Phantom Moose Films » double doors http://phantommoose.com The adventures of three filmmakers and their families Fri, 11 May 2012 18:15:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Dramatic Double Doors http://phantommoose.com/2008/03/06/dramatic-double-doors/ http://phantommoose.com/2008/03/06/dramatic-double-doors/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:17:48 +0000 Rebekah http://phantommoose.com/2008/03/06/no-idea-any-suggestions/ Read More →]]> “We want sinister here,” an enthusiastic director said. “We want suspense! Swell the music as the badguys march in through the door.” Wait a minute. What door? Where in our house do you expect to find a giant, wooden door for a castle throne room? “That won’t be hard!” the director replied. “A little cardboard and hot glue and you can make it happen.” Well, maybe. How big do you need it? “Oh, just big enough… You know what I mean.” That’s what I was afraid of. “Come on, you can do it. Oh, and while you’re at it, let’s make it double doors. It’s more impressive.”

If you haven’t guessed by now, that was a conversation I had with myself during the pre-production of iSundae II. The director won. The propmaker was sentenced to a week in the craftroom, or until the double doors were done, whichever came first. I had already made a much smaller door for a different part of the movie, so I couldn’t plead inability. I fired up Boomer, my hot glue gun, and started cutting. And cutting and cutting. And gluing. And cutting some more.

I got empty fabric bolts for free from the JoAnn Etc. in our area and used them for the exterior of the doors. I glued them together in a large sheet, then added rings of thinner cardboard to support the shape, since it had to be a thick door. Whoever heard of a throne room door a half of an inch thick?

Fabric Bolts Laying Out the Cardboard

Fully BuiltThe back and edges were attached to that, and it was time for the decorative stuff. Cardboard slivers, corrugated edge up, became fancy trim. Cardboard triangles added to the effect, and a cardboard handle finished it off.

Painting the DoorI spray painted it brown, which was a mistake because I let the paint spatter and it ruined the wood grain effect. Then some copper accents and you have it. The director was happy, the propmaker was tired, and the double doors looked good.

Final Doors Single Door Final Behind the Doors

How did the doors hold up in the movie? Here’s a video of three different entrances, each showing a different way we can use the doors.

]]> http://phantommoose.com/2008/03/06/dramatic-double-doors/feed/ 1 iSundae II Production Days Five and Six http://phantommoose.com/2007/03/27/isundae-ii-production-days-five-and-six/ http://phantommoose.com/2007/03/27/isundae-ii-production-days-five-and-six/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:51:12 +0000 Ruth http://phantommoose.com/2007/03/27/isundae-ii-production-days-five-and-six/ Read More →]]> On day five we slid over half the furniture in the living room and set up the iSundae wielders’ study. We filmed there for most of the day with Somindeo, the wielders, and a few of their visitors. Also, in the afternoon we did a short scene involving Fonsuger… and a bottle of poison.

Oh, we needed a Viking guard at one point, so we came up with a great costume and wig for Ben. We were all in hysterics.

Today (day six) we took as much furniture out of the living room as possible and erected what is known as “The Cone Throne Room.” We had a ton of scenes to film in there so we were at it all day. Good thing we got it all done today, though, because the dining room table is smashed against the wall, which makes eating rather difficult.

Filming was just very long and tedious today. Relatively uneventful, though. Oh, except for when one of the huge double doors toppled over and came crashing down on Sarah, who was sitting in front of it. Thankfully, she was wearing a Viking helmet at the time so she didn’t get hurt, but one of the horns snapped off. Easily fixable.

As you can see, I have pictures ready now! Here are the three iSundae wielders:

And here’s Rebekah operating our Kitty Cone puppet. She had to splay out all over the floor and Jordan claims she looks like she’s been run over by a car, or something.

Well, who said filmmaking was comfortable?

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