Chandelier "falling"

Zech

Member
Looking for ideas on how to SAFELY "drop" (it will be in slow motion) the chandelier in Clue. If you have a picture or drawing it maybe helpful. I may attach it to a baton that is as high as it can possibly go. In this high position the chandelier will be at its set height during the performance. When it is time to drop the chandelier, lower the baton and hopefully the chandelier will be on the stage deck before the baton can be seen. This way the chandelier can be counter weighted and have to be lowered down, rather than the chance of possibly falling. Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
Looking for ideas on how to SAFELY "drop" (it will be in slow motion) the chandelier in Clue. If you have a picture or drawing it maybe helpful. I may attach it to a baton that is as high as it can possibly go. In this high position the chandelier will be at its set height during the performance. When it is time to drop the chandelier, lower the baton and hopefully the chandelier will be on the stage deck before the baton can be seen. This way the chandelier can be counter weighted and have to be lowered down, rather than the chance of possibly falling. Any ideas would be appreciated.
@Zech What's the highest height of your battens when they're all the way out?
How much travel do you need for your chandelier??
Have you considered a sheave atop your chandelier so you could dead tie hemp to your grid, run it down, thread it through a sheave atop your chandelier, then back up and tie the free end to your batten of choice???
Your batten would have to travel twice the distance of your chandelier; with the hemp running down and back up, you'd have twice the support and less tendency for your chandelier to rotate.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Looking for ideas on how to SAFELY "drop" (it will be in slow motion) the chandelier in Clue. If you have a picture or drawing it maybe helpful. I may attach it to a baton that is as high as it can possibly go. In this high position the chandelier will be at its set height during the performance. When it is time to drop the chandelier, lower the baton and hopefully the chandelier will be on the stage deck before the baton can be seen. This way the chandelier can be counter weighted and have to be lowered down, rather than the chance of possibly falling. Any ideas would be appreciated.
@Zech An alternate proposal which wouldn't involve a batten and should easily take care of your travel distance concerns:
Totally supported and flown by (a much longer length of) hemp.
Dead tie one end of the hemp to your grid.
Route it down, through a sheave atop your chandelier then back up to another sheave on your grid; then across to a third sheave above your fly floor and down to your pin rail. Your fly person(s) will have to pull twice the length of hemp but they'll gain mechanical advantage and only need to deal with half the weight. At your pin rail, dead tie your chandelier's low trim and never untie it.
Haul it up from there and tie its high trim either on another pin or on top of its low trim.
When it's time for your chandelier to fall, untie the high trim leaving one wrap around the pin so your fly person can easily lower it on cue at your desired speed and under complete control.
I'm liking my second proposal better as it affords you far more travel without any concerns for a batten coming into view.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
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@Zech, your profile shows you affiliated with a high school- so the question becomes "Are you staff or student?" Generally, rigging effects aren't the kind of question we want to get too deep into online because of the danger of misinterpretation. Tell us a little more about your background/experience, and if possible we'll help. But if the situation warrants it, we can also point you toward qualified individuals to consult in person.

How much does this chandelier weigh?
That factor will determine what type and diameter of rope you use.
Diameter and type of rope will determine what size and what kind of sheaves you use.
How will the sheaves attach to your grid? What type of grid do you have?
Where, and to what, will the chandelier line tie off to in order to secure it?
What's the grid height, and distance from offstage to center (where I am guessing the chandelier will descend from)? Grid height will determine how, and how fast, you actually have to start moving the chandelier- even if it's a "slow" move.

Hit us with this knowledge and let's see what we can and can't do for ya!
 
Is the chandelier is always visible? Does it just need to descend from the set's "ceiling" height to floor height in a safe and controlled manner, and not disappear entirely for some scenes?

I think your basic idea of using a batten in the fly system sounds very much workable, provided of course the chandelier is within the (point load) weight limits, is properly and securely suspended/attached to the batten, etc. I also suspect it wouldn't be too hard to keep the batten from being visible, at least on a standard-ish fly system, since to be useful for scenery flats etc. the batten travel needs to be at least as great as the visible stage height. With the chandelier, assuming it doesn't need to disappear entirely, you need less travel than that--just from it's hanging height to the stage deck or floor or wherever.

I would avoid relying on the standard chain that chandeliers often use to hang them; such chains are not very sturdy, and presumably only sized so as to hold it up in a static, non-moving situation. Running a wire rope safety cable through or alongside the chain seems like one good way of ensuring its safety; using a rated chain could be another.

Properly bringing power to the chandelier, if it is required to illuminate, would require some planning and care, and frankly might be the trickiest part of the whole thing.
 
I’m inclined to say that this probably should be handled by a company like ZFX or Flying by Foy. For the liability insurance alone I would recommend that. In the event someone gets injured by this effect or dies. I would recommend ZFX over Foy personally, they are very open to working with clients who are at a variety of levels. Plus they are willing to work with a client on pricing.
 
Just when you think everyone's forgotten....
Never forget who made the decisions and how your colleagues, friends and coworkers got hurt. Don't repeat those mistakes and JUST SAY NO to directors and producers that will not be among the dead or disabled when shite happens.
 
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I’m inclined to say that this probably should be handled by a company like ZFX or Flying by Foy. For the liability insurance alone I would recommend that. In the event someone gets injured by this effect or dies. I would recommend ZFX over Foy personally, they are very open to working with clients who are at a variety of levels. Plus they are willing to work with a client on pricing.
I'm sorry, but this might be the largest overreaction I've encountered yet on this forum. Do we call in zfx or foy any time we want a scenic piece or drop with bottom pipe to land on the deck? I can't define slow motion, but nothing about what I'm seeing in the initial post raises any concerns about performer safety in the desired effect, and presumably blocking can be adjusted to provide an additional level of safety.
 

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