A weblog about theatrical drapery and stage curtains for Production Managers, Set Designers, Custom Drapery Resellers, and local/school/church Productions
Recently Rent What? Inc. had the pleasure of working with Raphael Saadiq on some beautiful drape rentals for his concert tour stage design. His crew wanted draping that was simple yet dramatic, something that could be lit to look different at each show if need be, and something that was versatile enough to be able to have its shape and style change from night to night. We came up with gorgeous White Voile draping 24’h by almost 70’w with 100% fullness (lots of pleating) from our Delightably White Drapery Collection, which you can see turned out to be exactly what was asked for.
Because of the sheer textile of White Voile, it could be dramatically lit with all sorts of colors and intensities to help create the right mood for each song being played. They were able to hang these drapes at different angles because of the clever usage of the drapes’ grommets and ties on top, and so they were able to make unique staging while still using the same drapes over and over again.
We love being able to come up with memorable drapery rentals for our clients. This was a perfect example of how we help accomplish what our clients want without them having to spend an arm and a leg on renting multiple types of drapes in order to create a new and unique feel for each show.
So you want to create your own downtownscene and make it either quaint or edgy, uptown or downtown, back alley or main street. This is not a problem.
We recently created a downtown scene for a theater group in Deadwood S.D. for their Christmas show, and the end result was impressive. The objective was to make a believable looking street in Downtown Deadwood. The problem was they needed stores and shops that are not necessarily in the same proximity to appear on the backdrop as if they where actually there.
Using several provided digital assets, we created the new custom street digitally, complete with window decorations, snow, wreaths and the like to make the audience feel like they where standing in the actual street days before Christmas.
The end product was not only believable, but it put you in the mood for the holidays at first glance.
Back in June, I wrote a post about Sew What? and Rent What? working together to provide custom stage curtains to the Glee Touring Show.
Well, a few months later, we were approached by the folks at Glee again. But this time, they wanted us to provide custom theatrical drapery for the set of the television show. Very exciting! We work with music tours and traditional theatres regularly, but not much in the television and film industry. And Glee is the perfect television show to utilize our drapery, with its emphasis on music and performing.
If you watch the show, you may have noticed the Grand Drapes and Border, in gorgeous Brick 21oz Velour, in the episode entitled “Special Education,” which premiered in late November. And keep your eyes out in future episodes - we provided a variety of custom drapery pieces to the show, including masking drapes, legs and borders, scrims, and cycloramas.
If you missed the episode “Special Education,” or if you want to watch again to check out the drapery, Fox offers full episodes online on the Glee website.
Last month, we worked on a really interesting project, and I just had to share (especially after seeing the gorgeous photos and videos). I love all of the custom stage curtains, digitally printed backdrops, and other specialty soft goods that we make, but it is particularly fascinating for me when we do projects that are more unique.
Katy Perry was scheduled to appear on VH1′s “Salute The Troops” special on December 5th, and she wanted to appear on stage in a very dramatic way – by parachute!
Naturally, she couldn’t really parachute on stage, but it certainly appeared as if she did, in a very patriotic way, and I am proud to say that Sew What? played a part in making it happen.
The parachute structure began as two custom steel frames, which fit together to mimic the shape of an open parachute. The frames were then delivered to us, and our sewing shop got busy with red, white and blue stretch fabric. It was a little tricky, as it was important to carefully match each stripe to the contours of the frames. The end result? An American Flag “Parachute.”
I thought it looked amazing in our sewing shop, but I was floored to see how spectacular it looked in use. With the parachute suspended from above by unobstrusive cables, and Katy Perry hanging from the “parachute” by more noticeable white cables, it really did appear as if she was parachuting down onto the stage. Very dramatic, don’t you think?
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, in my post about videos, that Megan had recently come upon a video that she received from a client back in 2009 for a Sonic Youth project we had worked on. Well, I thought I’d tell you more about it (and show you the video, as promised).
While we are primarily of manufacturer of custom stage drapes, we don’t limit ourselves to standard theatrical drapery. Often, we are asked by clients, particularly those in the music touring industry, to ”think outside the (drapery) box” to make something a little different (though still fabric based). This was one of those projects.
We were asked by Dan Hadley to make Custom Light Pod skins to fit over frames. The primary fabric used was Flame Retardant Natural Heavy Weight Muslin with Blackout Lining (also known as Passfoam) used on the inside (except for the back). Then, using client providing renderings, we cut out a different design from the front of each pod and inserted natural scrim into the cutout. Lastly, the client contracted with an artist to scenically paint the pods.
This really was a clever design. By lining the front and sides with Blackout Lining, but then cutting out the designs and inserting the scrim, a variety of lighting techniques could be utilized to emphasize the design and even trick the eye into thinking that the design is moving.
Not quite sure what I mean? Check out the video of Sonic Youth that Dan sent Megan:
… How a macabre turn of fate changed everything and lead to the birth of Sew What? Inc.
I was 20-something when I arrived freshly from my native Australia and found my way into a stagecraft company specializing in amusement park installations and special events. I hung lights, drew electrical lines, rigged sets and loved the life of a rockin’ roadie. I’d have gladly continued down that path…but luck intervened.
The specialty event company got an unusual request: build ten coffins for a Halloween attraction at Knott’s Berry Farm. Although that was a bit afield from their usual business, the company accepted the assignment. But they had no one to upholster the satin linings into the coffins. The president asked all employees if anyone knew how to sew, and I spoke up without too much confidence, “I do!”
For a week, I sat in a Carson garage-style warehouse with yards of material, a staple gun and a rented sewing machine making each casket a prop to die for.
In the process, I thought, this could be fun. I took on other independent projects, starting with sewing drapes and linens for entertainers and party planners, then onto specialty fabric projects for Las Vegas casinos. With my love of rock and roll, I soon began sewing drapes and backdrops for a few rock concerts. That brought an end to my work as a stagehand and launched my new company, Sew What? Inc., in 1997.
Since that time, the company has grown into one of the leading providers of custom sewn drapes and fabrics in the concert and theatrical industries, creating spectacular sets for such A-list names as Madonna, Kid Rock, Rod Stewart, Lady Gaga, and even the cover of the iconic 1000th issue of Rolling Stone. I could not be more thankful for those clients who have trusted and supported us along the way.
I’d like to think that our formula for success is simple – personal drive and a commitment to cutting edge technology. The results speak for themselves – the prestigious Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award for business innovation, Inc 500/5000 Award as one of the fastest growing privately held businesses in America, PC Magazine’s SMB 20 Award for technological innovation for small and medium-sized businesses, and the Stevie Award for “Most Innovative Company of the Year – Up to 100 Employees.”
Who knew that sewing a couple of coffins could lead to all this? Sometimes, the secret to success is just being there when dumb luck happens to fall on your head!
You may remember that I posted last week about the Alice in Chains project. Although I included linkes to several videos in that post, I just found out about another great video from their current tour, so I thought I’d post a brief update. The video is a great compilation of scenes from the show.
In late January, we worked on an interesting project for the 2010 tour of Alice in Chains. The primary pieces that we made were a series of Single and Double Kabukis.
The Double Kabuki, at 25′ h x 45′ w, was made out of Silver Poly Silk, and then the 5 Upstage Single Kabukis (all at 22′ h and ranging in width from 10′ w to 44′ w) were of a silver textured satin. We also made a number of pieces for the stage (drum riser, amp panels and floor light coverlets) out of Black 16oz Commando Cloth lined with Aluminum Mesh, as well as some black masking drapes.
Rent What? also provided some pieces, including a Classic Theatre Header (Red) from their Timeless and Traditional Series, along with a number of Borders in Black 15oz Encore, and furnished the 44 piece Solenoid System with controllers (used with the Kabuki Drapes). Check out the Classic Theatre Header in this photo:
We were all really proud of how the pieces turned out, but you never know how the client will react. Well, I am happy to report that the client loved them! Yesterday, Megan received a thank you letter from Mike Baldassari, Production Designer for Alice in Chains, and it is such a great letter that I have to share a little bit of it:
Dear Megan,
I’m writing to again say thank you for all of your help, hard work, expertise and most especially your “do whatever it takes” attitude in support of Alice in Chains’ current tour…. I was also impressed with the quality, workmanship and organization of the delivery of the goods that Sew What built. You have my sincere gratitude for a job very well done, and I look forward to working with you and Sew What on other projects as well in the near future.
Best Regards,
Mike Baldassari
It is so rewarding to get such positive feedback from our clients, and to be able to share it with our employees, especially those who worked so hard on this project.
By the way, if you’d like to see Alice in Chains in action, with some of our drapery providing the backdrop, I found several videos on YouTube. I think this one highlights (yet again) how perfect silver / gray fabric is for projection, whereas this one shows the drapery in its actual silver color at the start of the video and then shows how it can become almost any color with the proper lighting (you can also see some of the mesh pieces on stage in this video).
Note: Want to see a Kabuki Drape in action? Check out this video.
