Hello, I am a part of high school theater company and we are putting on a production of Still Life with Iris by Steven Dietz. In this play, there are numerous moments where the main character recalls a still life image and a smaller version needs to be seen by the audience. We have created a shadow-box/moon to achieve this.

It is made out of luan and 1x1 and attached in an image below. The finished product will have a moon, with a scrim covering the still life image. However, we are having trouble trying to come up with a way to light the inside. We have tried using Supernight 5050 RGB LED strips, but they are not bright enough for the image to read on stage. We then tried to use reflective foil to spread the light more, but that was also fruitless. We also tried a small LED pinspot, however, since it was so close to the image the light does not cover the whole thing.

Is there any way to illuminate this image from the inside? Preferably, it can be DMX controlled, however, we are willing to try anything. Images are attached below for reference.

Thanks!
 

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Hello, I am a part of high school theater company and we are putting on a production of Still Life with Iris by Steven Dietz. In this play, there are numerous moments where the main character recalls a still life image and a smaller version needs to be seen by the audience. We have created a shadow-box/moon to achieve this.

It is made out of luan and 1x1 and attached in an image below. The finished product will have a moon, with a scrim covering the still life image. However, we are having trouble trying to come up with a way to light the inside. We have tried using Supernight 5050 RGB LED strips, but they are not bright enough for the image to read on stage. We then tried to use reflective foil to spread the light more, but that was also fruitless. We also tried a small LED pinspot, however, since it was so close to the image the light does not cover the whole thing.

Is there any way to illuminate this image from the inside? Preferably, it can be DMX controlled, however, we are willing to try anything. Images are attached below for reference.

Thanks!
@Alyssa Anastasi If your moon box was square and about 6" deep with a round moon-hole cut in a front cover (Assuming you want a full moon rather than a crescent) you would have room to house 4 R40 120 volt 150 Watt or 300 Watt flood (Floods NOT spots) lights, one in each corner of the back-box facing sideways towards each other in the center of the box. Paint all of the inside of the box with matte, non-glossy white paint and this should adequately back-light your scrim. Paint all exterior surfaces, especially the front and sides of your square back-box, matte, non-reflective, black so it doesn't call attention to itself in front of your black rear wall or curtain. Four x 150 Watts or four x 300 Watts should be controllable by one dimmer of your venue's dimmer system. You may want to use porcelain lamp sockets bolted on to 4" octagonal electrical boxes to withstand the heat. Be aware that you're building a potential 'fire hazard', sort of an "E-Z Bake Oven" on steroids. Don't burn the building down. Another thought is to use two different colored lamps, say light amber in two diagonally opposite corners and pale blue in the remaining two diagonally opposite corners and power them from two dimmers to allow you to change the color of your moon over the course of your performance.
Toodleoo
Ron Hebbard.
 
it would work better if you were to use sharkstooth scrim material. As long as light does not hit it straight on it will hide what is inside then light it from the back using led lights of some sort and all will be reveled. At a pinch you can use a couple of layers of tulle like what they use on Tutus and that will work not too bad.
I have done both.
Regards
Geoff
 

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