# Vaudevillean Rotating Backdrop to show movement



## kevinatblinn (Oct 21, 2013)

Help! I can't find the right search terms to find any of this. I've even resorted to looking through books!

We're researching a backdrop that moves sideways to simulate movement. The actors walk (maybe moving sidewalk, maybe acting), facing one direction, and the backdrop slowly moves in the opposite direction so it looks like they are walking. We aren't too interested in exploring the differences between foreground-middle ground-background and those moving at different speeds. I'm not interested in projection solutions at this point. We're exploring an analog solution right now.

Can anyone point me to resources, drawings, or even better search terms to find what I'm looking for?

Thanks,
Kevin (at Blinn).


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## FatherMurphy (Oct 21, 2013)

'Panorama painting' might be a term to try. In the days before moving pictures, a painter would do a very long painting that was then scrolled sideways before an audience, sometimes depicting things like a journey down a river. Narration and musical accompaniment were optional.

I've heard of 'marriage or mortgage' melodramas using a similar effect for a train going by (just after the hero unties the girl from the tracks), doing a single curtain track with walk-along operation to pull a painted drop across the stage. Having enough wing space to accommodate the carrier's stacking depth is the main difficulty.


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## derekleffew (Oct 21, 2013)

"scrolling backdrop" into teh Google returned this:
http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/scrolling-backdrops.5758/ .


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## kevinatblinn (Oct 22, 2013)

Just to continue the thread....I haven't found exactly what I was looking for, and I'm very concerned about maintaining tension horizontally along such a long distance. We had a long brainstorming this afternoon, and we're now looking at using roller chain to provide lateral force to individual trees that roll on straight casters. Not sure where we'll end up, but that's what we're exploring now.


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## pesci (Nov 16, 2013)

The term is "moving panorama" or "moving diorama". Never had to build one, but scaling up a scroller should get you the basics.


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## kevinatblinn (Nov 17, 2013)

kevinatblinn said:


> Just to continue the thread....I haven't found exactly what I was looking for, and I'm very concerned about maintaining tension horizontally along such a long distance. We had a long brainstorming this afternoon, and we're now looking at using roller chain to provide lateral force to individual trees that roll on straight casters. Not sure where we'll end up, but that's what we're exploring now.



And this is exactly what we did. #40 roller chain, two sprockets, two drive shafts, four surface-mount bearings, and quite a few K-1 style attachment links from McMaster-Carr (well, got some compatible chain from an Amazon dealer for tons cheaper). Welded two braces that screwed to the floor and rigged a tensioning system using turnbuckles. Made a handle with a 1/2" black pipe and a PVC sleeve. Made 10' tall trees that rolled on straight casters (also needed a track in the floor to guarantee they stayed parallel with the chain) and a system of dropping and pulling J-hook pins to attach and detach the tree wagons from the roller track. 

It was a fun project, effective for the show, and I didn't mind dropping that kind of coin because we will use almost all of it again. Maybe add a motor sometime rather than Freshman-power.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Nov 17, 2013)

Triple E Track would be just the thing - basically a manufactured track system with roller chain and a plastic guide track.

I lent my copy of Backstage A to Z but I'm sure it included a good description of the authentic horizontal roller.


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