# Yellow brick road floor drop



## kg6mov (Feb 7, 2013)

I got suckered in to pretending to be a TD for Wizard of Oz, director wants a yellow brick road because apparently there is one in that show.

Our space is great, except we have to strike the entire set into a 16'x4' box at the end of the night so the other company can use the stage in the morning. So obviously I'm not gonna be able to paint the deck.

So far the best plan is a painted floor drop, and the director likes the shtick with unrolling it, so why not.

We are worried that it's not going to stay put when they dance on it, I was thinking we could put a rubber backing on it, but I'm not really sure what to use.

We are a budget conscious group (read: broke community theatre and I should have stayed at the opera) but theres always a budget for safety.

Any hints?


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## gafftaper (Feb 8, 2013)

In college we did a opera scenes festival. We had a series of drops that were roughly 12x12 squares. We put them down and gaffed them to the floor. Put a couple of double sided loops of tape in the middle. They stayed fine. I wouldn't try to hold a really large drop down, but a smallish one will stay put for a while. You'll go through a lot of tape. 

The big children's theater here just did Oz and they used a series of gobos to light the yellow brick floor. They turned the road gobos on, section by section, as the "Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road? Follow the yellow brick road... etc" is spoken over the intro to the song.


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## Van (Feb 8, 2013)

I love painting the backside of Cheap vinyl flooring. It takes and holds paint very well. it's non-slip and doesn't tend to wander once you roll it out. Disadvantages are that it's kinda heavy. Folding it is not an option.


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## rsmentele (Feb 8, 2013)

I second gafftaper's suggestion. I also did Oz a while back and lit the road with yellow brick gobos. Worked and looked GREAT!


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## shayward (Feb 13, 2013)

> They turned the road gobos on, section by section, as the "Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road? Follow the yellow brick road... etc" is spoken over the intro to the song.



I agree with this.....this is exactly what I did last year for a High School production


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## Kelite (Feb 14, 2013)

kg6mov said:


> So far the best plan is a painted floor drop, and the director likes the shtick with unrolling it, so why not.
> 
> 
> We are a budget conscious group (read: broke community theatre and I should have stayed at the opera) but theres always a budget for safety.
> ...




Our local high school's winter drum line also uses a dropcloth on the basketball court during competitions. The absolute best solution we've found thus far is to paint (with household latex paint) the desired look on billboard vinyl. Believe it or not, local advertising companies replace the heavy printed billboards on a regular basis and we are able to obtain these cheap or free. Rolled or folded, tape on the edges and backside work very well...

An example- Fishers Percussion @ WGI Reg Finals (Sun) Franklin Central Dual-Cam - YouTube


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## derekleffew (Feb 14, 2013)

A representative of a gobo manufacturer offering a solution NOT involving gobos. 
Kelite, you sir, are a true gentleman, and the very model of a modern major ControlBooth member. 

And for that, I'll join the others in recommending it be done with 
Apollo pattern #MS-6079



Or with multiple #MS-6090

shuttered and shaped to form a path.

And be sure to gel the lights with AP6300 Neon Yellow.

.


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## Kelite (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks for your kind words Derek, there are times a hammer works better than a wrench. (Even if I am a wrench salesman!) 

Nice attachments too, thank you for those.


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