RE: Theatrical sundial
Rather than making it as a moveable stripe to be adjusted during scene breaks, why not make a clear acetate overlay with a shadow stripe, which could be driven around by a simple battery powered clockwork motor. It should therefore actually keep time! Peter Tandy -Original Message- From: sundial [mailto:sundial-boun...@uni-koeln.de] On Behalf Of Dave Bell Sent: 04 April 2014 02:11 Cc: 'Sundial Mailing List' Subject: RE: Theatrical sundial Answered like a true stage-dresser/set builder! Often, the simplest methods are overlooked when we try to create an effect. Dave -Original Message- From: sundial [mailto:sundial-boun...@uni-koeln.de] On Behalf Of Peter Mayer Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 4:08 PM Hi Jackie, Why not make your dial with a moveable, pseudo-shadow (i.e. a very visible, dark strip on the dial face) which you can move/ adjust during scene changes to the appropriate hour. That would possibly get the effect you're after without the difficult problems of lighting to which others have referred. best wishes, Peter --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Theatrical sundial
Hi Jackie, That sounds an interesting project. To answer your question about what sort of sundial a hard-up doctor might have had in 1613, I think the most likely type would have been a pocket dial, either a small round wooden one like those found on the Mary Rose (there are modern replicas that could be used as a prop) or an ivory diptych one. If he had a garden horizontal, the likelihood is that it would be a small, square horizontal one. Wall sundials weren't usually found on private houses at that time, except for the rich - see the reconstruction of the Stutton Hall one in the BSS Bulletin a couple of years ago. If you stretch a point and do have a wall dial, it will be quite difficult to illuminate it so that the shadow is visible. The main illumination would need to come from a powerful spotlight which changed its position to simulate different times (or even dates). A practical solution would be to have a series of spotlights appropriately placed. The other requirement would be that any other light falling on the dial (as general background illumination) was minimised. Good luck! John Dr J Davis Flowton Dials http://www.flowton-dials.co.uk/ BSS Editor http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/bulletin.php From: Jackie Jones jac...@waitrose.com To: Sundial Mailing List sundial@uni-koeln.de Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2014, 17:12 Subject: Theatrical sundial Dear All, I am involved with a local theatre in the production of a play which takes place in 1613 in the herb garden of a doctor in Stratford on Avon. I am suggesting to the producer and set designer that a sundial may be a good idea either on the house wall or on a pedestal in the garden. But before I get too deep into ideas, could you please confirm that this is correct and what sort of sundial would a country doctor who is not very wealthy have? If a dial is on the house wall, I would like to suggest that, if the lighting can be arranged, for the shadow to move to show the passing of the day from one scene to another. Does anyone know if this has been done on stage before? The production is not until June, but we have just started the designs and rehearsals. With best wishes, Jackie Jackie Jones 50° 50’ 09” N 0° 07’ 40” W --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial--- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Theatrical sundial
Hi Jackie, Why not make your dial with a moveable, pseudo-shadow (i.e. a very visible, dark strip on the dial face) which you can move/ adjust during scene changes to the appropriate hour. That would possibly get the effect you're after without the difficult problems of lighting to which others have referred. best wishes, Peter On 3/04/2014 11:47 PM, John Davis wrote: Hi Jackie, That sounds an interesting project. To answer your question about what sort of sundial a hard-up doctor might have had in 1613, I think the most likely type would have been a pocket dial, either a small round wooden one like those found on the Mary Rose (there are modern replicas that could be used as a prop) or an ivory diptych one. If he had a garden horizontal, the likelihood is that it would be a small, square horizontal one. Wall sundials weren't usually found on private houses at that time, except for the rich - see the reconstruction of the Stutton Hall one in the BSS Bulletin a couple of years ago. If you stretch a point and do have a wall dial, it will be quite difficult to illuminate it so that the shadow is visible. The main illumination would need to come from a powerful spotlight which changed its position to simulate different times (or even dates). A practical solution would be to have a series of spotlights appropriately placed. The other requirement would be that any other light falling on the dial (as general background illumination) was minimised. Good luck! John Dr J Davis Flowton Dialshttp://www.flowton-dials.co.uk/ BSS Editor http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/bulletin.php *From:* Jackie Jones jac...@waitrose.com *To:* Sundial Mailing List sundial@uni-koeln.de *Sent:* Wednesday, 2 April 2014, 17:12 *Subject:* Theatrical sundial Dear All, I am involved with a local theatre in the production of a play which takes place in 1613 in the herb garden of a doctor in Stratford on Avon. I am suggesting to the producer and set designer that a sundial may be a good idea either on the house wall or on a pedestal in the garden. But before I get too deep into ideas, could you please confirm that this is correct and what sort of sundial would a country doctor who is not very wealthy have? If a dial is on the house wall, I would like to suggest that, if the lighting can be arranged, for the shadow to move to show the passing of the day from one scene to another. Does anyone know if this has been done on stage before? The production is not until June, but we have just started the designs and rehearsals. With best wishes, Jackie Jackie Jones 50° 50’ 09” N0° 07’ 40” W --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial -- -- Peter Mayer Discipline of Politics International Studies (POLIS) School of History Politics http://www.arts.adelaide.edu.au/historypolitics/ The University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA 5005 Ph : +61 8 8313 5609 Fax : +61 8 8313 3443 e-mail: peter.ma...@adelaide.edu.au CRICOS Provider Number 00123M --- This email message is intended only for the addressee(s) and contains information that may be confidential and/or copyright. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender by reply email and immediately delete this email. Use, disclosure or reproduction of this email by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. No representation is made that this email or any attachments are free of viruses. Virus scanning is recommended and is the responsibility of the recipient. --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
RE: Theatrical sundial
Answered like a true stage-dresser/set builder! Often, the simplest methods are overlooked when we try to create an effect. Dave -Original Message- From: sundial [mailto:sundial-boun...@uni-koeln.de] On Behalf Of Peter Mayer Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 4:08 PM Hi Jackie, Why not make your dial with a moveable, pseudo-shadow (i.e. a very visible, dark strip on the dial face) which you can move/ adjust during scene changes to the appropriate hour. That would possibly get the effect you're after without the difficult problems of lighting to which others have referred. best wishes, Peter --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
Re: Theatrical Sundial
My son is a set dresser in Hollywood so I sent the statement of the problem. Unfortunately he apparently had no reference to any prior uses. Since he does not have the interest I have in sundials he gives a perspective of the theatrical worker. Here was his reply: Well, first of all, to suggest that an audience would enjoy or even notice the shadow of a wall sundial moving sounds akin to watching the actors' hair go grey in the course of a scene- unless the scene is 3 or more hours long, I can't imagine anyone would notice (especially in the LIGHT of what that would cost and/or involve doing). If, on the other hand, he means that just as an actor's hair may change throughout the course of a play to suggest the passing of time (i.e., years), that the lighting might also change to denote a passing of time (hours in this case), then it seems perfectly reasonable. Theatrical lighting designers do that sort of thing all the time- the light in this doctor's garden at noon is different than it is in the morning, late afternoon, dusk, night, etc... Lighting a particular object on the set differently from scene to scene is nothing new and adding a sundial would only mean adding another element with its own settings and cues. The only troublesome aspect is that it is the shadow that is actually important. I know this comes up lots of times in film which is probably one reason why we not only have a lighting department, but effectively a shadow department as well- the grip department is responsible for blocking light. For film, the only perspective at which the lighting has to work is from the camera. On stage it is much different since the whole audience should see the right thing. What this means for our doctor's sundial is that the lighting designer has to be good enough to incorporate it without it interfering with the other lighting. The set designer would also need to coordinate with both the lighting designer and the director with regard to the placement of said dial to both make it possible to light and to make sure that the actors' actions on stage won't interfere with its lighting. I don't believe I've ever seen a sundial as an important (or unimportant, for that matter), element in a stage production. Steve might know so I'll ask him when he gets back this weekend. Which brings me to the last point which is that it sounds like a good idea that might not only contribute to the character of this doctor as expressed in the design of his garden, but could provide an interesting element to depict a change in time. I think it's perfectly legitimate for your friend to suggest such a thing. However, here are a few things that might get in the way. First, I don't know what this play is and so I don't really know whether this character would have a sundial in his garden or whether time plays an important role or not. These are points within the choices made by the director and set designer in their interpretation of the play. I can imagine designing a set around a sundial if time were a central and/or pivotal element and it would contribute to the telling of the story of some play...but this is not that and none of us are either the director or the set designer and they might have a different perspective. For the lighting designer, the sundial could cause problems (in a way as I mentioned above), if he or she has already set the lighting (e.g., maybe the sunset scene has sunlight coming from stage left and the sundial can't be lit correctly where it was placed). Or he or she just may not want to deal with it- I am just warning you of the possible blow-back... --- https://lists.uni-koeln.de/mailman/listinfo/sundial
