# Bubble effect without the Bubble Machine



## lazor (Sep 9, 2009)

The Community College I work at is putting on Willy Wonka. If you remember from the movie there's a room with the Fizzy Lifting Drink where there are bubbles every where and Charlie and Grandpa Joe start floating up.
After refusing to have anything to do with trying to lift two actors by just attaching them to a batten, we are going to do it all with effects. And bubble machines were thrown out because of how they make the floor too slick.

The look I'm trying to create are bubbles that are floating up that will be seen on the curtain above the actors, than as the actors "float up" the bubble images will lower, (or additional lights would be turned on) and be seen on and around them. My director would really like to see the motion of the bubbles going up.

I have six VariLite 2500 Spot units that I know have a dots gobo and that when placed with the rotating Prism, and slightly out of focus can look like bubbles but I'm not sure it will give me the upward motion I'm looking for.

Not sure what is out there as far as F/X accessories are concerned that could help me with this. 
Luckily I was informed by my director that we have some money to throw at this problem.

I'm really open to any suggestions and am looking forward to the replies.

(addition: I also have 3 ClayPaky Alpha Spot HPE 300s and a lot (30) of i-cues at my disposal. As well as plenty of SourceFours to attach accessories to.)


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## edmedmoped (Sep 9, 2009)

You might want to post in the Special Effects forum, or take a look there.

Edit: Thread Moved - cdub260


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## Van (Sep 9, 2009)

lazor said:


> .....After refusing to have anything to do with trying to lift two actors by just attaching them to a batten, we are going to do it all with effects......


Good decision !!!!!!

I'd hate to see a news story about Grampa Joe and Charlie falling to theirs deaths...


lazor said:


> ..... And bubble machines were thrown out because of how they make the floor too slick.


 
There is a Bubble formula out there, let me do some looking around my brain, that does not leave the standard slick film on the contrary it actually makes bubbles that dry out in the air and will stay bubbly when they hit the ground. Another way to combat the slick issues is to work up a "dry-er" formula something with a litle more water and a little less soap, this will still get slick but not as bad. I actually ran into an issue of the soap residue being too sticky on the set of "Eurydice" last year. 
The gazzilion bubble machine is a nice, portable, battery operated option < it is kinda loud though.>

So, In conclusion I know you weren't looking for actual bubble solutions, but I'm not a lighting guy..... 
Hope that helps a bit.


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## SHARYNF (Sep 9, 2009)

One option is to rear project a background with the bubbles and the Room with the Fizzy lifting drink, so that you use a static image to start with, then have the video continue where the bubbles rise quickly but the room wall is moved down slowly. This will create the illusion of Charlie and Grandpa Joe rising up.
You might add a bit of fog from the bottom to hid the stage floor a bit

Sharyn


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## Dionysus (Sep 9, 2009)

You mentioned a stock of I-Cues and some movers.

Another idea is to use a bubble-like gobo with your I-cues...
Bring up, say half of your "bubble lights" and have them move up, then bring up the other half and crossfade between them as the first set gets higher. Overlap these movements and you have a cascade of moving bubbles all over the stage!!!!!
To make it look like they are floating, slow down the movement of the bubbles, and even bring the movement to a stop. Looks like they are rising at the same rate as the bubbles...
When they go down (as I remember they go down in a series of gaseous quick jerks) do a very fast upward movement with the bubbles and pause, then fast again.

When they are safely on the ground return to the first movement cue series.

That's just off of the top of my head, so I'm sure it could use refinement.
Just another idea.


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## SHARYNF (Sep 9, 2009)

Dionysus said:


> You mentioned a stock of I-Cues and some movers.
> 
> Another idea is to use a bubble-like gobo with your I-cues...
> Bring up, say half of your "bubble lights" and have them move up, then bring up the other half and crossfade between them as the first set gets higher. Overlap these movements and you have a cascade of moving bubbles all over the stage!!!!!
> ...



This will get the bubble effect, but IMO not give you the floating upward of Charlie and Grandpa Joe

Sharyn


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## lazor (Sep 10, 2009)

SHARYNF said:


> One option is to rear project a background with the bubbles and the Room with the Fizzy lifting drink, so that you use a static image to start with, then have the video continue where the bubbles rise quickly but the room wall is moved down slowly. This will create the illusion of Charlie and Grandpa Joe rising up.
> You might add a bit of fog from the bottom to hid the stage floor a bit
> 
> Sharyn



Interesting idea. Just don't know how much the RP screen would be, as it would need to be fairly tall (proscenium - 22ft.). Definitely worth looking into.


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## lazor (Sep 10, 2009)

Dionysus said:


> You mentioned a stock of I-Cues and some movers.
> 
> Another idea is to use a bubble-like gobo with your I-cues...
> Bring up, say half of your "bubble lights" and have them move up, then bring up the other half and crossfade between them as the first set gets higher. Overlap these movements and you have a cascade of moving bubbles all over the stage!!!!!
> ...



Would never have thought of using the i-cues like that. As I have 3 weeks until technical rehearsals even start I have some time to try different things out and this is definitely an easier and cheaper solution. Just need to go purchase some GOBOs.


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## MNBallet (Sep 22, 2009)

why not do a combo of some bubble machines and the bubble gobos in the I-cues? I've done several shows wih bubbles. If it were a ballet, bubbles would be out of the question, but your actors will be in street shoes. Any chance for a quick mop between scenes if it got too bad? Or, you could try to do a bubble curtain upstage, maybe behind a scrim? But I really think a combo might be the best best. Just a few bubble machines on a batton, and a few on the ground.


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## FatherMurphy (Sep 22, 2009)

Some pinspots aimed at mirror balls laid on their sides and spinning slowly is another low-tech way to approach the problem. Using multiple lights on multiple balls can create a lot of light balls wandering in random directions, and might be more effective than a gobo rotator.

A helium balloon release from a trap is probably impractical.


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## Kelite (Sep 23, 2009)

Granted, a full field gobo rotating would not give the desired effect of rising bubbles, but when shutter cut to eliminate all but the upwards portion of the rotation- viola! Rising bubbles. (Be sure to use a much wider beam spread barrel than usual as you'll be shuttering out 50-60% of the field...)


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