How NOT to hang decorations...

[photoatdv]

Inspired by something I thought of when reading the building a fly system thread... but not relevant to it.

This is something that happened on a show I did several months ago. We hung a cloth 2' x 3' flag by putting a piece of 75lb test rope over an empty pipe then flew it to trim height-- the idea being that the actors could come on stage grab the rope and hoist the flag (cheap way to raise a flag). No problem there... the flag seriously weighed a few ounces MAX, the rope was light, it wasn't putting any undue strain on the pipe, ect.

HOWEVER: The flag wasn't really flying right because it was bunching up instead of staying open. So I was planning on putting a piece of wood along the top, so well as setting up a way to secure the ropes so it couldn't fall. In the chaos of tech I was interrupted while going to do that... and handed the piece of wood I was holding to one of my assistants to put near the flag so I'd have it when I got to that. Well a helpful group of my techs heard me telling the director I was going to put the piece of wood on the top... so they went ahead and did so without my help or knowledge. We start rehearsal (note: I still don't realize they did this... I just figure we'll rehearse with what we have.). Middle of rehearsal, the (slightly too piece of wood work it's way loose from the "rigging" my helpful assistants did and comes crashing down to the stage barely missing several performers.

What had gone wrong? By adding the block of wood, the flag turned from something benign to something dangerous. However my helpful assistants didn't think through that that block of wood could have been VERY dangerous falling from 30+'... and would most certainly come loose the way they rigged it (it was BAD).

SO, MORAL OF STORY: If hanging something light/not dangerous/ect (which isn't really possibly... but still)... don't incidentally make it dangerous! I've also seen relatively 'safe' things turned dangerous by attaching a piece of cardboard to heavy steel chain or carbiners to twine or fishing line... that cardboard may not be very dangerous, but the chain definately could injure something.

SO, even when hanging something 'safe' don't make in dangerous by how you hang it!

This incident scared the crap out of me... because I hadn't been paying very much attention to my crew because it was 'just a flag' and was safe. When we hang plywood signs, ect, I'm watching the junior crew like a hawk. Just goes to show why someone who is qualified needs to oversee (and pay attention to) ALL rigging.

Another note from the same show... make sure your flymen know WHICH lineset to bring in... it looks bad and is dangerous if they fly the wrong one in (happened same show).

Not quite a ship post but long...