Academia Nuts images
(A pause of three months occasioned by heavy R.J. pressure and lots of days spent building the set for The Devil's Disciple)
We pulled the fireplace built for The Ladies of the Camellias and redressed it for this show. Tom, a cast member and techie with lots of credits in Wisconsin or one of those blob-shaped Northern states, got the assignment to create a fire effect. Never apologize, never explain: The fire was burning at the very top of the show, when the owner of the house had been away teaching classes for several hours. Never mind.
In addition to installing an excellent colored flicker effect, Tom decided a translucent screen would be just the thing. He built this from plastic roofing and copper tube. He cut a slot in the copper, using a Dremel tool with grinding wheel. Interesting technique: Go out to the wooden deck and lay the tube in a gap between the boards. Bring the Dremel grinder down right on top. It isn't necessary to move the tool in a precise way as you'd expect: The grinding wheel both cuts the copper and propels it past you, and you're done. The plastic fits in the slot. Very clean job.
The flicker was one of the really neat effects that I plan to steal one day. Tom hung an ellipsoidal lighting instrument on a low bar behind the wall and adjusted the shutters to minimize backstage spill. To a slightly higher bar he attached a few dozen strips of gel stock in various colors. Note for future reference: A flame looks better for a few flashes of green. Then he placed a small computer fan so that when the light came up the air stream agitated the gel material. Just a little does it. A fine-looking fire, as long as the audience can't see what is causing it.
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