Breaking and Collapsing Scenery

The scenic designer can assist the effects designer where breaking scenery is required if suitable camouflage techniques are incorporated in the designs. (For example, large areas of plain wall are difficult to deal with.) Textured or patterned wall papers enable pre-broken areas to be disguised.

Falling shelves

Very often shelves that fall have one end fixed and the other end free. It is a simple matter to remove a peg from behind which has been hidden in the thickness of the shelf. Alternatively, if the shelf is hinged to the wall it drops forward when a retaining thread is released. This can be hidden between items on the shelf.

Brick walls

Walls can be assembled from bricks cut from expanded polystyrene. Fuller’s Earth shaken on the courses of bricks as the wall is assembled provides realistic dust when it falls. These bricks are suitable for comedy programmes, but are not heavy enough to look authentic. Weighted by the insertion of lead or metal slugs and coated with liquid latex they fall more realistically but do not damage the studio floor – or such things as automobiles which may have to be driven into them.

Collapsing floor

One of the greatest problems where large areas of floor have to collapse is the fact that the weight of the floor tends to jam any release mechanism. Devices that enable the floor to be dropped easily and yet support heavy weights are shown opposite. The toggle collapses easily once it has been opened past its straight line position, but it requires a powerful initial snatch to open it. The wheeled foot is a good device if the weight has to be dropped by remote control. A solenoid-bomb release may be used to free the supporting line.

The roller is very simple and light to operate. It can be operated by a line tied to the handle, but it does require that the support is able to drop clear once it has left the roller.

Mine shaft collapse

Large pieces of expanded polystyrene covered with cloth and latex can be painted to resemble rock. Sawdust and peat adequately simulate falling earth and shale.

A breaking pit-prop can be constructed similarly to the toggle but where it has to be knocked away a small hidden wheel fitted inside the foot assists the action.

FALLING FLOORS