StephanieW
Member
We've been making our little twisties and we'll start putting them up this week.
Photos to come...
DIY Star Drop - Photos?
- Thread starterStephanieW
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We've been making our little twisties and we'll start putting them up this week.
Photos to come...@StephanieW Don't make all your stars the same size and don't make them TOO large. When it comes to cross-lighting them, there's no such thing as too much cross-light as long as it's all firing off-stage into the opposite wing and NOT showing on either the black velour U/S or the black scrim D/S our your stars.We've been making our little twisties and we'll start putting them up this week.
Be sure to block entry from the sides, even during off hours. A custodian passing through toting a folded 12' ladder on his shoulder can demolish your work and scarcely notice, as can the lads from the football team when someone asks them to collect a hundred stacking chairs from backstage and tote them to the cafeteria.
When you've got your first one or two vertical strands of stars hung and weighted, try cross-lighting and viewing them in the dark.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
Gavin Fearon
Member
Hi guys: I’m pleased to have come across this thread just as I, too, am researching low cost star drops. I’m finding the fishing line to be *very* visible in a couple of tests, even behind scrim. @RonHebbard do you remember having success with a particular brand? I’ve tried two braided options and am about to go looking for black minofilament.
@Gavin Fearon No Sir, sorry I don't. I think I purchased it at Canadian Tire and went with the mattest black I could find. Keeping it clean and dust free was important.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
StephanieW
Member
StephanieW
Member
I bought fishing line from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791CF98X/?tag=controlbooth-20
This one is pretty matte. Seems to be okay!
@StephanieW Thoughts: Add a few, cover a few with something matte black and / or remove a few depending upon how you attached them and how easy they are to remove. Intentionally make your stars different sizes; smaller stars create the illusion of greater depth, even when they're all hanging on the same threads from the same fly-pipe. Did you use a fan or two running quietly on low speed?
I gather you're liking the Rosco mirrored mylar, it's spendy but a little goes a long way. You can always store your stars in a shoe box and haul them out again another year. I tried wrapping the strings of stars onto 6" x 12" pieces of old corrugated cardboard to save them complete and intact but it was less then successful. I found it better to save the stars themselves and create new strings when next required.
Congrats, I'm glad this is working out for you and THANKS for your photo.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
StephanieW
Member
I'll update with a "finished" photo when we've got it all done. Thanks so much for all your advice and help! I kept telling the kids "This guy Ron from the Internet says this will work." And then when it DID, they were like, "RON!" Haha! Appreciate you taking the time to teach!
@StephanieW Another couple of thoughts: To breakup the regularity of the pattern, either shorten the tops of a few strands at random and / or lengthen the tops of a few strands or both. Adding a few tiny stars on the same strings between your existing stars will do a lot for you and create the illusion of much greater depth. Twisting the mirrored mylar into little bow-ties is important.
Congrats on your good work, keep the caretakers and football team out of your upstage area until you're finished with your stars; don't ask me how I learned about gym teachers and football teams: Suffice it to say it wasn't pretty when we rolled in at half hour for our next performance; 'nough said.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
@StephanieW Glad it worked to your satisfaction. I read your reply when you posted but I'd become a 'non-member' with CB's recent upgrade and could neither like nor reply until a couple of hours ago.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
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