[AuntBite]

Hi y'all, been gone awhile but I'm back in black...and orange!
Need help w/an idea. Need to make a really long ditch glow red. Thought about x-mass lights covered over w/white semi-opaque visqene? to maybe help difuse the light.

Then I remembered egg-room floor in the first alien movie. That was done w/lasers if I recall.

The main problems are power source, money and time. Y'all know that song.

Any ideas, thoughts, or moral support would be greately appreciated

 

[DeathDealer]

Are you trying to make the walls of the ditch glow, or make it filled with glowing red "whatever"
You could use fluorescent red paint and a black light.

It has been a while since I saw Alien, but it was probably a liquid sky effect which is tricky outside since you need fog to make it work.

If that is the look you are going for, you could use acetate, or even sheets of cling wrap painted white on the back with hits of black to give it a cloud-like appearance and light it from below with red LEDs to prevent heat issues. If you are not handy with wiring and/or cannot get power out to the trench you could use automotive LEDs, or even automotive "neon" to light the trench. Just wire a couple 6VDC lantern batteries together in series to get 12VDC. I don't know how long they could power "neon" though.

 

[billman]

White opaque shower curtains, red lights underneath should work and be cheap....of course if you want the look like Alien then you need chilled fog and lights.

 

[Warrant2000]

Red rope lights.

 

[Eyegore]

AuntBite, Please elaborate. I don't understand what effect you're going for?

 

[drsprite]

how about some red flood lights every 5 feet or so? lowes/home depot sells a light socket for these that stakes into the ground.

Do you have a photo and/or dimensions of the ditch?

 

[AuntBite]

Thanks for the interest y'all

DeathDealer:I want the dithch to look like itst full of blood...Blood Bayou. Was just wondering about the laser in the Alien egg room. Didn't think of (painting) cling wrap, I'll need something more substancial though. LED's is what I've been looking into. I'm not familiar w/auto LEDs or Neon but the battery idea may be just the ticket. Have been thing about solar out door lighting also.

Billman: shower curtins great idea. Especially because of the area I "dream of covering"

Warrent2000: Been looking into rope lights too. Found 150" of clear rope lights for about $72 including shipping. Not sure bout what kinda power it would take to light them. I believe they can be cut to size so I might be able do that. I'd just don't know how hard it would be.

Eygore: I want the ditch to look like it's full of blood. It's supposed to be a bayou so it doesn't have to look like it's flowing. If I could get it to pulse, that might be kinda cool. Or mabe that's too much like a lava lamp.

drsprite: Am considering floods also. There are the solar kind too. Sorry, no photo. The ditch is long,straight, and in total about 100+yds long with a culvert to drive over it. About 20yds is to one side of the culvert. I don't need or really want to light the whole thing just enough to give the impression. I plan on just kind of tapering off the lighting to give the impression that the bayou is fading into the distance.

Thanks for the input and keep it coming. Y'all are gittin my juices aflowin.

 

[DeathDealer]

20 Yards is a lot for automotive lights and batteries. Rope lights or LED floods are sounding much more practical.

Your best bet is likely using a light organ with 120VAC lights to get them to pulse. You may want to look into what a generator would cost to rent so you can run 120VAC lights without having to worry about getting power to the site. Some of the new Honda generators are amazingly quiet and should not be particularly noticeable.

 

[AuntBite]

Floods and rope lights it is. I'll be doing part of ither side of the culvert.

I have 3 generators, 2 of which are already dedicated and will be too far away to use for the ditch. The 3rd will be a back-up for the first 2. I'll have to come up with 4th for the ditch.

Do you use or know any thing about a light organ? How it works, price, etc.

 

[DeathDealer]

A light organ will increase/reduce voltage based on input of sound. I have used one for a lightning effect. You will need incandescent bulbs, so standard rope light or floods should work fine (Some LED floods may work, but they would need to state they are dimmer compatible). You may need multiple organs depending on how many amps they can draw. Price will vary widely depending on amp load, how many channels it has, vendor, and if you get a kit or a ready to use product.

Here is a thread about them.
http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/79407-lightning-machines-opinions-please.html

Here is a thread about how to pulse a light.
http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/78971-pulsing-light.html

 

[billman]

I was thinking if you do the shower curtains. You could put a fan underneath that would blow the curtains and create a wave effect.