Sharkstooth Theatre Scrim Fabric

60’ x 35’ Purchased for a project but never used. Cost us $3000+. Specialty fabric for Theatre productions. Meant to be cut to size and painted or left white. A scrim, or scrim curtain, is a versatile tool in live theatre used to create a magical "bleed-through" effect. When lit properly, a scrim can appear as an opaque, painted backdrop. As the lighting transitions, the scrim begins to "dissolve," revealing the scene behind it. With continued adjustment, the scrim disappears entirely, creating the illusion of transparency. The image at the bottom of the page shows an example of a partially completed bleed-through effect, where the actor and the house behind the scrim are starting to become visible. How is this enchanting effect achieved? The secret lies in the interplay between the scrim’s unique fabric and strategic lighting angles. A scrim is made from a gauze-like or netted material, composed of small rectangular openings—1/8" by 1/16" in the standard 2-thread weave. Its weave is dense enough to hold paint but open enough to vanish under specific lighting conditions. To showcase the painted scene on the scrim without revealing what’s behind it, the scrim must be front-lit at a steep angle, such as from above, ensuring no light spills onto the elements upstage. To make the scrim disappear and expose the scene behind, the lighting gradually shifts: the upstage elements are illuminated while the angled front lighting is dimmed and eventually turned off.