Lumiere's Hand Torches?

[sdrival]

Does anyone know how they constructed Lumiere's hand held candle/torches in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast?

It's not any kind of special effects emergency because our production is still in the planning stages, but the director has asked that the hands be real flames and not cloth torches or flame lights. I'm having trouble finding any hand held torches that produce the correct kind of candle like flame that's adjustable to the desired height.

I'm pretty sure the torches used on Broadway are patented and not something that would be simple to construct, but any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[BrianWolfe]

I know how they were built. We made the sculpture that went around them. You should tell your director to go another way. Silk flame with fan and light is a much safer way to go. Forget about the open flame it is way to dangerous without professional pyro techs in charge.

 

[thebeardedweiss]

I don't know how the Broadway version was done, but we used battery-powered LED flicker flames with a switch inside for the actor to turn them on and off.

 

[derekleffew]

...but the director has asked that the hands be real flames and not cloth torches or flame lights. ...

I'd firmly but gently refer your director to NFPA 160: Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience , while under my breath repeating "idiot."

 

[banjokeith]

When we did the show the costume we used had fans, lights and silk in each end of the hand unit, and from 15 feet away it looked great. If your director really wants fire, I second the "idiot" call. Your Lumiere is going to be encased in what will probably end up being a relatively flammable costume, and will be flitting about the stage with a dozen other people wearing the same. I am the last person to be scared to try cool effects, but absolutely no good can come of this. I have never seen the Broadway production, if they do use actual fire it was probably something they spent tens of thousands of dollars designing, building, testing, and then starting the process over again and again to get right.

 

[BrianWolfe]

I was at a meeting when the flame mechanism was being developed some 9 months before the show was to open. They had developed a propane device that was gimbaled for safety so that it would stay straight up and down and if turned too far would shut off the gas supply. It was very sophisticated, expensive and dangerous equipment which they spent many months developing. Don't even think of trying to use a real flame. IDIOT, idiot, idiot...

 

[derekleffew]

How serendipitous that I received notification of this recently awarded patent, Mike Wood's Industry Patent Watch, #7837355 in today's email. I don't know whether this particular patent refers to Mr. Lumiere's extremities or not, but those mouse folk are always imagineering some innovention or 'nother.

 

[sdrival]

Thanks for the comments. I'll probably show him this thread.

 

[banjokeith]

Thanks for the comments. I'll probably show him this thread.

That would probably be a good approach - maybe just edit out some of the "idiot"s ;-)

 

[chausman]

One thing that we did when we did the show several years ago was get some very long handheld lighters that look like candles. Then we made a small candle shaped thing that was around his hands. When he was standing still he could have them lit but when he was moving around, he just let go of the trigger. It worked very well for us.

 

[Wood4321]

One thing that we did when we did the show several years ago was get some very long handheld lighters that look like candles. Then we made a small candle shaped thing that was around his hands. When he was standing still he could have them lit but when he was moving around, he just let go of the trigger. It worked very well for us.

This is still a extraordinarily bad idea,
Open flame on stage is never a good idea.
There are plenty of ways to get the same effect with no danger.

Joshua Wood

 

[CBR372]

... and open flame on stage in washington state is completely illegal without major consent from a local fire marshall...

 

[musictom]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but my wife's HS is doing this show, and she is looking for non flame ideas for Lumiere. Any suggestions, websites, instructables, etc., would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MichaelPHS]

Flame-wise, I'd go for chausman's idea, tweaked a little to have a faux-glass candle cover (looks like a bulb with an open top, and bottom obviosly to slot onto the candle holder) so as to avoid accidental burning. Smart me however says no no no no no to flame, so I'd make fake candles (to scale with the costume obviously) with a silk flame effect. Also depending how you are staging it (and how true to the dreaded "D" word you stay) you could add a few longer pieces that the actor holds until his rage fit and goes all flamethrower stylie. Would need some experimentingto see what lengths work best for each, or indeed what the longest silk flame you can get to work is obviously however

 

[BrianWolfe]

Buy cheap fake flame units like these and make a candle like housing for them:
http://www.starmagic.com/1B3A009.html
Take a scissors to the fabric to make it more interesting. Remember you need air flow to the unit fom below.

 

[musictom]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone! I will pass them on.