Flying drops/objects with only dead hung electrics

[BobHealey]

I'm working on a show at the moment where the director wants a pair of cartoon style clouds made of cardboard or builders foam to appear/disappear at various points in the show, and to also have a 10'x10' drop to be revealed in the finale (drop dimensions not set in stone). I'm trying to figure out means of running cabling for this that doesn't result in losing the two most upstage "electrics" to scenic needs. 25' trim height, no access except via single person genie lift. Pipes do not reach edges of stage area, so all control runs to ground will be at an angle to vertical. Is there potentially a way I can do this that doesn't involve striking all the upstage down light, and all the back lighting?

I'm actually the LD for the show, not set, but I need to figure out how to alter the lights to make set's vision work - the theater's pecking order is set, costumes/hair/makeup, props, sound, lights. The lower you are on the list, the more departments that are allowed to dictate constraints to you, such as losing 40% of the over stage lighting positions, or if equipment can be taken and made into a prop without asking first.

 

[TheaterEd]

Can you talk them in to using a cloud gobo? http://www.rosco.com/images/Gobos/Steel/Large/78169.jpg

 

[BobHealey]

Can you talk them in to using a cloud gobo? http://www.rosco.com/images/Gobos/Steel/Large/78169.jpg

Nope. Not cartoony/3D enough.

 

[JohnD]

Would it be possible to dead hang another pipe and use a roll drop(olio drop)?
http://www.studio-productions-inc.com/white_papers/wp_oleo_olio_rolldropmain.html
http://sightlines.usitt.org/archive/2013/02/TheLastWord.asp
You could then rig, using hemp house type rigging, the clouds, perhaps made with coroplast and painted.
http://www.coroplast.com/index.htm

 

[BobHealey]

This is what I've got to work with. Photo is from Sound of Music, production I'm dealing with now is You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Set is going to be a 4' high "rock" (painted luan) wall between the yellow pillars. The clouds need to appear in front of the yellow arch, the drop behind. No real way to add another pipe.

 

[JChenault]

Some off the wall ideas.

You might consider hanging a batten 2 or 3 feet below your electric and rigging the clouds, etc from that. It would get in the way of down light, but you might get some utility from back light.

Can you run some upstage/ downstage pipes between the existing electrics ? Attach with roto locks or equivalent and you could create some pick points for your drop and clouds. NOTE. This will add weight to the rig, make sure you are happy with the rigging points or get someone to look at it.

Have you considered running a wire cable right to left in the space and running the cloud along that? The cable would have a large sag in the middle ( do not try to get it straight as you will likely pull the attachment points out of the wall ). It might be a very different look that the director would like, and you could avoid your electrics

 

[FatherMurphy]

Perhaps the clouds could be mounted on a stick, and supported from the ground?

 

[JohnD]

How cartooney can you go? Clouds on a stick from the side, stagehands on the second level SR and SL. For the drop, a soft drop with poles going to the upper corners, Walked on and held aloft.

 

[TheaterEd]

I like the idea of the clouds mounted on a stick from the sides. They could even be hinged to the wall and lowered and raised via stagehands and ropes. I'm picturing them hanging from a rope at the end of the stick. When vertical they would hang straight down and be hidden, then when they lower they would be right overhead.

 

[gafftaper]

First off the 10x10 drop. As long as you don't have to roll it back up it's really simple. Firmly attach the top end of it to the batten then roll the other end up and attach it to the same batten like a Kabuki Drop. Then it's really simple to release one end and it'll roll right down... make sure no one is under at the time.

As for the clouds, if they are really light weight foam, what about hanging them on a fixed point out over the stage and then pulling them off stage sideways (like a pendulum). Rig up a line to the deck and you can simply pull them back out of sight off stage.

 

[BobHealey]

The set crew and director are married to their ideas, so I'm probably just going to strike the upstage electric and live with the upstage being too dark. Lots of good suggestions, but most of them aren't feasible due to architectural or financial constraints. The original plan set had to do this fell under "how not to do it" in terms of materials used.

 

[MarshallPope]

Is it possible to sidearm either scenic or lighting off of the electric so that it can do double duty?

 

[BobHealey]

The instruments aren't the issue, the socapexes, breakouts, and extensions tied to the pipe are the issue - getting in way of pulleys and lines. The building is a former Catholic church built in the 1800s. When the company moved in, a rigging company was hired to put something in for lighting. Due to building age and architecture, adding more overhead rigging points is not feasible without hiring a structural engineer and a certified rigger. The olio drop looks interesting, but I'd have to build it, and I don't have the time to do so. This is only community theater, and I'm already pulling triple duty as lighting and sound designer and master electrician.

 

[JoAnna Stump]

I had a similar space to work within last year while doing YAGMCB. I used a fishing pole and line as my "pulley system." I attached a heavy gauge fishing line to my cloud (in the fashion of picture wire to a single point) then had the fishing line attached to the balance point, ran it up and over one of my stationary pipes among the man in the ceiling to the fishing rod. Used the same type of set up to fly the kite, too. It worked! It also, did not interfere with the lighting at all. I hope this helps spark an idea for you.