Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:01:27 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Cinderella effects


An effect I have toyed around with, but never actually used was fiber 
optics illuminated with color-changing LED's.  I have a toy LED 
device is sort of like a magic wand, with what looks like a 
ping-pong-ball at the end.  There is a tri-color very bright LED 
inside.  It flashes faster than the eye can see, and as you swing the 
wand around you make rainbows or other interesting patterns in the air.

I removed the ball, and put a small bundle of fiber optics up to the 
LED. As I wiggled the fiber optics around, it gave the effect of 
multi-color glitter that stayed in the air.  The only draw back was 
that this was not bright enough, even in pitch darkness.  However, I 
was not using a well-prepared bundle of fiber optics (cut off 
together and the end polished). Also, LEDs are available that are 
brighter today.

For the effect to work well, you need the fiber optics to be long 
enough to wiggle around.  Also, you need to somehow hide the light 
that escapes from the fibers before they get to the end.  High 
quality fibers are better, and there are also black plastic jacked 
fibers.  I am not sure if a dusting of black spray paint would help, 
or perhaps damage the internal reflections that make the fibers work.

The biggest drawback is that you will need someone familiar with 
electronics to prepare something like this for you.

Regarding the carriage.  I've always wanted to see a full-sized (but 
puppet scale) carriage with full-sized horses (1 horse may 
suffice)  I can picture the carriage being rigged in a manner 
comparable to a break-away skeleton.   The carriage is often 
decorated with vine-like ornamentation, so these pieces could easily 
be hidden in the garden. If the back-sides are painted a darker 
green, and the show side something brighter then this will help the 
transition. Pulling a string, (or set of strings) pull the various 
parts to the body of the carriage.

Now the body is often a giant pumpkin, and that would be a more 
difficult transformation. But, perhaps you can use something other 
than a pumpkin for the body, and use the pumpkins for the wheels.  A 
gazebo or just garden benches could form the body of the 
carriage.  If the carriage is not an enclosed one, it will also 
facilitate Cinderella riding it.

If you go to all the trouble of the above transformation, I wouldn't 
feel obligated to do the horse in as elaborate a fashion. A simple 
poof-flash type quick appearance is sufficient, and may even be a 
welcome change to the more gradual transformation of the carriage.

Joe Dunfee  joe-AT-dunfee.com
Gordonville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. 

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