[SML] Digital scenery for Marionettes

[Dale Farmer]

I haven't played with large screen TVs in a couple years, but when I 
was, they were heavy, fragile, expensive, and required a lot of kludging 
if you wanted to do anything other than watch sportsball in your living 
room with them.

    Something that I did think of, if you have the images already in a 
computer, it to print the images out on printable cloth.  You just need 
access to a large format inkjet printer/plotter.  HP sells rolls of 
printable cloth.  You can even put a roller mechanism to scroll the 
cloth up to the next image for a scene change.

Dale


On 12/13/2018 10:49 PM, Joe Dunfee via Stagecraft wrote:
> I have been given a Marionette Passion Play, with 3' tall marionettes 
> and nicely done painted sets. We are planning to do some performances 
> this spring at various locations in South-Eastern PA.
> 
> However, the flats are damaged enough that they need to be redone.  They 
> are 3' wide, x 5'-6" tall.  This is very close in size to a 75" TV, and 
> so I am wondering if it is time to go digital with the scenery, rather 
> than hire someone to repaint.  I could digitize the images and then 
> print them.  But, if I can do it affordably with TVs, that will also 
> reduce the size of the team needed to perform it.
> 
> Normally 3 of these panels are on stage, and one is offset to the side, 
> to provide an opening for a passageway.  But, there is one scene where 
> it should stretch across the stage as a single scene.  Even a small 
> bezel would interrupt the continuous image.  But, there are some pretty 
> thin bezels on most TVs, and perhaps I can just accept that this scenic 
> background is broken into 3 images.
> 
> I am looking for recommendations for TVs.  Here are all the needs:
> 1) Between 65" and 75" diagonal.
> 2) 4K, UHD display.
> 3) No more than 75 lbs, and preferably much less.
> 4) Ideally without a bezel, but up to 3/8 would be acceptable.
> 5) Cost is an issue. Preferably well under $1,000.
> 
> I have looked at LGs Wallpaper TV.  I love that the display part is only 
> 16lbs. But, price is high. The bezel is not as desirable, and the 
> thinness of the panel is not really a benefit. But, I don't see how it 
> would be practical to connect that large box below it that houses the 
> electronics to drive it.
> 
> Any other recommendations?
> 
> -Joe
>