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http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 1 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 2 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 3 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 4 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
From the rough scale model we could then trade opinions on the look of
things back and forth with William, and also with our stage director Matthew
Ozawa. Changes at this stage of the game are much more easily accomplished
that in the final phase of construction! The team of fabrication artists became
used to my daily comment “this is probably subject to change – ok this is how
we’re changing the plan now, and this impacts the next step of the build
process in the following ways…” This is the trouble shooting phase of our
planning process and we were able to problem solve a number of structural
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 5 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
and operational issues in the small model format, saving huge amounts of
“Oops – do over” style mistakes in the full scale build. The result was that
when we cut into full size materials and began real time real materials
construction on the actual puppet we had very few unforeseen concerns,
which made for a smooth build process, a happy team of prop artists, and a
very happy designer and director.
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 6 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 7 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
Some assembly required, of course. The light weight foam core components
comprising the head needed to be thoroughly sealed against moisture before
Carri Dahl, our Scenic Charge, gave the head the necessary painted texture
and ultra violet light reactive paint treatment. Assembly followed, with
Velcro, cloth ties, a variety of nuts and bolts, and some press fit pieces on the
side plumes as well. All this fastener variety is necessary because our dragon
needed to travel from the prop fabrication shop to the stage. This path goes
through a number of doors and a passenger elevator that are all too small for
the completed puppet. It’s not practical to fabricate something this large on
stage from start to completion since so many other departments need to use
the space, so to build it in our prop shop requires advance planning for
assembly – also a part of the mock up process that we used our scale model to
help with.
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 8 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
Dragon test flight: The first time with the cast, our singers were very game for
anything we suggested they try in terms of our dragon’s flight path. Skills
more choreographic than vocal were necessary right at this point in
rehearsals for this opera. We give our cast huge credit for making her look so
elegant and beautiful onstage! Ian Toohill has the guns to manage our
dragon’s head with ease. Erin Sura, Eric Madson, and Leigh Akin coordinate
the sinuous weaving flight of the body smoothly. The entire effect our cast
achieves is brilliant!
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 9 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
Once we delivered her to our stage space fully assembled, she needed a clean
resting place to live during scenic notes and other less than clean theatrical
processes during our load in and tech process. Her she is, resting comfortably
in the Cabot house.
http://blog.skylightmusictheatre.org/how-to-build-a-snow-dragon-in-3-easy-steps/ Page 10 of 11
How to build a Snow Dragon in 3 easy steps! – Skylight Music Theatre Blog 12/19/17, 11(50 PM
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