Quick change transformation lighting
- Thread starterJon Majors
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macsound
Well-Known Member
I've done this for Beast. He was in a corner of the castle set and built into the floor was a grated vent that led to a beer keg. The keg had its top cut off and a hot water heater installed and filled halfway with water. Then liquid nitrogen was fed into an elbow so the nitrogen sprayed directly into the hot water. Add low mounted sourcefours with twin spins and boom!
To me what really made the transformation work was the set rotating. So it wasn't just a fog screen, it was him facing downstage, the transformation starting, him turning upstage, set begins rotating, fog starts, when fog clears and the set finishes rotating beast is already facing downstage.
To me what really made the transformation work was the set rotating. So it wasn't just a fog screen, it was him facing downstage, the transformation starting, him turning upstage, set begins rotating, fog starts, when fog clears and the set finishes rotating beast is already facing downstage.
As I remember from seeing Frozen on Broadway a few months ago, for their transformation they mainly used a good bit of fog, a lot of projections around the stage, and maybe a muted strobe or similar. Much of the "wow" there came from the costume design, the revealed frozen gown being quite shimmery and shiny and sequinney so that it sparkled along with the projections and such. The impressive quickness of the costume change also helped a lot.
It seems to me that a good part of the showmanship consists of simply distracting the audience momentarily by somehow diverting their attention elsewhere, as with most any stage magic. The fog, the lights and projections, the acting of the characters--they all contribute to that basic end.
It seems to me that a good part of the showmanship consists of simply distracting the audience momentarily by somehow diverting their attention elsewhere, as with most any stage magic. The fog, the lights and projections, the acting of the characters--they all contribute to that basic end.
Dionysus
Well-Known Member
Ive done both Shrek and Beauty and the Beast. For both I ended up employing some fog and some strong rear and top lighting.
For Shrek I could not employ much fog due to the particle detectors in the venue so I erred largely on "blinders" shot some strong lights right over Fiona's head with a small blast of fog illuminated by the lights which hid her well enough to do the change.
For Shrek I could not employ much fog due to the particle detectors in the venue so I erred largely on "blinders" shot some strong lights right over Fiona's head with a small blast of fog illuminated by the lights which hid her well enough to do the change.
Hi! So, I suppose I have a few more questions for you before I respond more throughogly...and please excuse me if everyone else knows, but I am new...
How large of a production will it be? Will you be utilizing other actors to add movement (such as for pulling long bolts of fabric in various textures and colours from Fiona ala Disney's cartoon Cinderella - or to hold streamers and spin around her to swirl a harsh fog effect)? Will the actors be high school, college, community theatre, etc etc?
I also suppose it depends whether you want the focus to be on the transformation, whether you want the audience to feel as if they are part of the wedding guests or just an audience watching a play...
With all theatre magic, its all misdirection, so you can cause enough commotion with actors in other zones, throw up some fog and lights, and the reveal is a huge collective gasp while staring at the newly costumed Fiona. You can use lots of fog and lights, the turntable mentioned is also a great chance for zipping and also can allow for hiding fog effects in very close quarters... if i were building it, I would make it the podium they stand on to do their vows. And personally, id make it two circles, with tall enough scenic display to allow hidden handholds for the priest/shrek/whoever to turn the outside ring one way while it turns the inner circle the opposite way, so its only looking as if theyre circling her clockwise and she is spinning counterclockwise...or do it mechanically, if you have the money to. Id place whatever fog effect you choose to come between the two rotating circles in an even distribution or at very least the area the audience sees, as well as under the podium. I prefer a full circle just because the swirl effect with the actors walking looks more authentic. If you have access to moving lights, dimming the rest of the stage and spinning lights around gives added umph, as do strobes in the fog. If you dont have moving lights, bumping lekos can add suspense to the reveal.
If you want the audience to feel as if they are attending the wedding, there's nothing like blinding the audience momentarily to finish off the effect. Moles or pars lined up on a bar you can lower in while the change is being made, as well as throwing some up on any in-house torm or box booms you have can give a thorough blast that allows you a second or so extra time for harder to cover areas (like the face).
I always love when some sort of silver or shimmery fabric or streamers are used in the fog as well. For example, if there is an arbor on the podium, having shimmery fabric streamers attached to it that simply hang down when not moving/fanned but catch the eye and distract from the quick costume change when spinning around her. It also allows for more light catching and bouncing and gives you some neat smoke tendrils.
Other than that, distraction, distraction, distraction.
The other question is whether you are going to do it more than once? Sure, she turns into an ogre spectacularly at the end, but she also does so throughout, mostly while hiding though.
I dont recall if the sun sets during the wedding or if the kiss or what it was that did it...
You could go with a blackout (even better if you can have wedding guests in a side box or etc and shine light on them grumbling about it and witnessing) and have fiona have simple LED finger lights start to shine out from her hands and legs and etc to start lighting up around her but not necessarily her so much yet, then have people in livery (waiters, ushers, whatever "staff") with "candles" bring them in and slowly lights come on again. Make up a reason the lights went out, blind everyone with a flash when the curse is broken then one/two at a time turn her finger lights on while the actors in the audience try to figure out whats going on and talk smack about how bad/boring/whatever the wedding is that even the lights couldnt stand it and left. (Think: the old guys from the muppet show....only haughty, stuck up, and medieval princes/princesses).
Hope something helped. Without knowing more about what you have to work with, really broad ideas are all I could offer.
How large of a production will it be? Will you be utilizing other actors to add movement (such as for pulling long bolts of fabric in various textures and colours from Fiona ala Disney's cartoon Cinderella - or to hold streamers and spin around her to swirl a harsh fog effect)? Will the actors be high school, college, community theatre, etc etc?
I also suppose it depends whether you want the focus to be on the transformation, whether you want the audience to feel as if they are part of the wedding guests or just an audience watching a play...
With all theatre magic, its all misdirection, so you can cause enough commotion with actors in other zones, throw up some fog and lights, and the reveal is a huge collective gasp while staring at the newly costumed Fiona. You can use lots of fog and lights, the turntable mentioned is also a great chance for zipping and also can allow for hiding fog effects in very close quarters... if i were building it, I would make it the podium they stand on to do their vows. And personally, id make it two circles, with tall enough scenic display to allow hidden handholds for the priest/shrek/whoever to turn the outside ring one way while it turns the inner circle the opposite way, so its only looking as if theyre circling her clockwise and she is spinning counterclockwise...or do it mechanically, if you have the money to. Id place whatever fog effect you choose to come between the two rotating circles in an even distribution or at very least the area the audience sees, as well as under the podium. I prefer a full circle just because the swirl effect with the actors walking looks more authentic. If you have access to moving lights, dimming the rest of the stage and spinning lights around gives added umph, as do strobes in the fog. If you dont have moving lights, bumping lekos can add suspense to the reveal.
If you want the audience to feel as if they are attending the wedding, there's nothing like blinding the audience momentarily to finish off the effect. Moles or pars lined up on a bar you can lower in while the change is being made, as well as throwing some up on any in-house torm or box booms you have can give a thorough blast that allows you a second or so extra time for harder to cover areas (like the face).
I always love when some sort of silver or shimmery fabric or streamers are used in the fog as well. For example, if there is an arbor on the podium, having shimmery fabric streamers attached to it that simply hang down when not moving/fanned but catch the eye and distract from the quick costume change when spinning around her. It also allows for more light catching and bouncing and gives you some neat smoke tendrils.
Other than that, distraction, distraction, distraction.
The other question is whether you are going to do it more than once? Sure, she turns into an ogre spectacularly at the end, but she also does so throughout, mostly while hiding though.
I dont recall if the sun sets during the wedding or if the kiss or what it was that did it...
You could go with a blackout (even better if you can have wedding guests in a side box or etc and shine light on them grumbling about it and witnessing) and have fiona have simple LED finger lights start to shine out from her hands and legs and etc to start lighting up around her but not necessarily her so much yet, then have people in livery (waiters, ushers, whatever "staff") with "candles" bring them in and slowly lights come on again. Make up a reason the lights went out, blind everyone with a flash when the curse is broken then one/two at a time turn her finger lights on while the actors in the audience try to figure out whats going on and talk smack about how bad/boring/whatever the wedding is that even the lights couldnt stand it and left. (Think: the old guys from the muppet show....only haughty, stuck up, and medieval princes/princesses).
Hope something helped. Without knowing more about what you have to work with, really broad ideas are all I could offer.
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