Question about Building Faux Tree Props

[crazy chris]

the space im planning to rent for my puppet theater has this big support pole/beam directly to the right of the stage....and although its not in the way... it is a bit unsightly...

so my plan is to turn it into a faux tree...with a cute face...and a large limb that hides my lighting rig... see artists rendering...lol

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9687/stage.jpg

the use of spray foam insulation and the painting is not a problem at all... its my forte.... my problem is... how to build a frame to surround the pole and give it girth without spending thousands of dollars.... the ceiling is about 12 feet high... so i planned to go up about 8 or 9 with tree...and then fill the rest of the way to the ceiling with carefully placed silk trees or shrubbery from michaels/hobby lobby...

my initial thought was fiberglass insulation wrapped around the pole... then a chicken wire frame...covered in burlap...then coated with the spray insulation... but on paper that just sounds flimsy to me...

any ideas? thoughts? experiences?

thanks!

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

You could try chicken wire, which would work well if you're going to spray foam over top of it. If you can get your hands on the Special Edition of "The Two Towers" DVD I think they have an extended feature on that talking about how trees were built for The Lord of the Rings.

Probably goes without saying, but you also check building codes to make sure it's legal to do that if you haven't already, since the pole is probably load-bearing.

 

[crazy chris]

preciate the tips buck... i definately wouldnt be messing with the pole structurally... just essentially decorating it...

cc

 

[Animal31]

preciate the tips buck... i definately wouldnt be messing with the pole structurally... just essentially decorating it...

cc

Turn the tree into a puppet as well! He could be your announcer.........

 

[crazy chris]

Turn the tree into a puppet as well! He could be your announcer.........

LOVE THAT IDEA ANIMAL!

i actually hoped to do that...my big problem is that the pole is about 3 feet from the stage...so a puppeteer would have to hide in the enclosure for an hour...lol....could definately be worth it!

i noticed axtell makes a basic tree face puppet....not as cool as the animatronic version...but affordable

http://www.axtell.com/puppets-magic/trees-ideas/

it apparently works with rods...

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

preciate the tips buck... i definately wouldnt be messing with the pole structurally... just essentially decorating it...

Oh I assumed you were just decorating it, I mean in some places there are very strict codes about what you can use to decorate a beam with. In the shop where I work, we're not allowed to suspend things from certain pipes/beams or cover them because of fire code regulations.

Bureaucracy. Ugh.

Hopefully you don't have a problem like that though, this sounds like such a fun idea!

 

[crazy chris]

wow...thanks for the heads up buck...ill definately check into it!

cc

 

[Puppetainer]

You may want to check with Gordon (spcglider) for ideas. I believe he has some professional expertise in the whole prop building arena. My only idea would be to consider using concrete forms as your base. They sell hard cardboard concrete forms in a variety of sizes. You can get one that is 12" x 4' for around $14. I had a play castle in the video store I used to own. The "towers" were made from concrete forms that we painted and topped with a notched out plastic bucket. You would need to cut them open and then reseal them around the pole, but it would provide a very sturdy base.

As for making your tree a puppet...you could rig the puppet with a radio control. If you have anyone who is handy with RC stuff it could be a way to go. Best of luck!

 

[crazy chris]

good stuff puppetainer!

that sounds like it could really work for what i need...

im weighing my options... and probably gonna make a trip to lowes and look around as well

im a complete newb with the whole radio control stuff... but ive seen several puppeteers using them... that would be sweeeeet!

cc

 

[Puppetainer]

Yeah, I haven't tried the RC thing yet myself but I have a friend who is quite handy with it and just itching to try it out on some puppets. Just haven't had the time to focus on that particular aspect yet.