Hey all
We have a nice theatre facility with great automatic vortek rigging hoists on 12 battens. Hit a button and they run in and out. Problem is we only have a 1/4 height fly loft, so flying large items like a floor to trimmed grid backdrop is impossible.. the bottom of a 22' backdrop would only trim at 8' off the deck.
I am tired of this issue and am brainstorming a solution to make putting up musicals more stream lined.
My idea is to use a full 22' high backdrop but put the batten at the bottom of the drop and run the 5 air craft cable lines on the vortek hoist down the back of the drop. I was thinking maybe I could sew jute webbing in 5 vertical lines down the back of the drop (5 aircraft cables on the hoist, 5 vertical lines of jute webbing sewn at vertical intervals from top to bottom), punch in grommets and run each aircraft cable from the hoist through each grommet down to the bottom of the drop and then re-attach the cables to the batten seated in the bottom pocket of the drop. Then when flown out, the backdrop would gather as the cables pull the batten upwards.
What do you think? Are there some issues I need to consider?
In essence my idea is to create a large shade on stage that gathers when flown out.
Your thoughts (not advice heaven forbid) are appreciated.
hamlett22
We have a nice theatre facility with great automatic vortek rigging hoists on 12 battens. Hit a button and they run in and out. Problem is we only have a 1/4 height fly loft, so flying large items like a floor to trimmed grid backdrop is impossible.. the bottom of a 22' backdrop would only trim at 8' off the deck.
I am tired of this issue and am brainstorming a solution to make putting up musicals more stream lined.
My idea is to use a full 22' high backdrop but put the batten at the bottom of the drop and run the 5 air craft cable lines on the vortek hoist down the back of the drop. I was thinking maybe I could sew jute webbing in 5 vertical lines down the back of the drop (5 aircraft cables on the hoist, 5 vertical lines of jute webbing sewn at vertical intervals from top to bottom), punch in grommets and run each aircraft cable from the hoist through each grommet down to the bottom of the drop and then re-attach the cables to the batten seated in the bottom pocket of the drop. Then when flown out, the backdrop would gather as the cables pull the batten upwards.
What do you think? Are there some issues I need to consider?
In essence my idea is to create a large shade on stage that gathers when flown out.
Your thoughts (not advice heaven forbid) are appreciated.
hamlett22