# The Amazing Flying Chair... help please?



## Dulkor (Nov 3, 2009)

Alright! So, I'm working on a project for a technical theater class, specifically, staging three special effects for the ending scene of Blithe Spirit.

My partners and I have come up with solutions for two of our problems, but the third eludes us.

Specifically, we need to take a small wooden dining chair (no arm-rests, thin legs), and make it fall stage left as if thrown.

Our 'director' for the project is staging the play with a minimal set, no walls, and (for the moment, though this can change) our only stage hand is tied up on stage right, while the chair is positioned stage left.

Have any of you run into similar problems? What sort of methods did you use to accomplish the effect? This thread is really just for general brainstorming, so even if you haven't done -exactly- this, any relevant advice or out of left field concepts are welcome!

Thank you for your time!


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## erosing (Nov 3, 2009)

Like thrown in the air, or thrown backwards (as if somebody rapidy stood up from sitting in it)?


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## Dulkor (Nov 3, 2009)

Thrown over on its side like someone was really, really torqued off and using it to vent.


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## photoatdv (Nov 3, 2009)

Have a spare actor who's off stage at the time throw it. Otherwise just find a random kid to do it. Doesn't need to be the stagehand


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## cprted (Nov 3, 2009)

What is the stage hand doing on SR? Is it something that could be done either before or after the chair effect? Could the SR task be relocated to SL?


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## Dulkor (Nov 3, 2009)

The structure of the project requires that it be done through a special effect, how high or low tech is irrelevant. The stage hand on SR is handling the lines laid out for our other two effects.

For those unfamiliar with the play, Blithe Spirit is, essentially, about a haunting. All the effects are meant to be done by 'the ghosts'.


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## Footer (Nov 3, 2009)

photoatdv said:


> Have a spare actor who's off stage at the time throw it. Otherwise just find a random kid to do it. Doesn't need to be the stagehand



Yes, it actually does. 

This is a non-realized class project. The point of the project is to learn and to find new ways of doing things. This is a pretty typical parameter for this type of class. You either don't have enough money to do something or not enough crew to do what you want to do. This is a learning experience that you will use later in your career. I deal with things like this every day. 

If I automate something it costs more but I need less crew. If I hire on an extra crew member am I actually saving money vs the cost of automation? 

If people in the CB community want to help with this project, more power to them, just remember this is a class project and the point of the class project to to come up with a solution to the problem. 

Thank you Dulkor for disclosing that this is a class project. I commend you for doing that.


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## skienblack (Nov 3, 2009)

Could you rig something up with some monofilament fishing line attached to the chair and then through some pulleys that would then lead back to your stagehand? You could even use some counterweights so all they would have to do is release the line and the chair would whip away.


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## rochem (Nov 3, 2009)

skienblack said:


> Could you rig something up with some monofilament fishing line attached to the chair and then through some pulleys that would then lead back to your stagehand? You could even use some counterweights so all they would have to do is release the line and the chair would whip away.



I was going to suggest something like that as well. Does the chair actually need to fly up in the air as if violently thrown, or is it just being knocked over, as if someone kicked it? If the latter, you could just tie fishing line or something similar to a leg and have the stagehand pull the line, causing the chair to fall. You could even propose building a show deck, which would allow you room under the stage to run the line back to SR. It doesn't have to be anything high tech, just enough to get the job done. If it's the former, however, that would make it a lot more complex.


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## Dulkor (Nov 3, 2009)

At least an inch or two of upward force is requested, but ultimately the primary goal is knocking it over. Thanks for the suggestions thus far! If it helps, I'll post a basic image of the layout this evening, when I'll actually have time to put one together.


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## BrianWolfe (Nov 3, 2009)

Can you get under the stage or deck to rig a spring loaded release that can be handled by the stagehand either by line or RC?


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## Cashwalker (Nov 4, 2009)

My group is doing the show next spring, so I'm starting to put together my thoughts on how some of this needs to be accomplished.

The fishing line ideas are the first people think of, but in reality, probably won't work so well, because before the chair needs to flip it is going to be sat in and possibly moved around a bit, not to mention actors needing to be able to move around the stage, with no tripping hazard.

Building a second deck is an idea I hadn't thought of. Not going to happen with my budget, but it would allow some shenanigans with levers. I can screw to my stage, but I don't think I could drill THROUGH it to put a guy down below to stick a rod up.. and that would still require the chair to be perfectly aligned.

Some sort of remotely actuated solenoid or pneumatic cylinder would be my first reaction. In Ghostbusters 2 the dancing toaster had very obvious pistons of some sort.

There's another effect I recall while reading the end sequence - throwing a couch cushion. It says in the script that it doesn't have to come from the front of the couch, more like thrown from behind.... So I need to send a hand out during the blackout to hide behind the couch.. somehow I don't think that's going to happen.

Knocking stuff from shelves is easy. Making pictures fall is easy.


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## MarshallPope (Nov 12, 2009)

What about triggering it from above? Attach a 45 degree metal track to the deck and one chair leg so that when pulled from above (or slightly to the side), with black wire and pulleys, the chair would both lift and move to the side, going off balance and falling over?


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## bull (Nov 17, 2009)

I actually just got done with blithe spirit... do you have a rigging system?

And I'm guessing this is for Charles' monologue at the end?


One of our tactics for this effect was easy. Looking through the script you see that there are many times where people go upstairs... so when building the walls for the interior simply make a gap, or literal staircase implying the upstairs, and only show the bottom of it. Then during the finale, simply hide an actor in the implied upstairs area and have them throw things like the pillow, and a vase etc. You can also hang pictures etc on the wall, drill holes in the wall behind them, and use wooden dowels to knock them off... (or wire hangers, less visible) 

The chair however I will have to think about more, this was for a One Act competition and we didn't have time for special effects so we simply used implied rooms.


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