The Giver - Snow

[carsonld]

I got a lot of help on my last post about this show, We are doing The Giver as our State One Act Competition. The show is in complete black and white and is not something we can change. We are relying on lighting for a lot of special effects, but we are not allowed to mess with the lighting instruments.

We have two problems:

1. One of them being when he walks into a library it is supposed to be black and white then turn to color. As I said before we are not allowed to mess with the lighting instruments at all. We don't even know if they have lights with gels (hopefully they do).
2. Our second problem is when he is in the library he is transported to a snowy hill and it is snowing and he is sledding. He goes into the snow multiple times. At the end of the play he is walking in the snow (more like a blizzard) and see some light and knows there is a town. So what I was thinking was when he is in the library simply turn on a snow machine and wash the stage in blue (hoping they have work lights). The problem with the snow is we have 45 minutes to move our set on and offstage and to the show. At the 45 minute mark if everything is not off the stage we are penalized for every minute until everything is cleared. If we use a snow machine snow is going to be left all over the stage. So we need something like foam or something that when stepped on it disappears. I feel like snow machines already do this. If they do we have a third problem... The noise of the snow machine, How can this be muffled?

We have about a thousand dollar budget for this show, Considering the set is supposed to be very minimal so not much money will be going into building anything, since we have most of it already built.

 

[FatherMurphy]

Your options do seem pretty limited, but that's part of the fun and challenge of the state competitions.

The color changing in the library might be doable using two-sided props, one side B/W and the other color, including false covers on books that can be flipped around to reveal the colored side. I don't know how much time you have to work with, or how many people are on stage to do the flipping (or even how fast the change needs to spread).

The snow might best be represented with light, either swirly spinning gobos or bouncing a very bright source off a mirror ball set to spin the reflections across the stage in a snow-like direction (these effects could be floor mounted, simply carried out and plopped in place during load-in, not altering the rep hang). However, both of those approaches would work best in a dim stage look, unless you have access to some really bright lights that would pop against the ambient stage light.

The soap-suds style snow machines tend to leave a soapy residue, if you use one you'll probably have to spend part of your load-out time mopping the stage under it. They also tend to be rather loud, like a shop vac. The most effective way to muffle the noise is with an even louder music cue, anything else and you're simply making it less annoying, not making it go away. You also have to get it safely suspended high enough above the stage to allow the 'snow' to spread and fall down.

Simply doing the snow as a sound effects cue, reinforced by the action and dialogue onstage might be the best option, and one the judges might think the most highly of. If the show is one that lends itself to fantasy (I'm not familiar with the script), perhaps some cast members in 'snow' ponchos or carrying snowflakes on sticks weaving around upstage might help set the scene.

 

[shiben]

What constitutes off the set? If its just not on the stage, bring a leaf blower and blow all the snow into the wings and out the doors? With some practice, what at first seems like herding cats can be done by two stagehands as you move right along with everything else. This means you can use a whisper quiet machine, but rigging it to a batten with control would be a pretty significant issue I would think, and they are stupidly expensive for what they are. Building them is not terribly hard tho.

As for the light, if there are booms I suppose you could just make set pieces that are giant sheets of gel on little carts that roll in front of the booms to color the stage. If not, you might be in trouble if you dont know what the rep looks like. Alternatively, find out what venue it is and go look at their rep plot and see whats going on with it, then plan on using a cut down version of that?

 

[carsonld]

Your options do seem pretty limited, but that's part of the fun and challenge of the state competitions.
The color changing in the library might be doable using two-sided props, one side B/W and the other color, including false covers on books that can be flipped around to reveal the colored side. I don't know how much time you have to work with, or how many people are on stage to do the flipping (or even how fast the change needs to spread).

This happens instanly. Basiclly in the blink of an eye.There are only two actors on stage at this moment.

The snow might best be represented with light, either swirly spinning gobos or bouncing a very bright source off a mirror ball set to spin the reflections across the stage in a snow-like direction (these effects could be floor mounted, simply carried out and plopped in place during load-in, not altering the rep hang). However, both of those approaches would work best in a dim stage look, unless you have access to some really bright lights that would pop against the ambient stage light.

We do not have access to any of our lighting equpiment. So useing gobos is out of the question, (already thought about it). A mirror ball would not work because itwould have to be place on the stage.

As for the light, if there are booms I suppose you could just make set pieces that are giant sheets of gel on little carts that roll in front of the booms to color the stage. If not, you might be in trouble if you dont know what the rep looks like. Alternatively, find out what venue it is and go look at their rep plot and see whats going on with it, then plan on using a cut down version of that?

I love the idea of this, We do not have the tech specs. yet. We get those August 13. And really they dont tell us what gels they have in their lights. But we are praying they have atleast a red light for the cyc. And blue lights, Atleast I am hoping...

 

[shiben]

I love the idea of this, We do not have the tech specs. yet. We get those August 13. And really they dont tell us what gels they have in their lights. But we are praying they have atleast a red light for the cyc. And blue lights, Atleast I am hoping...

If you need Red for the cyc, just build some rovers and do a groundrow or something. Or can you not plug them in? I have actually never been to a theater competition, so Im not terribly sure how they work... Do you not get to bring whatever tools you need to do a production when you do them?

 

[MarshallPope]

For the snow effect, have you thought about using a classroom LCD projector?

 

[justjasen72]

Can you Project the set with a projector? Then change the shot to an out door image of snow. Then the actor can just act that he is covered in snow. Sometimes letting the audience imagine the snow is better than having actual snow.