Need some help building a budget bat signal!

[Lobo]

We're going to have a superhero themed party and thought it would be a cool idea to build a batsignal. I'm aware of that it might be hard to make one visible in the air(although that would have been bleedin awesome) so I was thinking about how to make one just projected on to a wall.
We are already a bit stretched on budget so does anybody know a cheap way of doing this? IIRC I've seen some Bacardi logo lights that does just that.
Or could we make a batsignal in the air with small means?
I don't have any real big guns, a Tiablo A9 for a projected beam and some flood lights we probably could hustle up from a painter we know.
Any tips?

 

[Lobo]

Seriously? Nobody? You can't be telling me that in a forum full of flashoholics nobody ever tried to make their own batsignal? =)

 

[ab1ht]

I remember as a kid we would get old OJ cans and poke holes in one end to make constellations on the ceiling.

You could probably get a larger can (family size string bean can or something) and cut the pattern you want. Then just put a cheapo light inside.

Is this along the lines of what you're asking for?

 

[gallonoffuel]

I am thinking (scary), and this is just hypothetical and not tested, that in order for a clear image of your stencil to show up (assuming you're cutting a pattern into a film of some sort and sticking it to the flashlight lens) that you'd want to use a light that will work without a reflector. The reflector is bouncing light at many angles, albeit mostly forward, and I think the image will be extremely blurry or non-existant if the reflector is present. My suggestion would be to do it with a maglite with the reflector removed, and use some black construction paper glued or otherwise adhered to the lens. I can give this a try when I get home.

 

[Lobo]

Both of you, thanks for the tips.
Dense as I am, I didn't try the easiest solution and just cut out some paper and put on a light, and it wasn't actually that bad on a Tiablo A9(although a paper is too thin, going to try to use something thicker). I haven't gone out yet to try it on a longer distance, but we just want to have a big bat projected on a wall.
I'm curious about removing the reflector though. Did you get a better result? I have a mag, but with an old magled dropin, so it's not that bright. Have to find the led though before I try it on that light.

 

[tlillard23]

go to the party early and draw a bat on the wall. get to the party and light up the bat... or use clear glow in the dark paint.

seriously, your cutout will probably have to be a few inches away from the light source. I am thinking a paper towel roll with the bat cutout on the end

 

[NE450No2]

If you want to do it on a wall I would think a slide projector, with the proper slide, would be the best way to go, as the lens of the projector can be focused.

You could pre place the projector in a hidden/not seen location, and plug in the extention cord at the proper time.