Fight scenes, practicals, and safety

[icewolf08]

Can anyone think of a safe way to do this? The following was sent out in yesterday's rehearsal report:

Electrics:
- The lamp on the desk needs to be practical, MARGOT will turn it on when she goes to answer the phone on pg. 36. It will also be knocked off the desk during the course of the struggle so we will need to make sure the bulb has either been dipped or has its very own, special condom which will keep glass from going every which way when it hits the ground.

I know that there are shatter resistant lamps, but after a conversation with the SM I am still a little wary about this. A few concerns: 1) It sounds like the lamp has to be on when it gets knocked off the table. 2) It sounds like one of the actors may be barefoot. 3) It sounds like the fight scene may take them to rolling on the floor when the lamp has gone down.

So not only do I foresee a glass hazard, but also a electrical and fire hazard. If the cue doesn't get called in time to take out the lamp there is the possibility of setting costumes or scenery smoldering.

Thoughts?

[jmabray]

LED lamp? Won't shatter at least...

[BillESC]

Tuff Coat Rough Service lamps should not shatter.

[Van]

I think this is another one for the "Gee they did it on TV that way...." file.
My first gut reaction as a TD is, No, not just no, but hell no. There are way way way too many variables. Yes you could dip the lamp, maybe in an acrylic medium, that's the only thing that will keep it from shattering, but if the lamp is on for any amount of time it's going to smoke and discolor. Fire hazard #1.

If they knock it off the table and the filament breaks, great, if the envelope breaks and you have exposed filaments, you have raw 120 exposed with no insulation. Death hazard #1.

Now the argument is going to come up; " Hey if the lamp breaks the Circuit breaker will blow, so no exposed 120." Wrong! the envelope can break and the filament burn out without the circuit breaker blowing, as a mater of fact that is most likely what will happen. Death Hazard #2
Next argument that will come up; " Well, we can write a cue to kill the dimmer as soon as the lamp breaks." Um, Find me an Equity Stage Manager willing to take that kind of risk. Still Death Hazard #2.

If the envelope breaks, even if it is held together with a media that hasn't degraded due to it's exposure to heat, then there are still extremely sharp edges to the glass pieces, and dipping doesn't necessarily mean 100% of the pieces will be contained. Health hazard #1.

If they insist on this particular element, then I would take a cue from Bill Sapsis, dip some lamps, break them on the carpet then lay some exposed wire on the carpet and energize it, ask the Director to go walking around in his/ her bare feet. If they won't do it, they certainly can't expect an actor to.

[derekleffew]

Much depends on the actual fixture. It's a desklamp, right? Does it have a fabric-covered wire shade? I've dropped, accidentally, a silicone-coated shatter-resistant lamp from waist high onto a pine T&G floor and it just bounced. Used to buy them in one theatre just for the ghostlight.

Something like this: 100A19/STC: Dyna-Brite Lighting, Inc..

To mitigate the electrical hazard of a broken bulb, it might be worth investing in one of these: 36895-DIM > Power Centers > Portable Power > GFCI Ground Fault Devices > All Leviton Products from Leviton Electrical and Electronic Products. I'm not positive that that is the exact appropriate device, but Leviton does make GFCIs specifically for use with dimmers.

[Van]

I just realized you ask for a way to do it, not the reasons you shouldn't.
The ONLY way I would do it would be if I could enclose the light bulb inside an industrial saftey enclosure, you know, one of the steel cage and glass jar kind. This is the ONLY way you can ensure that the actors will not be exposed to Current or broken glass.

[fredthe]

Depending on the exact type of desk lamp, perhaps you could illuminate it from an instrument mounted in the desk (or overhead). Then you don't care when the light goes flying....

-Fred

[icewolf08]

Van, the first thing that came to my mind when I got the report last night was pretty much the same list that you posted. I had to restrain myself from writing back to everyone on the distribution list that I thought someone had to be high to come up with this idea. I have been trying to put my thoughts into composed words that won't make people think I am just hot headed and don't want to do this. In my opinion it just has bad news written all over it. I just wanted some opinions on possible safe solutions for when they insist on doing it.

[icewolf08]

Oh, I am pretty sure that the stage management team would be happy to see this effect killed before they get too much further into rehearsals, but as it is their job to try and keep the director's vision, they need someone like me on their side to to get things going.

The other thing that I though was interesting is that apparently there had already been discussion of this effect in the props and scenery departments before I even heard about it, and it sounds like they are willing to go ahead with it. As those who are wanting to go ahead with this effect outrank me (TD, PM, Director, et. al), all I can do is voice my opposition, and hope that people listen.

[Traitor800]

So since you haven't mentioned what the shape of the lamp is this may not work but heres and idea that you might be able to use if you have a large lamp. You could maybe rig up some sort of gravity switch on the inside of the lamp where by there are two contacts, one of them fixed and the other movable, so that when the lamp is sitting on the table the gravity connects the contacts and then when it falls off the table the lamp lands on the side and gravity separates the contacts killing the power to the lamp. This way you don't have to worry about having the lamp be on when it hits the ground, and all you have to worry about is shattering. But yeah its just an idea, best of luck.
-Chris