Thread: Best way(s) to do a 'glow in the dark' scene?

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Hi Haunters!

I'm part of an annual 'Ghost Train' run by a tourist railway each Halloween. A key part of the trip is the ride through our 450 foot long, 120 year old tunnel. For 2012, I'm thinking of a scene there where we stage a breakdown and kill all the cabin lights in the train. It will be just about pitch black in there (always a good start!) and then I'm thinking of having an actor (or two) come out of the driver's area in some sort of a glow in the dark costume. I can see it in my head, but I'm stuck for the best way to do the costume.

Any ideas?

Around Halloween (in the US) you can get Glow in the Dark spray which is kinda like spray snow that you would use to flock a Christmas tree or window, except that it glows in the dark. The downside is that it also falls off like spray snow tends to do so. As long as your actors have access to sunlight or ultra-violet light just before they enter the tunnel they should be glowing brightly as they make their way to the back of the train.

You could also got the fluorescent route. Have the actor dressed up in fluorescent garb and have a nearby fluorescent light pop on.

Another less messy but more expensive option would be EL wire and EL sheets.

EL wire is possibly one of the worst things to have to solder though, whoever invented it really should have designed it with solder termination areas every 6-12" like LED strips have.

I would go with the glow in the dark spray paint. If you want to kill all power then it needs to "self luminesence" You will need to "charge" the costumes really well in a light box or something so they have a good strong glow when they are first seen.
http://www.amazon.com/Bewild-GLOW-DA.../dp/B0029NBJQA

You can also buy glow in the dark paint for fabrics and paint the designs right on the clothes. More permanent and durable than the spray stuff I have had. It fluoresces in black light or you simply keep it charged up with bright lights before each performance.

The most success I have had is the following- Spray glow in the dark paint ( it looks better to my , eye- it can look just like a scooby doo ghost I like an even glow over the whole costume) as soon as the paint is dry put it in the dryer on high for a full cycle. that heat sets the paint so it stays alot longer.