"Dance Nation" falling light

[Amy Putnam]

Hi, I am new to this site, but I am trying to solve a problem and I am wondering if anyone else has encountered it.
We are doing a production of "Dance Nation". At the very beginning of the play a lighting instrument is supposed to fall from the grid to the stage floor. Our grid is 16' high, and I am trying to solve for a safe way to achieve this effect.
Has anyone solved for this in a production they have worked on, or does anyone have any thoughts?
Currently I am thinking that I will have the instruments "electrical cable" travel through a pully that an operator allows to run. The operator will be able to stop the fall if a performer is in the wrong place and risks injury?
Thanks for any information and thoughts you can share

 

[What Rigger?]

Hey Amy, what kind of light? How heavy? What king of grid or battens do you have? How will the light be stopped at its low point? Does it have to hit the deck in view? (I kind of hope not). Have you and your technical director discussed any of this yet? An actual electrical cable will be insufficient, problematic, and outright dangerous to use. But sourcing the wrong design and materials to get The look is also problematic. Sounds like this effect is a cousin of Phantoms chandelier. What more can you tell us? And as always, the caveat that we are Verrrrrry careful with the advice/instruction we give regarding this sort of thing here on CB.

BUT since you're in Massachusetts, maybe @egilson1 would want to see this too?

 

[StradivariusBone]

I'd lean towards not using an actual lighting instrument. I bet you could fashion a cardboard one using a packaging tube, paint it black, etc. That and a well timed "clunk" sound effect would do the trick and not potentially injure anyone should it hit them. Outside of that, I'd second all the points @What Rigger? raised.

 

[Amy Putnam]

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies!!

In my test runs I am using an empty parcan with the top riveted in place. The parcan is maybe 10 lbs.

I have pulled the actual electrical cable and I am using a 1/2" braided nylon rope, coming from the place that the electrical cable normally sits in the parcan. For now, I have secured it with a barrel knot on the inside of the instrument. For the performance, I will need to rig some sort of quick disconnect so the instrument can be struck and the line pulled back out.

We have an open box grid that is 16' off the floor. I have a pulley serving as the loft block, and a second pully at a head block location turning the lift line to the mezzanie where the operator will stand.

They do want the instrument to hit the floor. It will be US slightly left of center. There will be one performer on stage, seated, about 20' away down right.

Thanks for the thoughts!
@StradivariusBone @What Rigger?

 

[theatricalmatt]

My focus with things falling from height is often not that the object might fall on someone -- which, of course, *everybody* is worried about -- but also that things break and go flying and then strike someone. Twenty feet might seem pretty far, but it'd be easy for a knob or gel clip to break off and travel that far... or into the audience. So I agree with @StradivariusBone's suggestion to build a prop light out of sonotube or another material, preferably something less bendy-breaky.

 

[egilson1]

my first thought was carve a foam light and drop it. That could be done without the “electrical wire” needing to be disconnected.

 

[What Rigger?]

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies!!

In my test runs I am using an empty parcan with the top riveted in place. The parcan is maybe 10 lbs.

I have pulled the actual electrical cable and I am using a 1/2" braided nylon rope, coming from the place that the electrical cable normally sits in the parcan. For now, I have secured it with a barrel knot on the inside of the instrument. For the performance, I will need to rig some sort of quick disconnect so the instrument can be struck and the line pulled back out.

We have an open box grid that is 16' off the floor. I have a pulley serving as the loft block, and a second pully at a head block location turning the lift line to the mezzanie where the operator will stand.

They do want the instrument to hit the floor. It will be US slightly left of center. There will be one performer on stage, seated, about 20' away down right.

Thanks for the thoughts!
@StradivariusBone @What Rigger?

Well, this sounds like you've got the right idea about things.
A snap shackle from your local sailing supply house would be a much more low profile quick release for getting the can off the line. Use an actual rigging/sailing shop, don't go the Amazon route. That might even allow you to swap the light for a shot bag in the blackout and fly the line back out.

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I'm kinda diggin' the idea of faux instruments to take the drop. I know there's a certain level of durability in par cans', but cardboard doesn't tend to lead to sharp edges after a drop and it'll be much kinder to your deck.

 

[mrtrudeau23]

We did this production last summer here at Northwestern. Our props department used our laser cutter to make a black matte board PAR can replica which was taped together. The show was blocked so that the cast was on the other half of the stage, so this allowed the "fixture" to freefall to the deck with little chance of anyone being hurt. I believe we also coupled it with a well-timed sound effect as the matte board hitting the deck didn't create the desired sound. The drop was about 20' or so. The props department made a few copies of the fixture since one wouldn't survive the entire run, though we did get multiple uses out of each copy.
Edit: There was some foam core involved in ours too. Also added a picture.

 

[Catherder]

We did this production last summer here at Northwestern. Our props department used our laser cutter to make a black matte board PAR can replica which was taped together. The show was blocked so that the cast was on the other half of the stage, so this allowed the "fixture" to freefall to the deck with little chance of anyone being hurt. I believe we also coupled it with a well-timed sound effect as the matte board hitting the deck didn't create the desired sound. The drop was about 20' or so. The props department made a few copies of the fixture since one wouldn't survive the entire run, though we did get multiple uses out of each copy.
Edit: There was some foam core involved in ours too. Also added a picture.View attachment 24789

Those look awesome!

 

[mrtrudeau23]

Yeah, we have a kick a$$ props department!!

 

[Malabaristo]

Yeah, we have a kick a$$ props department!!

Agreed! If you can get someone to dig up the drawings they used for that, maybe @Amy Putnam could find a local makerspace (or any rando with a laser cutter) to help make some copies?

 

[Amy Putnam]

Thanks, I have removed all the pieces that can go flying.

 

[Amy Putnam]

Those look awesome!

thoe ar so cool!!!

 

[Amy Putnam]

Agreed! If you can get someone to dig up the drawings they used for that, maybe @Amy Putnam could find a local makerspace (or any rando with a laser cutter) to help make some copies?

If there are drawings, we could laser cut it at the maker's space here. If you were willing to share them. Thanks again for all the thoughts @mrtrudeau23

 

[mrtrudeau23]

I can check with our props lead and see if he's willing to share them.

 

[Amy Putnam]

thanks! I have a student who might really enjoy make them

 

[SetMonkey13]

I'm happy to share the files. It was created in Fusion360, but I exported as dxf if that's easier. Also attached the Lightburn files I used with the laser cutter. There are some lines that should be etched for folding and others as cut lines. The files might need a quick lookover since they were made for me and not fully prepped for someone to use them (there are some layout lines that are not meant to be cut in the dxf's).

The part that takes the longest is the gluing of the back cap. I think I did pairs of the pieces, and then took the pairs and attached those together till I got the needed size. We thickened up the end by the gel frame as well (see the right of Michael's photo), this helped with the stability and crushing of the tube part.

Edit: I added the lightburn files and better dxf files.

 

[Amy Putnam]

I'm happy to share the files. It was created in Fusion360, but I exported as dxf if that's easier. Also attached the Lightburn files I used with the laser cutter. There are some lines that should be etched for folding and others as cut lines. The files might need a quick lookover since they were made for me and not fully prepped for someone to use them (there are some layout lines that are not meant to be cut in the dxf's).

The part that takes the longest is the gluing of the back cap. I think I did pairs of the pieces, and then took the pairs and attached those together till I got the needed size. We thickened up the end by the gel frame as well (see the right of Michael's photo), this helped with the stability and crushing of the tube part.

Edit: I added the lightburn files and better dxf files.

THANK YOU! We will send photos if the student decides to take it on.