Friday, September 09, 2016
In the Paint
Stage Directions: Painting a stage floor to match your scenic design probably seems like a no-brainer—until you actually attempt it. Why? Changing your surface color actually requires some key knowledge to get the job right. For example, did you know that using latex paint—even only on part of your job—can change the acoustics in your venue? Depending upon the depth of your stage, the color you pick can shrink the look of your backdrops and set pieces. And if you don’t know the right way to apply floor paint to a stage, hello, streaks and scratches. We asked the top pros in the business for their sage advice on how to accomplish the task like a veteran, from choosing the right paint and equipment to application tricks to maintenance and more.
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13 comments:
I’ve never really thought about everything that goes into painting a stage floor beyond the challenges of not painting your self into a corner while doing it. Things like the type of paint changing the acoustics of the venue would never have even crossed my mind until now, after all its all paint isn’t it? This article did a great job showing me just how wrong I am and in explaining what to do to get the best possible finish. Unfortunately, I don’t think what they advise is all that practical. I remember when we repainted the Chosky floor last year and while we cleaned it before hand it definitely wasn’t one as thoroughly as the article calls for and we definitely didn’t give the paint a day to dry before walking on it (or seal it for that matter). We just didn’t have the time to do it that way and I can’t imagine many places do.
I remember in high school being fascinated whenever seeing a show that had a painted/ treated deck, because it just pulled the world together so much more concisely than just a barren black stage. We never painted our stage for shows (except to paint black latex over the scratch marks and spike tape gunk every other year), so I’ve always thought of floor treatments as such a lavish extravagant aspect of a scenic design (if a show has a painted floor, it must be professional!). I remember being in awe of the first show I was on crew for here, Much Ado, and the beautiful painted tiles on masonite that we lay down at an angle. What I found particularly interesting about this article was what John Sarri said about textural deck treatments. I would never think to mash up leaves, mulch, joint compound and varnish on top of muslin to be used as a floor covering. I think in this case it would be very important to be aware of the actor’s costumes and what could potentially combine to be a safety hazard (sharp flooring and high heels?), and also how and where moving scenic elements go (could you roll on a stage like that?). I’m excited to see how nature- inspired textures (moss and dirt and stone) work in Playboy coming up soon.
I did not realize how important painting and texturing a stage floor was in the theatre. I have never seen a theatre do all of the steps in this article to paint a stage floor, but I see how they are useful. If a stage has an awful looking stage floor, since it is a majority of the space for most shows, it can really ruin the production quality. It is also very important that the stage floor matches well with the set so that neither of the two upstage the other. I did work on a show one time where the director decided to paint the stage and the set the same color, and looking back on it I now realize why it did not look very good. They just blended together creating no depth to stage other than the cyclorama. It would be interesting to conduct an experiment where one theatre used all of these steps while the other did not, and see if it was noticeable to audiences. I think this test would cause more theatres to place importance on the stage floor and production qualities would be better overall.
This article is so interesting I had no idea the type of paint could change the acoustics of the stage so much. And they go into so much detail as to exactly what techniques and rollers to use. The article is quite extensive in explaining why you have to be so careful when prepping the floor and protecting it after it’s painted. You don't want anything to get trapped under the paint or it can get chipped off and any more foot traffic than what it will see during the run can give you headaches in the future with touchups. Even though it saves the budget if you don’t have to make a floor out of masonite, the headache involved with painting it all either very soon before load in or even in the middle of load in sounds terrible. And you still have to be aware of many of the same pitfalls in painting when painting a sheet good floor in the paint shop, but at least the time schedule and traffic are more controllable. Painters are amazing and think of so many more things than is at first obvious.
When I first began my scenic painting mini class two weeks ago I had no idea all of what went into paints.. Besides simply painting something green because it needed to be green or painting brick because it was supposed to be the outside of a building, I was unaware of the technique, science and skill that went into painting a set. Painting was done for purpose not design. In the two paints classes i have had so far all of that has changed. Painting is how the designers ideas marry with the stage. And decisions made in the paint shop effect all other areas of the show. The glossiness, texture or vibrancy of a stage floor can effect actors, lighting designers and so much more. I am really looking forward to my future paints classes and all they can teach me.
I think this article does a nice job in reflecting how much work goes into a singular aspect of theatre. It is very easy to forget what other departments are doing or are focused on when you're racing with the clock to create a new piece. I have little experience in scenic painting, however, I have a huge respect for everything that goes into it. Detailing for the stage is something I never thought about until I was assigned to do a stress treatment for the walls of an apartment in the show A Raisin in the Sun. The different precautions of how to be careful around wet paint and how easily the floor can be damaged is so well portrayed in this article. I look forward to beginning my Paint mini in Stage Craft and learn some techniques illustrated in this article.
Wow I really could've used some of these tips this summer... First of all, I did not know that a coke or sprite mop head had to be different than the regular warm water mop because that would've helped a lot. We had a black high gloss floor that was raked, so for the purpose of dancing and actors not tumbling to their deaths, we used Sprite to sticky up the floor. But, as other interns mopped, I noticed that the paint began to react more and more to the Sprite. I said something about it to some higher ups, but they were like "It's probably fine." So now I know maybe something was going on with the Sprite and the paint that was from Lowe's. From working this summer as a paint intern, I really saw just how complex it is, and how painting is really like science. Everything needs to be exact, so much thought goes into engineering what goes where. This article also showed me an element I'd never though about- texturing a floor with muslin. I'd really like to try that, or see some examples of that because that sounds extremely cool. Though, with how Muslin shrinks up, I'd be afraid of it on the whole floor staying down. And as for the color thing- I'd really like to know what those colors are that can shrink a space. Paint may seem easy to others, but perhaps its just physically easier than say, carpentry. But really there are so many elements that need to be thought about.
Much like many of the other commenters, I didn't know that paint could affect the acoustics of a space. That's crazy. As a technical designer I have a vague idea of what certain materials will do on stage, but even then that's with a very elementary understanding of sound. It would be great if there was a textbook or manual, or maybe even a class or two devoted to the different ramifications of scenery materials and finishes with regards to other departments (and in this case sound).
I do love the detail that this article goes into with regards to possible scenarios of paint treatments and how much detail and attention must be paid to get a floor treatment to match the rest of the finished set pieces. The job of a scenic artist is vast and multifaceted, leading to my ever expanding respect and adoration of scenic artists everywhere.
I think that because the floor is such a simple and straightforward thing, so many people take it for granted. I am definitely a believer that one bad or out of place element in one area of design can absolutely ruin one or more other areas of a design. A beautiful set on top of a mediocre floor makes for a mediocre set. Another thing I think this article really highlights, that many people may not have thought of, is how much a floor can add to, or even be the focus of, a good show design. I also think that the section on testing is key. Many people, in my experience, when they go to paint a floor, they get out the rollers and paint trays and a team of others and just start rolling. Because they've painted a floor black many times, they just go ahead and keep doing like they normally would. But if the floor has a glossy top coat, they may need to sand it first, so the all in or go for it method may actually result in those same people spending the next few days trying to remove the black and sand down to what they should have done in the first place.
I was surprised by how many steps are required to prep and paint the stage floor. I'll definitely consider the texture, cleanliness, and design of the floor more and how it affects overall cost and man hours the next time I design a set. I spent part of my summer internship repainting the stage with a simple latex paint to resemble wooden planks with no thought of how the process could affect the acoustics. Recounting my high school experiences, no thought was given to make sure the scenery and furniture wouldn't harm the stage. At first thought it seems like that type of prep is overkill, or unnecessary for the time and budget constraints of amateur theatre. I wonder how many other design elements of theatre we take for granted at the beginner and professional levels and how they can be harming the overall safety and efficiency of a production.
I had no clue that the paint on scenic elements could affect the acoustics in a space. That's pretty cool! I think like most things in theatre, the painting of a floor is much more complimented than it seems at first glance. Along with the acoustics, I did not know that there were certain techniques and products that could make a floor treatment last longer, aside from a sealant.
This article also talked about "Sprite" a product that stickies up a floor so that actors have more traction. I didn't know this product existed! However, I think it is important to note that the article details why not to combine it with other chemicals, or mix it with other cleaning tools, used for literal cleaning. Chemicals in general need to be treated with care, especially in a hectic space like backstage at a theater. Overall, this article effectively details the nuances of treating a floor in the theatre, and why it is so important to think about all factors before working on the project (a nice note for any project). Most importantly, it points out that the stage floor is most likely the largest scenic element in a set, and should be treated as such. Floors are important!
This was a very informative article. I appreciated all the tips and tricks that the author provided. I never thought of the stage floor as "the single biggest scenic element" before, but I agree with Mulcahy. The stage floor is extremely important due to its ability to immerse the actors (and thus the audience) in the world of the play. It's interesting to me that the author vehemently recommends paint designed for stage floors and nothing else. Surely, there are more high-durability paints out there in the world, right? Scenic painters can't be the only people who have to deal with high foot traffic. I might be wrong, but I would wager that there are other paints out there that would work. Although, these other paints might be for very niche applications and would, accordingly, be very expensive. Regardless, it's interesting how the paint on the deck, something often taken for granted, can have a profound effect on the scenic design and the actors' movement and navigation of the set.
I really like this article; it has a lot of good information in it. Sometimes I think that people take painting a stage floor, especially painting it black, for granted. A lot of times I hear the excuse of repainting or ‘its just a black floor’ when discussing the floor for any given show or event. I have come across people who don’t want to sweep or mop because they are painting the floor black or say that if anything happens they’ll just repaint the floor. This article gives a lot of good information to avoid just that. I never realized just how much there is to think about even if you’re just painting a floor black. One thing I’d like to hear more about is how to deal with seams in floors, but that’s another article. On a final note, I’m not sure how much one has to worry about the acoustic effects of paint in the theater with more and more sound reinforcement or enhancement in theater.
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