SCENERY PAINTING FOR THE AMATEUR MUSICAL THEATRE and PANTOMIME
TITLE - ANNIE SKYLINE- Page four
Designed and Painted by: Claire Hunt
Set Construction: Jim Savage
Performed by the pupils of Fleming Fulton School, Belfast December 2004
Claire was a temporary Art Teacher at the school and this was her first attempt at a big background for a show. I use the word "attempt" but just look at this wonderful New York Skyline .
Size; 16 feet wide x 8 feet high
Claire writes: " I worked from the top down or the background forwards- whatever way you want to look at it. I made it up as I went along just keeping about 6 images of the buildings and sky at hand in poly pockets to keep them clean.

I was not sure about the water and reflections etc but in the end I just went for it and everyone was delighted with the results.

The boards for this were 4 x 8 pieces of hardboard, strengthened by a frame on the back. The technology and design teacher Jim Savage made these. He also put them on a shallow platform with castors so that all 4 could be quickly and easily put on and off stage. He had a support prop behind to stop them tipping over." And here is the same background lit for the night scene....

How was it done? Claire writes: " In the end I drilled holes in the scene to push small lights through. I used twinkling lights in the sky and coloured ones in the buildings. There was a bit of jiggery pokery here combined with stubborn perfectionism... I wanted the Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler building to have white lights but I couldn't manage any more sets, leads, plugs etc. In the end I set it all up with the static coloured lights being in the lower building area but I took a sharp blade to the colour on the bulbs on the statue and Chrysler building and removed enough to make those ones look white when they came on. It worked!
<< Return to list of Stage Sets
On to Annie Orphanage Wall by Clair Hunt >>