Of course flames of any kind in a theatre is not good. The only exception I allow is the use of flash paper, but even so I require this be supervised by a theatre technician. I also require that at least one crew person stand by offstage with a fire extinguisher at hand the entire time the open flame is present, and that shall be that person's sole duty at that time. Also be careful with smoke/fog machines. Smoke detectors in your theatre may be the kind that measures particles in the air and risk being set off if the smoke level from a fog machine gets too high on stage. Dry ice and ground fog may be safe as they tend to gravitate downwards, but if you chose to use dry ice and/or ground fog, you do so at your show's own peril. If they set off the fire alarm, your theatre must be completely evacuated (performers, crew, staff and audience), and permission must be given by the Fire Department before anyone can re-enter the building. In that case, your show will most likely be shut down for the remainder of that performance. (That said, I've never seen that happen.) I like the baby powder idea - I don't think there is much risk of that with the baby powder as it's likely too heavy to float in the air for long.
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Elizabeth Rand
High School Theatre Consultant
Rand Consulting and Design
Woodinville WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2014 01:45
From: Erich Friend
Subject: To Flash or Not to Flash
You don't say how big of a puff you need, but pyrotechnics is not the way to do this. For something small like a pistol shot, a plastic drinking straw filled with baby powder will get you a good look. A student can blow into the straw and launch the effect (or use a bellows). For larger plumes, use a larger tube with a larger air source (a paper towel roll tube with straws stacked inside will keep the dust from clumping). Be cautious of the dust plume as it can create a real mess for someone to clean-up, and you may have a limited time to do so. Also, be aware of the detrimental effects a cloud of particulates can have on people's breathing - don't let anyone walk into the plume and inhale.
If you use a fog machine to fill a 'buffer' container, then quickly purge the buffer container (think: huge syringe) to can get the volume of fog you want from a small fog machine.
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Erich Friend
Theatre Consultant
Teqniqal Systems
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-21-2014 21:07
From: Lisa Tierney
Subject: To Flash or Not to Flash
In one scene of the show we are doing for One Act competition, there is a sudden puff of smoke that comes from off stage. First thought was to use a fog machine, but I don't think that will build up enough "smoke" in the short length of time allotted. Now I am considering using a flash pot, but I am not sure if this would be something I need to use with a high school show. What are your thoughts?
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Lisa Tierney
Director
Coffee High School Theatre Arts
Broxton GA
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