No Fly Floor? No Problem! Rolling Backdrop!

No fly floor? Tired of single backdrop sets, or worse yet a plain blue cyc for everything? Try this simple and inexpensive solution!

When we renovated our store front space into a 140 seat proscenium theatre I realized right away that any hope of a fly floor was a dream. With only twelve feet over head it was necessary to come up with an alternative. I had heard about a tiny theatre built by local university professor Daryl Alexander at Memorial Road Church of Christ. He had used rolling backdrops to make it possible to use conventional dramatic techniques in a Sunday school setting.

So I went to take a look. I found that he had used a roller (the bottom piece that the cloth rolls onto) made of 6" PVC pipe. He then had used 3 single roller pulleys, one on stage left and two stage right to achieve an effect similar to what you see in the diagram above.

Armed with this information and an old backdrop to use as my base off I went to the home center in search of material. I found PVC pipe in ten foot lengths, which meant I would need 2 to reach most of the way across my 24" stage, but how to join them stiffly enough? I eventually discovered that a 2x4 trimmed down slightly on the table saw (you could use a circular saw with a rip fence) would fit snugly inside that pipe. A six foot section of 2x4 firmly tapped into place with a rubber mallet made a nice stiff joint. I then used 3" drywall screws, slightly countersunk into the PVC to attach the 2x4 permanently.

Using this as my bottom roller I drilled 1/2" holes approx. 12" in from each end to hold the end of my rope, pulled it through and knotted it to keep it tight. My ceiling overhead was wooden beams. This provided me with an excellent mounting surface for eye hooks for my pulleys. At the top of the back drop we used two pieces of chainlink toprail pipe ,this has fittings at the end designed to attach them together which we reinforced with gaffer's tape.

My original backdrops were pieces cut from a larger retired backdrop we purchased from a university theatre department at a garage sale they held. Since then we have used light weight muslin for the rest. We have access to a flag company that will sew our backdrops for us which makes it more cost effective than ordering custom made backdrops. However, a standard sewing machine can handle the task of a medium grade muslin.

The top of the backdrop was lined with a three inch strip of webbing. This webbing was grommeted every ten inches to provide a secure method of attaching string ties. The ties in turn are tied in a bow around the top pipe, which is suspended on chains hung from bolts in our ceiling beams.

The end of the drop with the two pulleys (or double pulley as per diagram) is your control end. You will need to place this near a wall or construct something sturdy enough to support tying off these ropes when the drop is up. I used boat tie down cleats, which can be found at any hardware store, anchored to my brick wall using tapcon concrete anchors.

The bottom edge of the backdrop was secured to the pipe with gaffers tape which made it strong enough to hold for an extended period of time but still removable for changing out backdrop designs. Grommets can be done by hand but if you can find a flag or banner company with an automated grommeter, do. Not only will it save time, but I lost a thumbnail to grommeting our first set of backdrops. There are companies online that sell stage fabrics cut to order and webbing and grommets can be had for an extra fee.

Once your backdrops are built and hung it's time to paint. This can be done one of two ways: hanging as it will appear when used, or lying flat on the floor. Whichever method you prefer here is a tip on paint. If you can afford it buy Rosco scenic paint. The flexibility of the binder and the brilliance of the color are superb, however, a great alternative is regular flat latex house paint. It can be had in any color and usually for about a third of the cost.

For my money Walmart is the best. They have an excellent return policy, most are open 24 hours and the consistency of their bargain brand requires little thinning. You will need to thin your paint, but not to worry, this can be done with tap water since it is a water based latex. Mix it about half and half for fabrics. This will keep enough color to give good coverage while not making the fabric any stiffer than necessary.

We have three of these rolling backdrops that we have used for over three years with no major problems. One improvement to my design that I would suggest is some type of end cap to assist with keeping the rolled rope from rolling off of the end of the pipe. If you find yourself with one of these that seems unwilling to roll up 90% of the time this unrolling of the rope is the problem. Simply let it back down to the stage and reroll the rope.

On a small stage like ours with no wings these backdrops have been a life saver in adding flexibility to our space. I highly recommend it. Be sure that you find a way to suspend the weight evenly about every two feet in order to keep from overburdening your support bolts. Make sure that any hardware you use is rated for AT LEAST the weight you are suspending from it and double check, test and retest everything before assuming it will function properly.

Scene design software

Check out a great program for 3d design and a couple of other things I know you'll love! HERE

Styrofoam, scene designer's friend!

Among the many different types of building material I work with in scenic design one of my favorites would have to be styrofoam. It can be used for a host of applications. Its light weight, ease of cutting and ability to hold paint make it versatile. It is inexpensive , scrap is often sold as cheap as 20cents a pound, and easy to get.

We just recently used styrofoam on a very cool project pictured above called big magic book. The trees shown here were carved of foam as well as the cobblestone structure seen in the lower right!

If you live in a metropolitan area their is probably at least one foam fabricator near you. Everything from fake rocks to crown molding can be made from styrofoam and with a good coating it can hold up to a lot of abuse. Here are a few tips on how to work with styrofoam.

1. Use almost anything to cut it with. For simple sheet projects such as rock for walls I use a box knife. I much prefer the new lockback models for weight and ease of use. (try it, I know sounds crazy, but you will LOVE it) For bigger carving jobs I have an electric chain saw. Dremel tools, power saws and routers can also be used to shape and add detail.

2. Water based adhesives such as craft glue or even elmers work best, but take time to dry, liquid nails can be used for a quick bond but will eat some types of styrofoam

3. Water based paint such as latex will work weel for adding color and detail to your foam creations. Spray paint will eat the foam, but can be used over latex or as a unique special effect.

4. You can make your own protective coating using cheesecloth and a mixture of elmer's , or just plain white, glue and latex paint (add about 1 part glue to 3 parts paint) Cut your cheesecloth into manageable squares, paint your surface well with the glue/paint mixture and apply cheese cloth on top using a paint brush to work it into the details and smooth it out.

Shop Tools 101

What Tools Do I Buy First?

When my good buddy Chad Anderson, drama and music teacher at Oklahoma Christian Academy in Edmond OK, first posed this question to me a couple of years ago he was in the process of transitioning there school from having a “school play” to having a full fledged performing arts program with a broken shoestring budget, so it really mattered. After some consideration I came up with this list.

First you need a good set of hand tools consisting of at least a hammer, a tape measure, a couple of pairs of pliers, a crescent wrench, and at least one each standard and Phillips screw drivers, you might also want to invest in a handsaw if younger students are to be doing any of the cutting but I highly recommend you do most if not all of your cutting with a power saw of one sort or another.

That being said here is my list of essential power tools in order of priority.

1. A good circular saw. Be sure to choose a major brand and do not go in for anything fancy such as lasers and the like. Porter Cable, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, and Ridgid are all good brands. Make sure to get the best saw for the money. It must be a 7 ¼ saw, any other blade size will be less usable. DO NOT buy a cordless if it is the only circular saw you have, no one makes a battery that will go for more than just a few cuts. Two measurements of power are RPMs or revolutions per minute which is a measurement of how fast the blade spins, and Amps which is a formula to tell you how much power the tool uses. Rule of thumb more amps good thing. Get one that is at least a seven. Also if you can, buy the rip fence for it unless you have a table saw.

2. A good cordless drill or two or three. I put this second because you can always use nails instead of screws in a pinch but you never should without a reason. It is almost more important than the saw. DO NOT be fooled into buying the 18 or 24 volt homeowner special! It may seem cheaper and bigger and flashier, but trust me as a guy who spent five years in a cabinet shop with one of these on the end of my arm six to eight hours a day a good 12 volt will work circles around a flashy 24 volt. Here again check RPMs and this time Torque, which is the measurement in “foot pounds” of how hard your drill will turn! If you can, get the Porter Cable twelve volt. Having used several different ones I can tell you it will last longer and out perform most 14s plus when you are on top of a ladder the extra weight of that 24 volt battery is a bear! Next in line would be Ridgid, which I use now due to having my Porter stolen, boo hoo! Dewalt is a favorite with some but seems to have more problems, especially if you do not get the contractor grade.

3. A jigsaw. DO NOT buy cheapo, you will regret it. The thing to look at here is the adjustable speed. The trigger should be sensitive to pressure from the lightest touch, slow, to the big squeeze, fast. Also, check to see what type of blades it carries I like bayonet style but they are sometimes harder to find. They are the easiest to change. Try to avoid saws that have set screws to hold the blade. These have a tendency to wear out and nothing is worse than reinstalling a blade every two minutes! Porter Cable, Dewalt, Bosch and Ridgid are good brands. By the way someone somewhere is going to tell you that Dewalt and Black and Decker are the same, not unless we are talking about the red and black Black and Decker industrial line, B&K is Dewalt’s economy line. Make them show you the spec sheets and you may even educate them.

4. An air compressor and a pneumatic stapler. This combo will revolutionize the way you do things. While not as strong as screws staples are a great quick way to attach almost anything made of wood or fabric. Get a compressor with at least a five gallon capacity or it will be running all the time. Also make sure it is capable of pressure loads up to 125 pounds, at least. On the staple gun Porter Cable and Senco are excellent brands. Lesser tools tend to jam and misfire more easily which is not only aggravating but it creates a safety hazard. Be sure you buy tool oil and know how and when to use it. DO NOT use staples where strength to support a human is required (ie platform frames , decking is okay, ladder rungs etc.)

5. Belt sander: This will come in handy in a lot of situations. Grind a door down to fit its frame easily, strip paint, smooth out rough lumber, distress almost any wooden surface. With this tool the heavier it is the easier it is to operate. A light weight belt sander will have a tendency to pull forward, hard, very hard.

Once you have these five mastered you should be ready to choose your next tool on your own. Remember to keep them locked up, tools are big money for thieves, I know we lost $4000 worth in April of 06. One more thing, safety first!

In addition to the tools you will need to purchase eye and hearing protection, always dress appropriately and you may want to keep a pair or two of leather gloves on hand as well. If your scene designer is not comfortable ask around, chances are there is a carpenter among you who would be glad to provide safety training to avoid preventable accidents!

Here are some tool reviews to help you.

Anatomy of a flat

A Flat oh Great! Get the Jack!

A flat in theatrical terms is a flat section of a false wall. These stage craft mainstays have been around for a century or more and are used by everyone from theatrical types to Hollywood film makers.

Flats come in two basic varieties, hard surface and canvas. While most film and television productions use almost exclusively hard surface, or “Hollywood” style flats, canvas flats are still common in educational and community theatre scene shops.

Flats come in all shapes and sizes and can be painted or decorated to resemble almost anything. While many are standard wall sections most sets will consist of a variety of flats including “practical” window and door flats.

I prefer to build my flats to a standard size or at least to build a complete set of flats that will work together. A common size for flats is 4’x8’ as this is the standard size of most sheet goods (plywood, masonite, etc) that can be purchased at your local home improvement center.

Because of their temporary and movable nature most flats are constructed with very lightweight frames made of 1x4 or 1x3 lumber. A traditional framing schematic is seen at left. The faces can be covered in Luanne (1/4 mahogany plywood) or masonite, or in the case of a soft side flat, canvas or muslin.

When joined together with hinges or other hardware a group of flats can be used to create a very authentic wall and in fact the majority of the television set designs you see every day incorporate flats.

For more information check out our document on how to build flats.