Creating New Backdrops

Where do we get the ideas for new backdrops? Many times it is our clients who inspire us. We take their comments and requests very seriously. If someone requests a new backdrop, and we believe it is something others will appreciate, we begin the process of creating.

Our dance teachers always have suggestions for new designs for their recital themes. Over the last couple of years we have created The Daily News, Flipping Channels, and Weather Map for our dance clients. This year we are adding Fun & Games, Coast to Coast and Transportaion to meet their needs.

Many of our creative event planners have ideas for new themes and have led us to create an entire series of backdrops. We created the Pirate backdrops backdrops to wrap a large gymnasium. Our newest set of backdrops is the Tropicana. We are continuing to add backdrops to many other themes including the Oriental series.

After the new  idea has been adopted, we start the work of producing the backdrop. Our designers begin the preliminary design. They will work many hours refining their original image and getting feedback from the client throughout the design process. When they are satisfied they have created the best design possible for the new backdrop the painting will begin.

With the new design in hand the team of artists in the Backdrops Fantastic Studio begin to bring the 800 square feet of fabric to life. Over several days the blank canvas is transformed to create a piece of art. The meticulous care that is taken in every step of the creative process makes the difference in producing another mediocre backdrop or a truly fantastic backdrop.

Watch as the artists bring the new Decades 4 backdrop to life:

A letter to Backdrops Fantastic

Every now and then you receive an unexpected compliment and it confirms everything you are trying to do. All of us at Backdrops Fantastic were so humbled by the recent words of our client Dave Pinkham of ALL CAPPS Productions. Dave took the time to write a letter after renting backdrops for the Nutcracker and because he expressed so many of Backdrops Fantastic's goals as a company we wanted to share this letter.

Dear Backdrops Fantastic,
I think you know that I have been very appreciative of the excellent customer service, wonderful telephone manner and "fantastic" level of communication your company has shown me in the last two years.
I have been renting backdrops for this and other productions for 11 years, now, and I can say without qualification that Backdrops Fantastic is, in a word, Fantastic!
Where others treat my little, one-man production company like a fly on the wall... perhaps because I "only" rent once or twice a year, every person I have spoken with at Backdrops Fantastic, without exception, has treated me like a valued customer, has listened to my needs and concerns and worked WITH me to make my shows a success.
I have, over the years, suffered a few "horror stories" with regard to drops, so it's always a stressful item on the agenda -- getting the drops reserved, confirming the reservation and dates, confirming availability, ensuring shipment to the right address on the right day at the right time...
and so on, and so on. Your process is easy, proactive (I love getting calls and shipping updates so I know that the drops are on the way), and communicative. I particularly like your year-to-year agreement.
The first time we did business together, you "saved" me when a reservation I had for drops with another company got "lost" in their card file somehow and, with only a few weeks before opening I was left with no Nutcracker drops. I called every company I know about and came across yours via internet searching. Maureen was the first sympathetic person I talked to in all of my searching and you collectively managed to find a way to get drops to me in time to save the day.
I have since recommended your company to anyone who has asked me where to get drops, yours will always be the first on my list, not just because of the "save," but because of your consistent follow-up and reliable service, combined with a superior product. I can tell by your attention to detail with regard to where and when the drops need to be returned, that you are treating every customer down the line in a similar way.
I expect to be producing the Nutcracker for years to come and expect to be a long time customer. I do direct one or two other shows during the year as well, and we occasionally rent drops for those as well, so I may well be in the market again soon.
Thanks for demonstrating the value of a customer-care focus and excellent quality.
-Dave Pinkham
ALLCAPS Productions

The origins of the Halloween holiday

Guest Blog by John Robert Myers

There is an Autumn chill in the air. Spiders, busy spinning their webs, are also catching victims for their winter meals. Horror movies of vampires, werewolves and scary castles are on television and in the theatre. Our Halloween backdrops of graveyards, pumpkin patches and Transylvania landscapes come to mind (check them out!). Halloween activities include carving jack-o-lanterns, visiting "haunted houses", costume parties, Halloween plays, bonfires and of course trick-or-treating. We at Backdrops Fantastic are getting in the Halloween spirit! Turn down the lights, and we shall tell you the spooky legend of Halloween.....

To find Halloween's origin, we must travel back 2000 years to the area now known as Ireland, northern France and the United Kingdom. The Celts who lived there celebrated their new year on November 1st. They believed that the transitions of the seasons were a time of magic. On the night before the new year, they celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-in). On this night it was thought that the spirits of the dead roamed the earth. On this day, households would extinguish their cooking fires as a way of making their homes inhospitable to ghosts. The Celtic priests, or Druids as they were called, would meet and light a sacred bonfire, thanking the gods for the harvest. On the morning of November 1, the Druid priests would give a hot ember from the sacred bonfire to each family, so that they could take it home to start new cooking fires. The Celts would bring the ember home in hollowed-out turnips, creating a lantern (more about the turnip later!). The festival lasted for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of animals representing various gods of nature.

By the year 800 the influence of Christianity was spreading into the Celtic lands. Around this time, the Pope designated November 1 as All-Hallows Day as a time to honor saints and martyrs. The pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a church-sanctioned holiday. Eventually, the night before became All-Hallows Eve. In the year 1000 the church would make November 2 All Souls’ Day to honor the dead. The holiday was celebrated similarly to Samhain with bonfires, parades and people dressed in costume.

Now back to the hallowed out turnip! There is the very popular Irish tale of a famous cheapskate named Stingy Jack, who avoided losing his soul to the devil by tricking him. He convinced Satan to climb up a tree for some apples, and then cut crosses all around the trunk so the devil couldn't climb down. The devil finally promised Jack that if he let him out of the tree, he would never take Jack's soul. Well, when it came Jack's time to die, due to his life of sin, he was turned away from Heaven. But, because of his promise from the Devil, he wasn't welcome in Hell either. As Jack was leaving the gates of Hell, the Devil threw a hot ember at him. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip, and wandered off into the darkness. According to Irish legend, you might see Jack's spirit on All Hallows' Eve, still carrying his turnip lantern through the dark. The jack-o'-lanterns were popular in Ireland and Scotland. The Irish brought the tradition to America and switched from the turnip to the bigger, more plentiful pumpkin!

In late medieval times the European custom of souling came into being. On November 1, All Saints Day, "Soulers", (mostly poor folk and children) would go door to door, singing and begging for "Souls" (small cakes made out of square pieces of simple bread desserts with a currant topping). The more cakes the beggars received, the more prayers they would promise to say on November 2 (All Souls Day) on behalf of the donors dead relatives. It was believed that prayer could free a soul from Purgatory. The soul cake song that the soulers sang was very similar to the lines of the modern "Trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat, give me something good to eat."

When one thinks of Halloween, witches and black cats come to mind. Some legends tell of witches, arriving on broomsticks to attend a party hosted by the devil on Halloween. There is also the legend that witches could also shape shift themselves into black cats or black cats were spirits of the dead.

By the end of the 1860s, only Catholics and Episcopalians celebrated All Saints' Day and Halloween. The two religions combined made up less than 5% of the U.S. population. The two religions began a campaign to put those two holidays on all public calendars. In the late 1800's Americans began to mold Halloween into a holiday more about neighborhood "get-togethers". Halloween parties for children and adults became the most common way of celebration. When Halloween finally did appear on the calendar, magazines and newspapers made a big deal about it. This gave the holiday national attention and people began celebrating it with costume parties and bonfires. In the 1920's and 30's Halloween became a secular but community centered holiday. As in modern times, treats were handed out in order to prevent tricks like lawn rolling at each home. Today, Halloween is our country's second largest commercial holiday with more than two billion dollars spent each year on candy alone!

Examples below of our Halloween theme backdrops available for rental or sale

Classic Horror backdrop

Transylvania backdrop

Halloween backdrop

Graveyard Ghoul backdrop

Spider Web backdrop

Haunted Mansion Interior backdrop

To see more of our Halloween theme backdrops click here;

http://www.backdropsfantastic.com/backdrop_themes/Theme_Backdrops_Halloween_and_Horror.htm

What Do You Do With those Beige Walls?

We get calls all the time from people with the same dilemma - they're planning the event; they've got great centerpieces, beautiful linens, amazing entertainment and BORING CREAM/TAUPE/BEIGE WALLS. Their themed event needs something to bring everything together... something that will transform their blank space into an unforgettable event.


Now, what could be simpler than hanging a backdrop? Immediately, the room has been transformed from dull to spectacular. Backdrops Fantastic has already created hundreds of hand-painted themed backdrops for the event planner. Nothing could be easier! Instead of hauling hundreds of plants and props into the space, take a few minutes, and install a piece of artwork that will wow your guests.


Check out all the themes at http://www.backdropsfantastic.com and take your guests to Africa, Egypt, Paris, New York, a ball game, to the 80's, the carnival or even to Outer Space. The places and themes are here. It's your choice ... a little imagination plus Backdrops Fantastic equals a memorable event.


Around the World



Tail Gate Party



Back to the 80's



Pink Planet

Where will you celebrate the Fourth?

Wherever you are we hope you will be able to see the FIREWORKS!


Fireworks were associated with Independence Day celebrations even before the signing of the Declaration. The earliest settlers brought their love of fireworks to this country. Firings of black powder were used to celebrate holidays and to impress the natives. By the time of the American Revolution, fireworks had long played a part in celebrating important events.


John Adams wrote on July 3, 1776 to his wife, after the Continental Congress had decided to proclaim the American colonies independent of England,"The day will be most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival … It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."


It was natural, then, that not only John Adams but also many of his countrymen should think of fireworks when independence was declared. The very first celebration of Independence Day was in 1777, six years before Americans knew whether the new nation would even survive the war, and fireworks were a part of the celebration.

233 Years later we are still celebrating!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Backdrops Fantastic suggests using one of our backdrops as a way to bring the fireworks to your event.

How Many Ways Can You Use the Same Backdrop?

Backdrops Fantasic finds it interesting to see how clients use the same backdrop in so many different ways!Their imagination is astonishing - they are always coming up with new party ideas.

For Example:

Take one of our favorite backdrops: Tropical Beach Sunset


The amateur event planner seeing this backdrop would automatically think, "Beach Party!"

A Beach Party is a great idea, but is that all we can do with this backdrop? Not if you start thinking out of the box. All of a sudden ideas start flowing:

• Castaway Party


• Survivor Party


• Christmas in July


• South Pacific


• Luau


• Jamaica Me Crazy Party


• Blue Lagoon Getaway


• Surfing USA

Now we've started, can you add any?

Our point?

Don't be generic! Give your events some specificity and excitement. Our backdrops can handle it!

Take a trip with Backdrops Fantastic

Can you believe June is already here! Where did the time go? The question now is ... what are your vacation plans?
With a little imagination and a few of Backdrops Fantastic's backdrop images we can take you to Paris, a tropical beach, New York, Las Vegas and all around the world. You name it and we have it.
While a trip to one of these locations might be too much for your budget, how about creating the perfect event using one of our original theme backdrops. Then you can take your friends with you!
If you can't go and you can't have that party right now, take a trip to our website and dream through our themes. We promise you'll love it.

Eiffel Tower AW022

Tropical Pool TB016


New York Sunset CI002


Las Vegas 1 CN002