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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
December 26, 1925
Simplcy Effective Settings
The Utmost in Simplicity is the Keynote to a Successful Setting When Used as a Back' ground for Singers — Trio of J^ovelties Arranged in Combination — May Be Used at Slight Expense By the Showman
Moving Picture World Presentation — Devised by Colby Harriman
I T is not necessary to spend a great amount of money to secure effective settings. Experience has taught us that some of the best sets that get over are those which do not entail a large amount of realism in their composition. Simplicity is the !• eynote to a successful setting used as a background for singers in particular. The three suggestions which we are oflfering this week have been given a practical demonstration by us and we have found them to be sure-fire backgrounds. Naturally, lighting plays an important part in the following suggestions, and producers who use these ideas are requested to particularly take cognizance of the value of shadows in their lighting.
Fig. 1. A Patent Leather Combination. An excellent background for a singer dressed in a gown or costume of shimmering material such as a silk and satin Colonial costume or a white silk costume studded with rhinestones. The set consists of two units. The foreground of two pieces of black patent leather (oilcloth) hung on a battan and brought on an angle to the floor forming the triangular opening. White patent leather should be hung about eight feet back to serve as a backing. A constructed tree in fantastic form painted aluminum or painted white and then shellacked, mounted on an oval base, should be placed midway between the front and back drops. A green tone from olivetts should flood the white patent leather from right and left. No lighting whatsoever on the front drop. A shaft of blue light highlighting the tree with a green and amber highlighting the singer.
2. A Study in Shadows — A cut tree drop hung at the curtain line. A park or street lamp placed beside it. A scrim hung in loose folds in two with another scrim about two feet back of it and a blue sky drop back of the second scrim. Blue sky drop should be toned a very deep blue. A very dim blue should tone the lower part of the second scrim and a green tone highlighting the top of the first scrim. A green and blue shaft of light coming from the left in front of the tree highlighting the trunk. A dim orange amber lamp in the park lamp area. The scrim in the foreground should be split in two and three places to permit the characters to enter. All lamps should be down about onehalf on the dimmers, no other lighting should be included. The various characters will give the appearance of coming out of the mist and reaching the street lamp area their faces will be highlight.
3. Semi-Silhouette — A cut arch drop hung at the curtain line. Three strips of fabrics fastened on the back of the drop and extending to the floor, giving the appearance of tree trunks. A blue sky drop hung back, a large orange moon box; a silhouette lamp placed back of the sky drop toning it blue. No other lighting used for the number. Characters appear in a semi-silhouette. Their features are barely visible but the eflfect is most striking.