Millie Subtitles, Need Advice ASAP

[MarshallHaskell]

Howdy howdy everyone. First I want to start by saying this site is awesome and I wish I had found it years ago, I've already had some problems resolved just by browsing. So thank you to the admins for starting this up.

Now...onto the dilemma at hand. I'm currently working on a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in a modest space with a more modest budget. The biggest problem I am having is the chinese subtitles that come on during the Ching Ho and Bun Foo scenes.

We do have a projector and screen but the problem is that it is a rolling screen so it takes roughly ten seconds to go up and down, with additional warm up time for the projector (I know...it's just special!). In addition to this, the projector cuts the stage in half. All in all, it is not very feasible for what Millie needs.

I am trying to convince our very young director why this is a hindrance. In short I need some ideas on how to project the subtitles on stage. If it is any help, the booth is just a short 40 feet away. I was thinking perhaps a home digital projector hidden back stage, and then placed just off either of our SR/SL platforms to project onto those walls.

I know this is rather unclear but I am rushing to type this as of course I have a rehearsal very shortly. So if you come across this and care to pry into my situation, please do because I am at a loss. Thank you sooo much!

Marshall

 

[shiben]

Howdy howdy everyone. First I want to start by saying this site is awesome and I wish I had found it years ago, I've already had some problems resolved just by browsing. So thank you to the admins for starting this up.

Now...onto the dilemma at hand. I'm currently working on a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in a modest space with a more modest budget. The biggest problem I am having is the chinese subtitles that come on during the Ching Ho and Bun Foo scenes.

We do have a projector and screen but the problem is that it is a rolling screen so it takes roughly ten seconds to go up and down, with additional warm up time for the projector (I know...it's just special!). In addition to this, the projector cuts the stage in half. All in all, it is not very feasible for what Millie needs.

I am trying to convince our very young director why this is a hindrance. In short I need some ideas on how to project the subtitles on stage. If it is any help, the booth is just a short 40 feet away. I was thinking perhaps a home digital projector hidden back stage, and then placed just off either of our SR/SL platforms to project onto those walls.

I know this is rather unclear but I am rushing to type this as of course I have a rehearsal very shortly. So if you come across this and care to pry into my situation, please do because I am at a loss. Thank you sooo much!

Marshall

You can project on things that are not screens. Use whatever projector you want, choose a surface for it, and aim the projector at that and be done with it? Use onboard shutters or blacktac to shutter down your image to just what it needs to hit.

 

[cpf]

You don't need an official screen, and screen or not the biggest issue will be having the projector punch through the stage lighting at 40'

My recommendation would e to relocate the projector much closer to the stage, and have it projecting on a conveniently blank part of the set. You probably don't want a 16:9 aspect ratio, but you can mask that down easily (or just use white on black text).

 

[chausman]

Or another idea would be to project onto just the bottom portion of the actual screen and not fly it all the way in. Then mask the bottom half of the projector hitting the rest of the stage.

 

[Footer]

I have not done the full show, but in the Jr. version I was forced to do last year, they sent people out with cue cards...

 

[josh88]

the girlfriend is directing this right now, I don't think she's using a projector, otherwise I'd have heard about it because she'd be asking me questions. I'll ask her what she's doing when she gets home.

 

[ruinexplorer]

How big is your house (to know how big you need to make your subtitles). And since I don't know the show, how frequent are the subtitles and how long is each segment?

If you have flexibility to move where you are projecting from, you could consider making a portion of your set out of a rear projection material and have the subtitles appear on the set. This takes a bit more room behind your set, but with the right material will allow less competition with the ambient light. Old RP screens are cheaply available through used AV sites since many are from an aspect ratio no longer used or slightly damaged, which you can work around.

 

[MarshallPope]

When we did Millie, (IIRC) we simply projected onto a fairly plain part of the set. If you have problems with punching through the stage lighting, you may want to try projecting onto a white flat in front of your valance, if you have one. This gets it above the plane of your lights. We usually do this for our operas, and it works quite well. You can paint a frame to coordinate with the set or with your house.

 

[CanYouHearMeNow]

The cue card idea sounds really interesting, but for the OPs theatre size I think that would be hard. If possible I would think about a special "screen" that is painted somewhat like a new York marquee that you project onto. You can even use it pres show and intermission and just have a generic message.

I have never liked turning a projector on mid show with the fear something would go wrong. I would "shutter" the image down to fit on whatever screen you use and leave it on the entire show. If you have the lesser stage hand to spare, you can give them the fun job of flagging and unflagging the projector when it's unneeded.

Post a picture of your final outcome!!

 

[museav]

The cue card idea sounds really interesting, but for the OPs theatre size I think that would be hard.

Assuming the booth is at the back of the room, 40' is not that great a distance.

I have never liked turning a projector on mid show with the fear something would go wrong. I would "shutter" the image down to fit on whatever screen you use and leave it on the entire show.

How do you 'shutter' the projector and particularly, how do you make the image fit the screen? Do a search here and you can find numerous discussion about projector 'shutters' to allow them to continue to run and be blacked out and the right and wrong ways to do that, but that is different than trying to block off portions of the projected image. If you did that you might have to consider that you would be using only a portion of the total projector resolution and brightness and also take into consideration that only a portion of the overall image is displayed when creating the media.

 

[esmphoto]

how do you make the image fit the screen?

Use tape or tape and cinefoil to flag off the lense like you would use the shutters on an ellipsoidal.

If you're not using a super powerful projector you can just use masking tape, I would not recommend using gaff tape for this particular application.

Whatever you do make sure nothing (and especially nothing with adhesive on it) is within a half inch or so of the surface of the lens.

you might have to consider that you would be using only a portion of the total projector resolution and brightness and also take into consideration that only a portion of the overall image is displayed when creating the media.

Shuttering a projector shouldn't often be use as a substitute for a properly placed projector. It's most useful to shutter a projector to hide te square edges of a projection and make the projection blend better. Using as a form of "zooming" the projector in should be avoided as much as possible

It is correct however that you want to keep in mind how the projector will be used when you create your media, I would refine the silubtitlea to maybe one paragraph in the center of the slide, place the projector on stage or in the wings projecting onto a flat or blank space of a backstage wall/curtain an flag the lens to hide the square aspect ratio of the projector.

Make sure every seat in the house can fully see the projected subtitles! Otherwise you'll have some confused and lost audience