Thread: Anyone made outdoor scenes with scrims?

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Here's a basic freehand test of painting the plastic 'shade' material.

I'll use a projector and airbrush next time so it won't look so rushed, hopefully.

What you cannot see in these awful pictures is that this material is 'sparkly' although I hope that by lighting it with blue or green that it will add to the ambiance...

Halloween Forum - Halloween Discussion Community - dscrimager's Album: Prop work - Picture

Looks good so far.

How do you think it will do outside with a light wind? It looks pretty porous. Also, is it very stretchy?

Hopefully, it will not have too much of a wind load since it is pretty porous.
It stretches about 2 inches on one axis and not at all in the other. I forget what direction I have it hanging. I'm trying to use 6 foot tall sheets that will be about 10 ft long. I got it in 12 X10 and then cut it on the seam to get the two sheets.

I hope to paint about 4 - 6 sheets of this as various backdrops for my cemetery.

Freshly Doug

Last year, I made my garage into a huge scrim. I opened the garage door, and stapled landscaping cloth around the opening. But, I had to look everywhere for the right fabric. I used a loose weave, thin landscaping tarp. I recommend taking a flashlight with you to test the see-through-ability (i'm sure that's not a word). I painted it to match the brich around the garage to make it look like a solid wall, and aimed floodlights from the sidewalk onto the tarp. When a motion trigger was activated, the person would set off a thunder machine hooked up to lights inside of my garage that illuminated a few skeletons and other props. After about 5 seconds, the inside lights would go out and the outside lights would come back on, making it look like a brick wall again. If I can, i will try to post some pictures if that will help.

That sounds great! can't wait to see it...

For the high wind areas, you may want to try backing the material with chicken wire. Make the wire into a shape that will add to your scene. Maybe as a tree or bent into a skeleton outline, etc. You could secure with some hot glue that will penetrate the fabric, or use grommets and tie wraps

Another idea could be to cover the areas that you don't want to be translucent like the tombstone you could glue to, by placing cardboard on the back side. Then you would have a more stable area to attach the wire or supporting structure to, and as something moves along in the background the stones would stay visible, as an actor moves in and out of a lighted area, they would look like the fade in and out.

Originally Posted by rnrkid

For the high wind areas, you may want to try backing the material with chicken wire. Make the wire into a shape that will add to your scene. Maybe as a tree or bent into a skeleton outline, etc. You could secure with some hot glue that will penetrate the fabric, or use grommets and tie wraps

Depends on the material and the look you are after, IMO. Also, chicken wire tends to have wire ends at odd places that can catch and tear in the wind. JAT

Originally Posted by LT Scare

Also, chicken wire tends to have wire ends at odd places that can catch and tear in the wind. JAT

What I found works good for this issue is getting some "grip dip". It's the liquid vinyl you dip tool handles in to give them a more comfortable grip. This not only keeps the points from tearing, but it also holds the ends together. This stuff can also be brushed on other metals to water proof them. It's great stuff!