TupeloTechie
Active Member
I would like to start off saying that this is not a thread about how to fly humans. I am writing this because of some of the experiences I have had in the few years of theatrical experience I have had. I do not want to discuss the rigging of flying effects or any other topic on CB's TOS. However with that being said If this thread does happen to violate some rule please delete it or edit as needed.
On with the show...
I have only been doing theatre for about 6 years but in those 6 years I have experienced 2 different times when I have been involved with a production that involved the flying of a human. In both instances they were small local community theatres and in both instances no official rigging company was called in. In both cases nobody got injured, however also in both cases the rigging used to fly the said human was not anywhere close to the way that I have seen ZFX fly in a workshop that they gave. While I understand that there are probably multiple ways to rig the tackle for this type of effect I just don't know if they really did it safely, I didn't touch it.
My point being is that:
A: Community Theatres will fly people without calling in a professional because usually the price of a professional (from what I've heard, at the low end being $4K-5K, as apposed to the $400-500 of buying the (probably not right) equipment) is the entire budget or more for their show.
B: Because of the danger and liability of the explanation of flying someone is so great there is not really any way to "learn" how to fly someone safely, the answer to the question of flight is always "hire a professional." Even in most books they won't explain the how-to, the only one I can find that explains it is Gillette's Stage Scenery .
C: Because of the stubbornness in both points A and B we end up with unsafe practices in the community theatre level.
I'm not versed in the practices of law, so I have no idea about the legal matters of explanation, but isn't there some way to release liability so that someone can explain the safe way to fly a human? Because just saying "hire a professional" doesn't seem to work, and while I would never do It, I just think that it would be somewhat better for these places to at least do it the proper way instead of using parts from the home depot.
Any Discussion on this? Also this whole point also deals with pyro, however these places usually have to get past the fire marshal for these, so there isn't as much of a danger.
On with the show...
I have only been doing theatre for about 6 years but in those 6 years I have experienced 2 different times when I have been involved with a production that involved the flying of a human. In both instances they were small local community theatres and in both instances no official rigging company was called in. In both cases nobody got injured, however also in both cases the rigging used to fly the said human was not anywhere close to the way that I have seen ZFX fly in a workshop that they gave. While I understand that there are probably multiple ways to rig the tackle for this type of effect I just don't know if they really did it safely, I didn't touch it.
My point being is that:
A: Community Theatres will fly people without calling in a professional because usually the price of a professional (from what I've heard, at the low end being $4K-5K, as apposed to the $400-500 of buying the (probably not right) equipment) is the entire budget or more for their show.
B: Because of the danger and liability of the explanation of flying someone is so great there is not really any way to "learn" how to fly someone safely, the answer to the question of flight is always "hire a professional." Even in most books they won't explain the how-to, the only one I can find that explains it is Gillette's Stage Scenery .
C: Because of the stubbornness in both points A and B we end up with unsafe practices in the community theatre level.
I'm not versed in the practices of law, so I have no idea about the legal matters of explanation, but isn't there some way to release liability so that someone can explain the safe way to fly a human? Because just saying "hire a professional" doesn't seem to work, and while I would never do It, I just think that it would be somewhat better for these places to at least do it the proper way instead of using parts from the home depot.
Any Discussion on this? Also this whole point also deals with pyro, however these places usually have to get past the fire marshal for these, so there isn't as much of a danger.