Thread: Scrim "how to" books / videos, material to use, how to control light durations

Tweet

Disney imagineers use scrims a lot in their attractions, from Carousel of Progress to the Haunted Mansion. Does anyone know of a good book, DVD, YouTube video, or online tutorial that discusses how to use scrims?

Is there a consumer light control device I could buy locally that would light a scene for a few seconds, turn off, then turn back on again? Or would I need to get into laptop controlled and expensive DMX stuff? Hoping not to go that far for now. Just want the basics.

I've read and seen that you can use black weed netting from Home Depot, etc, as one form of scrim material. They show this on the DVD X-treme Haunted House Make-over from the Big Scream TV people:

http://lightformproductions.com/storextremedvd.html

What other materials can be used? (preferably ones I can buy locally).

Seems like there'd be such a huge potential for the use of scrim in yard / home haunts. But I don't necessarily see a lot of people talking about scrim. Maybe it's so basic that it's just "understood"?

Finally, speaking of scrim, are there any good textbooks on theatre lighting / effects that a home haunter should have in his/her home library?

We use a scrim in the back of our hearse to project a ghost rising out of the coffin. We just got some sheer black material from Joanns fabric store. What is really kind of cool about the cloth is that you can see completely through it at night so it doesn't look like a projection and during the day you can't really see it either, it looks like the plexiglas windows are tinted.

I don't know of any books about scrims. When Buckaneerbabe told me she wanted to have a ghost floating above the coffin I didn't know a scrim was anything but a contraction of the word scrimmage.

We unfortunately didn't get a good photo or video of the ghost last year but here is the best pic we got. The ghost is laying down and raises out of the coffin and then lowers back in. We created the raising and lowering when we did the video. Buckaneerbabe put on white makeup, a blonde wig and a white dress and laid on a table surrounded by black cloth. Then when we took the video I just moved the camera slowly up and down. When projected it looks like the ghost is floating.

[IMG][/IMG]

Following this thread. I'd love to see more info on this. It's completely new to me

Hi,

Another good use for scrims is for reveals . You put an object behind the scrim, light the scrim from the sides and the object disappears. Turn off the side lights on the scrim,turn on the lights on the object and then the object is revealed and the scrim disappears. This effect is used in The Woman In Black theater production.

Thanks BucaneerDude. Looks great! Please take more photos and video this season if you're reusing this effect in 2011. Would love to see more detail on the effect and the process.

UndeadOfNight: Doing reveals / dissolves, and using in conjunction with a Pepper's Ghost effect, is exactly the type of thing I want to learn how to achieve (on the cheap). Anyone know how I can get automated light fade ins / outs cheaply? I know there are expensive (expensive to me is anything over USD $100) units that allow you to control lighting. Anything out there cheaper than $100 for looping "reveal/dissolve" light timings?

I don't know much about scrims, either. Learned about using one for window projection to cut ambient light reflecting off the rear projection screen. I found some black mosquito netting at the local fabric store to use - very light weight. There might be better materials, but I'm satisfied.

Hi Great Pumpkin. We were in the same boat as you last year. Going though Home Depot's after Christmas sale this past January, we found a cheap device ($40) that supposedly let's you program your outdoor Xmas lights in several different factory installed patterns. As good haunters, we immediately twisted the intent of this device. So there are cheap devices available. I think the key is to do an internet search under Xmas lights.

As for the scrim, anything that works for you is perfect. if you want something more 'professional', call a tv/event lighting rental company in your area. They will be able to answer your questions and point you in the direction you want to go.

Happy haunting!

Originally Posted by lynrapp

Hi Great Pumpkin. We were in the same boat as you last year. Going though Home Depot's after Christmas sale this past January, we found a cheap device ($40) that supposedly let's you program your outdoor Xmas lights in several different factory installed patterns. As good haunters, we immediately twisted the intent of this device. So there are cheap devices available. I think the key is to do an internet search under Xmas lights.

As for the scrim, anything that works for you is perfect. if you want something more 'professional', call a tv/event lighting rental company in your area. They will be able to answer your questions and point you in the direction you want to go.

Happy haunting!

Thanks Dexter and lynrapp.

How about this cheap little gadget for your lights?
http://lightformproductions.com/stor...ercircuit.html

Originally Posted by tammy77541

How about this cheap little gadget for your lights?
http://lightformproductions.com/stor...ercircuit.html

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I was wondering if anyone has ever bought this company's DVDs? X-treme Haunted House Makeover in particular