Bushes and hedges and topiary, oh my!
- Thread starterlaurie johnson
- Start date
What's your budget like? We buy a lot from Autograph Foliage, but it's not cheap. But building them is pretty easy, it's as simple as building a frame, covering it in chicken wire, and tying enough foliage to it to make it look real. For shrubs and topiaries we attach the foliage to sticks of pvc, coated to look like bark when necessary. I've even attached fake leaf springs to real bare branches a few times.
I know people who have tried to cut enough leaves to fill a full tree, and unless you have an army of interns who can cut out leaves for a week, the tree just never looks full enough.
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I know people who have tried to cut enough leaves to fill a full tree, and unless you have an army of interns who can cut out leaves for a week, the tree just never looks full enough.
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Amiers
Renting to Corporate One Fixture at a Time.
This is a pretty decent site to get stuff from
http://www.save-on-crafts.com
http://www.save-on-crafts.com
laurie johnson
Member
Thanks gafftape. Budget is essentially zero. Fake foliage is probably not going to be ordered, thought thanks for the resource for a smaller foliage need. I currently use the frame and chicken wire method to make the shape. My next step is to take yardage--old sheets, muslin--and scumble paint in various shades of green. Then a leaf template is made and drawn in many copies on the yardage and all the leaves are cut out. Next, each leaf gets a "stem" of florists' wire hot-glued to it. Finished leaf is hung on the chicken wire of the frame. It is very time intensive. I have maybe 20 high school students (they are not necessarily theatre-oriented) to do that work. Very time intensive.
laurie johnson
Member
laurie johnson
Member
Thanks, Amiers. That site could come in handy for decorating the wedding arch, also!
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Do the show in the spring. Buy it at Home Depot or Lowes or similar. Return it for full credit after show. Easy-peasy.
More seriously, congratulations for doing Shakespeare in a high school. Its become too rare.
And I'll toss out a slightly non-responsive suggestion - don't try for naturalistic bushes and topiary. Just use all chicken wire and light it green form the sides. Or maybe a coarser wire fence and light colored plastic shopping bags. You could kill yourself (or students/parents/helpers) trying to make it look real. Just start with an arty sculptural design concept and go with it. Maybe even put gobos in shin kickers across the elements.
More seriously, congratulations for doing Shakespeare in a high school. Its become too rare.
And I'll toss out a slightly non-responsive suggestion - don't try for naturalistic bushes and topiary. Just use all chicken wire and light it green form the sides. Or maybe a coarser wire fence and light colored plastic shopping bags. You could kill yourself (or students/parents/helpers) trying to make it look real. Just start with an arty sculptural design concept and go with it. Maybe even put gobos in shin kickers across the elements.
laurie johnson
Member
Love the spring production thought, but alas, I have no control over that. Three directors that I have built sets for have done Shakespeare. This current one likes to revise Shakespeare so the language is more accessible. For Much Ado, he even changed who Beatrice marries. Lighting tricks is not an option in my theatre. Very little in the way of gobo-friendly lighting. We have 12 1000W leko's FOH and eight LED units augmented by six 750W fresnels. I'll think about the idea of stylizing the bushes, though.
Check out your local dollar stores, (dang, I'm old, I remember five and dime stores) I used to buy foliage garlands there, one store tucked one end in the ceiling grid, you just yanked down the ones you wanted. Check out local thrift stores, it seems lots of people donate fake arrangements a lot, sometimes they go very cheaply. Try social networking, announce you are accepting donations of fake foliage.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
I recall a Midsummer's with inexpensive fish net "banners" with strips of scrap fabric woven in - a kind of druidic foliage.
laurie johnson
Member
Venuetech, I have been toying with the idea of approaching the director to see if he thinks his adaptation of Much Ado could be placed in a surreal type setting. That choice would lend itself to stylized bushes and shapes. Hmmmm......
laurie johnson
Member
Interesting concept. Were they going for a more magical "Tempest" quality, do you think?
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
45 years ago - but I'd say yes - Midsummer being what it is.
I just know naturalistic is hardest.
I just know naturalistic is hardest.
laurie johnson
Member
kicknargel
Well-Known Member
laurie johnson
Member
What a great idea, Nick. Hadn't considered that. That would be very useful for the hedge that needs to be near closer to the upstage part of the set!
RickR
Well-Known Member
When my kids were in elementary school I discovered the school had die-cut tools far larger than most craft supplies. I rashly assume there is an elementary in the district that might be coaxed into providing 100+ leaves of construction paper. Then maybe add some more realistic stuff on top, and downstage.
I'm really piling onto Nicks idea. Layer several techniques to get more complexity.
I'm really piling onto Nicks idea. Layer several techniques to get more complexity.
microstar
Well-Known Member
With just moderate viewing distance, chicken wire with "pomps" (tissue paper squares available at on-line school prom/party supply houses) inserted really looks good for hedges and such. Be sure to glue them in! Use a couple of different shades of green. Takes lighting very well. Example: http://www.paradefloatsuppliesnow.c...-green?pla=1&gclid=COiMobDm_c0CFQyEaQodS5sFAA
