Anything Else You Can Think Of
This is the exciting bit. A lot of effects are design we design in house after consulting designers and directors. It is a collaboration between Matthew and Mark with some input from very talented external consultants and hire companies.
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Here are some of the ideas we have just in the last 12 months but we are always doing something new or different for our next commission.
Mirror Balls - For the classical ball room effect (But for other things as well) a sphere covered in small mirror faced tiles. They usually have a small electric motor which turns the ball at various speeds.
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Once you shine a light onto the ball it reflects back every tile to shine 100 of dots all around the room. If you use different colour in the lanterns shining at the ball you will get different colours reflected back
Blinders and Illuminated signs - If you wan to stop the audience from seeing something you can either black it out i.e. turn the lights off or a more effect way is to shine lights onto the audience which causes a white out.
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Along with limited light from behind all you can see is a silhouette of the actors on stage
Star Cloth - Normally made from black material covering the rear of the stage. Covered with small lights which mimic stars in the night. These stars can either twinkle or stationary to make some interesting effects.
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Our stair cloth is made from approx. 1,000 fibre optic strands which terminate all our the cloth to imitate stars.
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Newer star clothes are made with led bulbs instead of fibre optics which are more reliable and reduces the amount of maintenance required
Ultra Violet Lighting - Special lighting which produces light from the blue end of the spectrum. The light is such a long wave length it can not be seen.
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The light reacts with certain materials and special paints to make them flures and glow in an otherwise dark stage. This effect can be seen in disco but is used for haunted castle and under water scenes in the theatre