# Need Help With 1950's Black / White Theme Design for Office Event



## imaginedesign (Aug 26, 2008)

So last year I won the office halloween competition. I need to raise the bar this year and of course on a small budget. SO here is the theme I'm trying to work out. IN addition to the first pressure we are inviting in all co-workers kids this year and making it a big deal so I have to keep my crown.

Last year was haunted cave combo. I had stage lighting to set an erie blood glow, all walls were made block, we crafted cave entrances out of styrfoam to make them look like rock. Then I hand painted them with acrylics to achieve the rock look, lot's of spider webs, snakes, etc were everywhere


THIS YEAR I WANT TO DO:
1950's horror / film noir / psycho /

Setting:
I plan on closing off the area as much as possible to get it to resemble a single hotel room or maybe a hall and a hotel room. Then I will use different light sources if possible to achieve the look. I may even dress up as the live actor this time. The tricky thing I want to do is make the entire area appear black and white. I have the vision in my head of what I'm trying to create just not sure how to pull it off yet.

Some thoughts were sheets (dyed and colored grainy / black and white film) all around to set up the mood of a scary scene. I probably will incorporate a shower scare scene of some type. I will have scattered (bloody or otherwise 1950 replicated newspapers laying around), maybe a mannequin.. I want people to be suprised when they take part in this. So I may employ the use of some co-workers to do some live action skit.

So here is where I need help. I'm trying to plan this earlier so I can see if I have the resources to pull this off.


*Ideas:*

On how to set the scene I'm trying to achieve with simple props, hand crafting items. 

For skits


I'm thinking I may find some way to use theater lighting filters again to get the color I want.

Any ideas? 

THank yoU!


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## imaginedesign (Aug 26, 2008)

I've gathered some more ideas on this from the web: and from the boards:



Good Will - For clothing, decorations, photographs, etc.. etc,
Stage Lighting Filters - TO get my black white ambient lighting
I'm coming up with my "skit"



Still looking for lots more ideas on this.


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## Elza (Jun 21, 2004)

It's a very creative idea.

Are you doing it completely black and white? I ask, because you mentioned blood. If so, you'll need to make black blood to stay consistent with the color scheme. 

Here's where your expense may come in: You will need to make furnishing different shades of gray.

I would also suggest that your characters should wear makeup so they have the shades of white and gray, as well as hair and clothing.

If you wanted to make it look like you where filming a black and white horror movie, you could have a directors chair, clapper and make something to look like the old movie camera's. Set it all just at the entry where all of a sudden the normal colors in the chair, clapper and camera move to the black and white. It should add an effect of color shift and help to emphasize it.

Your doing this in an office, so how do you plan to pull off the shower scene?


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## imaginedesign (Aug 26, 2008)

I'm not sure yet on the shower scene. I like to start of with a massive idea and then pair it down to reality. I love the concept though of the scene being a "horror film" being filmed that has gone wrong. Great idea

Yeah in the office how am I going to do it not sure yet. I haven't spent all of my brainpower yet on the idea.


THanks for the response!


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## Elza (Jun 21, 2004)

If you have cubicles, you could cover the walls of a cubicles in your gray or white, then take a expanding rod and attach at the top of the cub opening and add a white shower curtain liner. You may need to cut a little off the bottom if the cubes are not tall. What I did for my bathroom scene was take a piece of cardboard, punched a hole and attached it to the shower ring, behind the curtain. Then I took a knife and punctured the curtain into the cardboard and left the knife hanging there. Drizzle some blood and you have a scene. I even took one of those fake foots you can buy and placed on the floor behind the curtain to lend to the idea that someone was stabbed behind the curtain. 

You could have an actor behind the curtain and a light behind him to have the silhouette show through the curtain. (Or make a dummy)

If no cubes, you can still do this to a wall. Hang the rod with string from the ceiling, (up against the wall) and do the same as above. have blood running on the floor from behind the curtain. You could create for this a black silhouette out of black paper and put it behind the curtain if it is slightly transparent.


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## imaginedesign (Aug 26, 2008)

awesome I love the idea! - Next week I'll start scouting out where I want to put it aruond the office. I have a few places in mind. I have an old shower curtain. 

so far my list of stuff include:

Black & White makeup,
black & white clothing
Blood - (Although i'm doing this kinda like the film sin city - where blood appears in color.
Small table - I'll probably use one of my own..

BED - not sure how I'm going to do thsi one yet. 

photos black & White i have this covered - 


So building upon the idea more. I want to hand out clues leading up to halloween. Almost a who is the killer type thing and have them available for people at locations in our office. So it will be spread out and involve all departments. (like mini invitations to solve the) story of the haunted hotel.


Great ideas your ideas are just making me think of more


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## DeathDealer (Jun 18, 2004)

You may want to experiment with yellow lighting. It has a way of making things appear black & white. I think you can still pick up red, but if not you could use red or white light to highlight blood.


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## Elza (Jun 21, 2004)

Okay, the bed is easy too. Take cardboard or poster paper (you get the idea) and make a head board and mount to the wall, then take a table, push up to the headboard. Cover with sheets and pillows. You could even do a body on the bed.

I am handing out clues to my Murder Mystery in the form of newspaper articles. I will upload some pictures of them to let you see what I did. They will be in my photo albums here under 2008 pre-party. Give me about 20 minutes to get them up. 

You need to come up with a name for what you are creating...it will help with building the clues.


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