Fake beeper

Beatr79

Member
I'm doing a show without a sound designer (or a props shopper either). At one point in the show, a dinner is interrupted by a beeper going off. Reception in the building is realy spotty, so we can't even fake it by calling a cell phone with the pager ring tone. Any suggestions how to make this happen? Does a fake pager exist? Any ideas? Thanks.
 
It should be fairly easy to make your own recording or find a sound effect on the web that will do. Then just set up a speaker in about the right location backstage and playback the sound effect. As long as the audience doesn't hear it coming over the house speakers they'll think it's real.
 
many dollar stores sell fake beepers in the toy sections
 
Gotta go with Gafftaper on this one. Although TTK < TupeloTechieKid> , Has a point, Many dollar stores sell kids fake pagers that sound just like the real things, using one of those is going to require having an actor work the prop as a practical. Sooner or later the actor is going to miss the cue. There are a ton of free webresources for Wav files etc, try wavcentral.com I bet you can find a beeper noise really easily.
 
Gotta go with Gafftaper on this one. Although TTK < TupeloTechieKid> , Has a point, Many dollar stores sell kids fake pagers that sound just like the real things, using one of those is going to require having an actor work the prop as a practical. Sooner or later the actor is going to miss the cue. There are a ton of free webresources for Wav files etc, try wavcentral.com I bet you can find a beeper noise really easily.

Always avoid having actors run a practical unless it's fool proof and a toy pager is far from fool proof, just too many things that can go wrong.
 
I have a few intresting stories about actor run props. One includes a live flame torch that an actor had to light and extiguish on stage. Its best to not leave things to chance. Calling a phone and guessing you might have reception is not good enough. You have to know it will work.

Your only option is a sound effect. In the end i have a feeling it will cost you less money and time to just burn a CD then it will to troubleshoot this moment.

JH
 

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