Stardrop with Names written in the stars

[hamlett22]

HI

I am doing Martin's 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile'. The final climax requires three names to appear in the stars; Elvis, Einstein and Picasso. I have an LED star drop. Now I need to figure out how to incorporate the names written into the stars, one at a time.

Has anyone done this? One idea I had was to create metal frames using maybe 1/4" or 1/2" steel tubing in the basic shape of the letters that spell a name. For example, a frame of steel with the basic outline and shape of each letter. Then install a string of white Christmas tree lights, with black wiring, onto the steel frame. Fly it in when needed, in front of my LED stardrop.

This seems like a lot of work to me. Anyone have a simpler and even more effective method?

Thanks
Chad

 

[techieman33]

HI

I am doing Martin's 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile'. The final climax requires three names to appear in the stars; Elvis, Einstein and Picasso. I have an LED star drop. Now I need to figure out how to incorporate the names written into the stars, one at a time.

Has anyone done this? One idea I had was to create metal frames using maybe 1/4" or 1/2" steel tubing in the basic shape of the letters that spell a name. For example, a frame of steel with the basic outline and shape of each letter. Then install a string of white Christmas tree lights, with black wiring, onto the steel frame. Fly it in when needed, in front of my LED stardrop.

This seems like a lot of work to me. Anyone have a simpler and even more effective method?

Thanks
Chad

I would have some gobos made.

 

[FatherMurphy]

Gobos would be difficult to make bright enough, shining on a black star drop. The frame and xmas lights is probably the way to go, unless you're willing to permanently perforate your drop by making enough holes to write the names by poking the xmas lights through from the back.

Some sort of blacklight effect might be possible, if there's a way to pin UV-glowing dots onto the drop, and then controlling where the blacklight hits, or maybe the dots are on some sort of netting. Not sure if that'd be more work or less work than the frames.

 

[n1ist]

The Christmas lighting guys tend to use 1/4" steel rod for their wireframes, with either regular lights or ropelight ziptied to the frame, but their frames tend to be free-standing.
/mike

 

[StradivariusBone]

Gobos would be difficult to make bright enough, shining on a black star drop. The frame and xmas lights is probably the way to go, unless you're willing to permanently perforate your drop by making enough holes to write the names by poking the xmas lights through from the back.

Some sort of blacklight effect might be possible, if there's a way to pin UV-glowing dots onto the drop, and then controlling where the blacklight hits, or maybe the dots are on some sort of netting. Not sure if that'd be more work or less work than the frames.

I wonder what a scrim flown in front of the drop would look like? That would give something for the gobos to project upon, but I guess it would depend on how bright the LED's are on the drop.

 

[theatricalmatt]

I wonder what a scrim flown in front of the drop would look like? That would give something for the gobos to project upon, but I guess it would depend on how bright the LED's are on the drop.

Why not fly in a drop made of netting with LEDs embedded in it? This gives you opportunity to write the names however you please; the small size of the individual LEDs would make them more or less invisible in front of the star drop, and the right LED driver would offer control over individual LEDs, or at least small groups. This also means you wouldn't be making any changes to the (presumably expensive - they always are) star drop.