Smoke Machine Tests

Early on in the project, we were discussing using the smoke machine as it has never been used on a live show before and that it will add to the atmosphere. We did a few tests today with it to see if we could hide the sound.

            

In the first test, we hooked the smoke machine from the gallery, into the studio. I gaffa-taped it up so no smoke will leak, and it didn't (in theory). But the heat of the ring of the smoke machine the pipe was attatched to, melted. It didn't come out a lot in the studio either, and you could still hear it. Here's the video off the software (XSplit) but it's literally just black.

I then had an idea to hold it a bit away, not gaffa-taped on the ring. Which failed even more, and make the gallery very smokey. Test two can be found here and the software footage here. The effect didn't work on the computer for some reason.

Test three and four was to put the smoke machine in the studio, and play a sound effect on it. Test three failed as the microphones in the studio weren't turned on, and there was too much smoke. Test four was more of a success, but the sound effect didn't work, but had just the right amount of smoke. The software footage can be found here, but looks like the sound effect still didn't work. We might need to hook it to the software rather than use a phone in the sound mixer.

I then had an idea to cue the smoke when we cut to VT. The mics would be off, so you can't hear it. It works in theory. We are going to rehearse it on Monday with the actors, but we have also told estates to book it on Tuesday for the live show. However, we might need another person to operate it, or the floor manager or cable basher could.

I also made May's tarot card cue cards today, and they work pretty well.