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[Mike Harper]

I just got some info on our Children's Christmas play at church.  They are needing to create an effect of a spaceship taking off, I'm looking for suggestions on how to do it.  We have some standard Par 56 & Par 64 cans that we put gels on, we will also be renting some equipment.  Planning on renting a fog machine or hazer for this. What are your thoughts

Thanks
Mike

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

I just got some info on our Children's Christmas play at church.  They are needing to create an effect of a spaceship taking off, I'm looking for suggestions on how to do it.  We have some standard Par 56 & Par 64 cans that we put gels on, we will also be renting some equipment.  Planning on renting a fog machine or hazer for this. What are your thoughts

Thanks
Mike

For the "flames" you can uplight some mylar strips to simulate the column of rocket exhaust.   If you need to, you can add a small fan at the bottom of the assembly to set the strips wavering.

[Sam Feine]

If it is a UFO, you could arrange the par cans in a semicircle facing the audience and set up a chase so that it looks like the ship is spinning as it lifts off.

[Stuart Pendleton]

Maybe this will give you some ideas. It looks like a rocket launch, but upside down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQXFyo28Ndc

[Mike Harper]

Thanks everyone for the help.

Maybe this will give you some ideas. It looks like a rocket launch, but upside down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQXFyo28Ndc

That looks like it would be perfect.  Can be mounted upside down, just need to remove the fluid jug.  Maybe adding a couple more lights if we need to.

thanks

[Mike Christy]

Maybe this will give you some ideas. It looks like a rocket launch, but upside down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQXFyo28Ndc

I just can't stop laughing at this guy!

[Tim Weaver]

Back in the day before everybody had moving lights, the show "Greater Tuna" had a UFO part. They mounted 3 par cans on a short pipe that had bearings on the end. Mount a sidearm to it for a lever and you have 3 pars that swing.

This contraption had 2 red gels for effect and one no color as the "spotlight".  The white light popped onto the "abductee" standing on stage. flashing red lights on either side. Then with sound effects and fog going, the lights swept out into the audience.

The whole thing was pretty convincing for being so lo-tech...

[Ted Christensen]

I just got some info on our Children's Christmas play at church.  They are needing to create an effect of a spaceship taking off, I'm looking for suggestions on how to do it.  We have some standard Par 56 & Par 64 cans that we put gels on, we will also be renting some equipment.  Planning on renting a fog machine or hazer for this. What are your thoughts

Thanks
Mike

Depending on your budget rent a chauvet nimbus it similar for low lying fog for the exhaust plus a few par cans programed to look like fire twitching.

[Nick Pignetti]

This is depending on your budget, but if you have some cash to devote to this....

The way I would approach is would be to fire a pair of CO2 jets down on either side of the rocket. Red and orange lighting, perhaps a single strobe mixed in with the solid colors on pulse to give it some pop.

The CO2 jets will give you the movement you want in the "exhaust" rather than just the nimbus which won't give the lift off effect you want.

If  you REALLY have a bit of a budget, I'd do the nimbus as like a "pre-launch" effect and then fire the CO2 jets just after for the actual launch- will build excitement and more closely mimic a rocket launch.

[James Feenstra]

I'd also suggest CO2 jets with some kind of lighting (led if you want some kind of coloration)...simple, easy, and doesn't require a license to fire and will give you exactly the effect you're looking for (as far as downward thrust)

they can also be mounted in any direction

[Sam Feine]

Not sure about the price of CO2 jets, but if used correctly, a CO2 fire extinguisher could work. They tend to be pretty expensive though and are basically a one shot thing.

[Shawn Keck]

Back in the day, I did a community theater show that was a spoof on Star Trek. We had a similar effect to create. We did it with two 8" mirror balls rotating opposite directions and hitting them with a bunch of pin spots. A typical mittor ball motor rotates at 2 RPM...we found a motor that spun at 4 RPM and had one of our guys that was handy with mechanical engineering make a gear so that they both spun in opposite directions next each other on the same motor (out of home depot parts BTW...nothing complicated). Hit it with light, then turned on the motor and as it spun up, you got the effect of standing still to warp drive!

[Jerome Malsack]

Another thing that you should not forget is that fog machines can set off Fire Alarms.  I would work with the site and arrange with the local Fire Department that you will be testing the fog machine to ensure no false alarms.  If there is an alarm detected see what can be arranged for the performances with the firemarshal.

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