Making People Fly...Without using a fly system.

[cvanp]

In my tech theatre class our instructor told us about when Peter Pan w/ Cathy Rigby toured to the University mainstage theatre (we have a lot of pro tours come in which is fun).

Apparently while in rehearsals for one of the flying effects (the one where Cathy flies above the audience), they lost control of the line that Cathy was on due to a miscalculation (the pulley was placed too high up in the fly house) and she flew out into the audience at the wrong location, slammed into a seat, and dropped into the aisle. These were professionals running the rig too: they had a rep from the flying company actually there helping to set up and run the rig. Pretty crazy stuff.

The next day, Cathy came back from the hospital and was ready to try the flying again. They had made adjustments to the rig, moving the pulley to a lower spot so they would be able to more easily lift Ms. Rigby, and it seemed everything would be ok. However, to reassure Cathy, they decided to test with a sandbag.

The sandbag got airborn and promptly began a similar path - straight into a seat. For whatever reason, the effect that had worked so well in New York just wasn't adapting to the new environment (in hindsight we think it was our unusually tall proscenium causing the problem, but what's done is done).

That effect was cut from our venue and all venues after.


[there's really no ultimate lesson to this story. just an interesting anecdote proving that i pay attention in class and that flying actors is "serious business!"]

 

[tcsta]

We just wrapped Willy Wonka. To simulate flying without leaving the ground, we had the actors on heelys. As they "tasted" the bubbles, they began to skate while singing. It was an adequate effect, especially for such a short scene. We also rigged two large bubble machines (hidden, of course) that shot horizontally in front of the stage. It was like a curtain of bubbles. Combine that with the lighting and heely shoes, and it came of well. Plus, if your actors stumble (as ours did one night), it goes along with the whole learning to fly thing.

 

[TimMiller]

A company i just worked with was aerial experience. They were very nice and knowledgeable when it came to flying people. They don't only fly their aerialists but also anyone else that needs to fly. In one scene we had a angel sitting in a chair flying, and another one just flying up and down. It was amazing what all safety precautions they had set in place, such as knots that self tighten so its impossible to come loose, along with if all else fails you will fall x feet, but not hit the ground. Just another company to thrown out into the pool of flying people. They also have an array of motors used to pull people up and down that are variable speed.

 

[rfinkels]

Foy is the old guard in the industry. They've been doing it for years. I've heard that they are very particular about how they do things. For example if you do Peter Pan, they have a standard way that they arrange all your stunts. They have a sort of "we've always done it this way because it is the safe way to do it" attitude.

ZFX is the new hotshot company. They do things differently than Foy. You tell ZFX what you want to do and they build the device and teach you how to use it.

The above characterization of Foy is quite wrong. Indeed they are one of the pioneers, but their only "standard" way of doing things is SAFELY. ZFX is a great company. They are newER, and have Broadway experience as well. For Foy though one couldn't be any more current than the Broadway productions of Will Ferrill's play, Billy Elliot, Equus, and Mary Poppins.

To learn more about the services of Foy and ZFX, I would urge anyone interested to first visit their websites, and to then talk with actual representatives of the firms. Each has their own fan base, some of whom are quite zealous. Since both companies do have solid reputations, contacting them directly would be the proper way to go.