How does one Create Wizard of Oz Smoking Broom Effect on Shoestring budget

[beastprin1]

Hello, I've been a props master before, but never have been faced with such a daunting task. The director, who saw a company's production of "The Wizard of Oz", wanted to produce the same or similar effect that was created. The witch's broom smoked (first at the Scarecrow in the apple orchard scene and then again later, in the Witch's Castle, right before she melts), courtesy of a small fog machine that was installed into the broom (Their fog machine cost $200 a week to rent). I only have $150 budget on Props. The theatre has its own smoke machine, but it doesn't produce much smoke, and neither the technical director or the director like that concept. Due to fire marshall laws, I am not allowed to use any flames or pyrotechnics. Dry Ice doesn't produce enough smoke. Renting/borrowing a fog machine is out (I did check prices elsewhere for cheaper, but it is still way out of budget.) By the way, this smoke effect needs to work EVERY time and within a very tight budget at least 30 times: this includes the dry tech, 7 dress rehearsals, 8 performances, and testing it. Please say someone has some really good cheap ideas, because my brain is fried, oh, and how it would work and all the logistics. Please help me out.

 

[DuckJordan]

without being able to use pyro, smoke pots are pyro. and with that little budget it ain't gonna happen. I'd ask the director to find more money for the effect or let him know its impossible with the resources you currently possess.

 

[Amiers]

no pyro = no beuno. The cheapest route I saw was to use Pull Pin Smoke Grenades but I don't know where novelty items fall under pyro.(Plus they last for like ~1min.) I would clean the fog machine you have and see if you can't get it up and running.

 

[FatherMurphy]

f you've got to do it 30 times, and you only have $150, it can only be a $5 effect. If all your other props have to come out of the same $150, it's even less.

About the only thing I can think of that might come close would be the squeeze-bulb chalk dust sprayer that sewers use to mark skirt hems. The refills for the puff or two of chalk would be your ongoing expense, but seeing it clearly under stage light might a challenge. Something that triggers a can of hairspray or something similar might work, but again, you'd be trying to see a very minor effect under full stage light. Any of these approaches should be kept from being directed at other actor's eyes, it wouldn't take much of a dose of particulates to require an eye flush.

 

[jwolfkill]

Here's an off-the-wall idea that I have not tried, so I have no idea if it would work. Last week, I saw a show by a bubble artist (yes, soap bubbles, but not like you remember from childhood) who used large glass tubes to create the bubbles. She had a small smoke machine sitting next to her prop cart that she could activate with a foot pedal. She'd hold a tube over the nozzle of the smoke machine and step on the pedal to fill it with smoke, then blow smoke-filled bubbles with it (and yes, it looked like she was taking a hit from a giant bong).

Could you build a tube into the broom handle and rig some kind of release system so you could fill the tube with smoke before the actor goes on stage and the actor could trigger the release at the appropriate moment? The release could even be something as simple as a rubber squeeze bulb that would provide enough pressure to push a stopper out of the end of the tube (the stopper would have to be attached so it doesn't go rolling across the stage) and shoot the smoke out of the end.

Come to think of it, you could maybe even fill a small balloon with smoke, hide it in the broom straws, attach a tube that runs the length of the broom handle, and use some kind of spring clamp to hold the neck of the balloon shut. The actor could squeeze the spring clamp open to release the smoke.

The big question is whether the smoke from an ordinary smoke machine would still look right after being confined in a container for a few minutes. Like I said, I've never tried it, so I don't know. Good luck with your effect!

 

[DuckJordan]

Unfortunately as soon as the smoke starts to cool it starts to condense (I'd bet after 1 minute the smoke in a balloon would have condensed onto the sides).

 

[Amiers]

I don't know how I didn't think of this but its a one shot and stems off the idea of jwolf. The biggest turkey baster you can find a plug for the end and baby powder baking soda or something chalky and white it will make a poof but just one and for half a second if not one depending on how big the baster is and the force of the hand squeezing it out. Really outside the box.

 

[beastprin1]

Our technical director suggested the turkey baster idea....Do you think I could use colored chalk or would it not come out looking colored? I'm thinking I may have to use an idea like this....I thought about getting an air canister and installing it into some pvc piping and leaving the trigger on the outside for the witch to operate...and jerry-rigging some sort of "container" of baby powder with holes cut in the lid (like a rotating spice jar i.e. big holes little holes...) The witch holds her broom erect to prevent the powder from showing. Then for the effect, she lowers it, faces it in a similar direction of the scarecrow, and sprays the air canister. I need to test this theory, but it may be the only type of pressure CHEAP enough to make enough of the powder blow out....What do you guys think?

 

[jwolfkill]

Unfortunately as soon as the smoke starts to cool it starts to condense (I'd bet after 1 minute the smoke in a balloon would have condensed onto the sides).

Like I said, I've never tried it, but I'd be interested to see how long the smoke would last in a contained space. I suspect that some oil-based fogs would last at least a few minutes.

Our technical director suggested the turkey baster idea....Do you think I could use colored chalk or would it not come out looking colored? I'm thinking I may have to use an idea like this....I thought about getting an air canister and installing it into some pvc piping and leaving the trigger on the outside for the witch to operate...and jerry-rigging some sort of "container" of baby powder with holes cut in the lid (like a rotating spice jar i.e. big holes little holes...) The witch holds her broom erect to prevent the powder from showing. Then for the effect, she lowers it, faces it in a similar direction of the scarecrow, and sprays the air canister. I need to test this theory, but it may be the only type of pressure CHEAP enough to make enough of the powder blow out....What do you guys think?

Be careful with any kind of powder (chalk, talcum powder, etc.). A dusty cloud of just about any powdered substance will be a respiratory irritant and can cause serious health issues, especially with repeated exposure, not to mention that many seemingly harmless materials become readily combustible when powdered and dispersed in air - contact with a source of ignition can cause a flash fire. At the very least, you run the risk that an actor will have an uncontrollable coughing or sneezing fit on stage.

 

[sk8rsdad]

One option might be smoke in a can and some sort of nozzle. It's fairly inexpensive and might not be effective, but it is probably better than using a dust.

 

[JohnD]

How about a puffer stick as described in this thread?
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/special-effects/29863-smoking-toaster.html

 

[beastprin1]

do you know what businesses sell them or where it could be sold?

 

[beastprin1]

The technical director and I have looked into this option. It does not produce enough smoke visible from 30 feet away. I do greatly appreciate everyone's feedback on this endeavor. I guess its a learning experience for all of us. However, the perk is, if a solution cannot be found, the effect will be cut (per the Director's Permission), but I'm willing to take any suggestions. This needs to be VERY VERY Cheap and long-lasting (after all, it will be used over 30 times during the course of rehearsals, tests, and 8 performances)....learned that even if powders are used, makeup powder (which magicians use) seems to be the lowest on the flammable level, compared to other powders (talcum, flour, etc.)

 

[ruinexplorer]

I wish that I had pictures (not my production, just worked on it). The smoke in a can was very effective when we couldn't use pyro. The gag was when the actor opened up the charcoal grill, poof, it was all up in a puff of smoke. So, we rigged a can inside, had the actor depress a button connected to the can for about a second prior to lifting the lid and the effect was perfect for a 400 seat theater. The brand was *POOF, smoke in a can.

 

[beastprin1]

Thank you.

 

[balderson04]

For Wizard, we simply made sure that the setpieces for the Tin Woodman's house and the platform that the witch was on for the "melt" scene was designed so that we could have the nozzle of our fog machine very close to where the end of the broom would be. A quick shot of fog for "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?" and a tight red follow spot circle that landed on the Scarecrow worked, and a longer shot for the smoking broom in Act Two.

Very much on a budget.

 

[beastprin1]

simple and effective and cheap!