Lighting

Kirby and I were in charge of lighting for the set, but while I had some time spare while making the screen I made a start. I consulted the autocad sketches I had created, I decided to start by trying to work how I would make the glass flute section of the light as I thought this would be the hardest section. I thought a plastic bottle would be the easiest solution, but initially it was hard to find a single bottle with the correct shape. Luckily my brain kicked in and thought that if I used a long section from one bottle and a stumpy rounded top from another I could create almost the perfect solution. By using a bottle top to create the bottom of the flute it sparked another idea. If i used styrofoam to create the middle 'brass' section I could carve a bottle top shaped hole and simply screw the 'glass flute' into the 'brass body' easily. I carved a circular piece of styrofoam from the left overs of the screen and rounded it to create the brass body. My autocad sketches showed a reservoir for the oil on the under side of the brass body, this was easily made from another bottle top and a bottle cap glued onto the bottom of that. Once this was done I made the wall mounts for the lights. I simply drew out a rough oval shape onto a piece of MDF and cut it using the band saw I then sanded it down to give and even shape and smooth sides, a quick lick of brown and black paint and some varnish and they were done. I then added a small dowel to attach the wall mouth to the actual light. I small nail painted gold was then glued to the side of the lower flute section to look like the lighting mechanism of the oil lamp.

After consulting with Kirby we decided to try and create a working light mechanism for the inside of the light. We decided that a dismantled fake tea light would be the best way to go as it would give of a realistic light and also the mechanism would be small enough to fit into the styrofoam body of the light.

So after a trip to the 99p shop and returned with some 'scented flameless candle' (bizarre eh?!) after a quick fiddle we managed to open these small candles to get the basic mechanism out (a light, battery and a switch). Where I had initially attached screwed the top flute in I cut right through the styrofoam body to live a whole right through to the main body. This allowed us to place the mechanism is with the switch and the battery and the bottom of the main body and the light extending up through to emerge at the bottom of the flute. To switch the lights on and off all that had to be done was remove the bottle caps that had been glued on to the bottom, so now it was detachable to allow the switch to be accessible.

Just as we were about to attach the light to the wall we decided to change the design slightly, Kirby and I werent really happy with the spiky decoration I had added previously. We didn't think it accurately depicted the baroque period and looked slightly childish. We decided to go with the autocad sketches in the end and add a simple gold band as it felt more classy.

We were advised to place the lights next to the mirror in the drawing room and after some deliberation we decided to go with it, we simply measured horizontally and vertically in order to get the right height and equal widths form the mirror.... Heres the finished result.