What type of Stage Flats?

What type of Flats do you use in your theatre?

{this is not about accommodation, digs, shoes, corsets or prosthetics!]

Are they the 'Soft'{ [Broadway] for want of a better name} flats, the hard [Hollywood / Studio/TV] Flats, 'scene Board' , Cardboard or what ever?

Personally I prefer the soft flats, which takes more effort to make, but it can be a loft of fun. especially as a stagecraft or workshop exercise.

There are a lot of bods who argue for the use of the hard TV flats & I can see some value in their reasoning!

Anyhow lets hear what you use, why or? Not that I would attempt to convert any to using cloth flats, but I prefer using unbleached Calico [the yanks call it Muslin or flax] in preference to canvas. Mainly because it's cheaper & lighter, also I find it easier to work with.

For a starter here is the named parts that traditionally make up the frame of a Flat;- http://www.tvradiofilmtheatre.org/Culley/PartsFlat.html

Of course once you make up a frame, it can be skinned with any material. From ply, MDF, Masonite, cardboard or 'Luan'. I have never met Luan, but the yanks seem to adore her. [A cheap wooden sheeting]. Or even just use the hard sheeting without making a frame.

I remember David got innovative when he was doing the shows for 'Effie Crump theatre', a few years ago. He made up steal tube frames, with ply sheeting, which was inter changeable. Because he applied Velcro strips to the frame & rear of the boards, to effect quick changes to the complete set. Also it made it easier to tour the basic framing & packs of different sheeting. Rather well done David & to me it worked effectively, for the logistics of that Company.

There can't to may of us old Lacer's left these days Logos?

Although I still prefer to use this method, for flats which about 20' high & taller. Because it saves climbing up to fix or Ledger them to top rails together. Also I do love the gasps & expressions on the faces of younger warm props & crew. When after undoing doing the bottom knot, with just a flick of the wrist, let the flat fall down & rest gently on to the stage. They still look on in complete amazement. Ensuring first of course they are cloth flats! [the air under the cloth surface cushions the flat, the last few feet or so, slowing the falling flat down, to a gentle rest on the stage].

I use slip pin hinges in most case, with the joining together the smaller 12' flats ;-http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T61700

As usual these are not available at local hardwares, so we make them up our selves, using the ordinary flap butt hinges. We file or grind off the top of the hinge pin, then separate the halves. Using just mild steal rod, cut it off into lengths, to form the slip pin, as pictured in the link. they work well & even great for building rostra & also joining on to set pieces & French braces [Jacks]. Also using a short piece of white cord as lanyard, iie one end on the pin grip & the other to the hinge. This ensures the pin remains with the hinge, as they are easily lost or misplaced. the white cord also helps especially when doing it in the dark.

I remember the days days when we used wallpaper size to dope the cloth, gawd there is nothing worse than the smell of it, if some yo yo has left it out over night, in an unsealed container. Thank gawd for plastic paint [latex] which when watered down works much better. Unlike the days of using Poster paint & emulsions. I find the unbleached calico will shrink just as much & become as tight as a drum with the very watery plastic paint, also even after the front cloth paint has dried, you still can spray water on the back of the flat to tweak it up. However one trap to stay clear of, when buying the calico, is to ensure it is unbleached or pre treated any way, including fire retardants. raw cotton fibre is the best for shrinkability. 

I agree that with that only one flat, is not scary as such, but a whole wall of flats always gets more reactions. Even when I was a wee bloke [nothing changed there, as I have never grown up?] even with a pro cast, the hardest thing was always to get them not to attempt to  stop the flats falling! With the 'Professors Hide' would scrim not be a better material. unless you need a light on behind it?

By the way Na I think your new 'PIM" Logo on your posts, is great & well thought out!

I have never seen Luan in the hardware shops, but it is good to know it's available. I always thought it was a fabricated panel boarding. But it is actualy a mahogany type wood, with a tight short grain, unlike flamin 'Pinus bleeding awful' with loads of knots & stringy grain ;- http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/mahogany,%20philippine.htm which has prolific regrowth, the same & just as fast as Tasmanian Blue Gum.

I have noticed over the years in a number of comeatres. Who use the TV flats, made of various particle boards, such as MDF, Masonite & even Chipboard. That they go to great lengths not to use any fixings like screws or even heaven forbid nails for hanging pictures & the like. In fact most place an embargo of not allowing any fixings in the flats surfaces.

While by just applying calico , as a Gesso over the the flat, they can have the best of both types of flats.

The calico is easily repaired & applying 'Dutchman' masking, using strips of calico, to blend in. This is also what is good about soft flats, as they are easily repaired in the same manner, unlike hard flats which are a complete drama & they are never are the same after being patched up.

Cardboard is another possibility for flats. When I worked in the TV studio, all the sets were normally made of just cardboard & sticky tape.

Fire retardant can be applied in the usual manner.

Here is a couple sites which give examples;-

Cardboard King

http://www.geocities.com/cbking43/index.html

Cortec cardboard

http://www.cortecscenery.com/

A fairly cheap flat material, for some great results.