I have a blue 55 gallon drum. I want to use it to make into a stage prop size roll of film. How?

Question

I have a blue 55 gallon drum. I want to use it to make into a stage prop size roll of film. Im going to paint it black. How can i make the negative part? I want it to look like a negative strip coming out from the drum and somehow apply oversize photos on it to make it look more real. this will be outside so it needs to be durable. its also for charity so it needs to be done cheap.

Answer 1

You may have to forgo having the negative strip semi-transparent. If you're willing to have it opaque, you can use black posterboard and glue it together (overlap by about 6" for durability's sake) to make a long strip. You can add strips to the side to make the holes along the edge -- it would be easier to paste on strips than to cut holes all along the edge -- being sure to overlap those by 2" - 4" so they'll stand well. You can paint photos on white posterboard and glue them securely on. If you want the whole thing slightly curved, be sure the black and the white are curled to approximately the same degree. To get something and heavy that big to curve or curl a bit, run it over the side of a table or a sturdy railing of some kind. Hold it on both sides and slowly pull it over the edge, making sure the edge contacts the whole piece of posterboard. You remember 'curling ribbon?' Same principle. If you get it too strongly curled, turn it over and uncurl it a bit.

I don't know how to make it weatherproof, but this will stand up for a day or two outside. You can spray it lightly with a gloss polymer coating so it's shiny. If you spray the coating too thickly or too close, the colors will run. Spray it lightly and it'll be fine.

Answer 2

Sounds like a great idea--I worked at a Museum where we faked things or did oversize for effect and with not much of a budget at all:

I would get dark mylar and affix that with clear tape on its short end to the barrel---then clear page protectors could be taped to the back of that with pictures inside at intervals. Make sure you have the cannister looking like a commercial one with lettering or another color, or 35 mm, 27 exposures or something like that written in. How charming!!!

Architects use mylar, but there is also the thinner sheet mylar on a roll that you would wrap baskets with. Didnt negatives come in brown or amber years ago?

Have fun. jb

Answer 3

That's a terribly interesting idea! I've been trying to think of things you could use but with a drum that size...it's hard to imagine what supplies you could find big enough. I can only suggest going to a Home Depot and asking an associate to help possibly find some things that may work.