No-budget cave

R

rbraxley

New member
Greetings,

Hope this is the correct forum for this. I need to simulate the look of firelight and shadows cast on a cave wall for a small educational project. Of course, I have no budget.

I don't have ready access to an actual cave, so I'm wondering if anybody can suggest an inexpensive DIY way to simulate a cave. I'd prefer to stay away from trying to do a blue screen.

Thanks,

Ron B
Digital Media Specialist
UGA College of Education
 
no budget? Shoot against a black background, don't expose it at all. Use two lights, on as a firelight on a dimmer to create flicker ( with orange gel ) and then one back light to separate them from the black abyss.
This will work for close ups.

if you actually want to see bits of the cave, then it will take a few dollars.

You get some foam, carve away at it, spray paint it a dark gray, and shine some light upon it.
 
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You'll want at least three randomly flickering lights to simulate firelight. If you can't get a flickerbox put three people on seperate dimmers.
 
for fire I use two big 1000w or 500w worklight with two differnt gels (cto and light orange or peach).
As I also work in theater lighting, I use one 4ch dimmer connected to a light control desk and set up a chaser scene so that the two light flicker in different ways.
(if you don't have the equipment it would be easier to look for a flicker box and two worklights).
 
What resources do you have, and how big a cave do you need? You could build a frame out of 2x4s, and structure the cave walls and ceiling from chicken wire covered with paper mache.
 
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