion of an ocean? say use different shades of gels and somehow get them to pitch and yaw?
If I had a big budget I could solve this easily, I just figured someone must have and this problem in the past and figured an inexpensive solution.
Thank you so much for your input.
Gafftapers idea is interesting, I may play around with it, but I'm not sure if that will give the effect I'm going for. I'd like the waves to seem large and ocean like.
I'm already using the cyc with 3 shades of alternating blue in a waveish effect, but I'm hoping to through something on the skirt, proscenium, and shells. Since the cyc gives the feeling of moving foreword, I'm wondering how to get the up and down effect of ocean waves. Is there an inexpensive way to get lights to have the motion of an ocean? say use different shades of gels and somehow get them to pitch and yaw?
If I had a big budget I could solve this easily, I just figured someone must have and this problem in the past and figured an inexpensive solution.
Thank you so much for your input.
shiben
Well-Known Member
If you had scrollers you could probably mount them sideways so the seams are horizontal, and move the seam up and down while in front of the beam... Some sort of custom cut gel with a rolling wave sort of seam might help sell it? Alternatively, a film FX sort of system might work out for ya... Alternatively, a couple banks of lights at different angles and cycling thru them could give a rocking motion to the stage... But realistically, do you want a stage to appear to rock up and down? It will get nauseating after a while...
MarshallPope
Well-Known Member
I would disagree. I've had good luck with using sound effects (basically) alone to give an "on a boat" feeling. I feel like sound would be more effective than a lighting effect which may draw attention to the fact that the stage isn't actually moving and give the impression that you are trying too hard.
JoeColdwell
Member
I really like this idea, unfortunately we do not have an H-vac system.
I am using the sound effect of a creaking wood ship and ocean waves. Then I think I may use 6 ellipsoidal, 3 on each proscenium that alternate between sky-blue, white, and a deep ocean blue. And match that to the sound effect.
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