Moving Mirror Balls

[robzalli]

my theater company is planning an upcoming production and we are trying to figure out if a planned effect can be done in a less complicated way.

at a certain point in the show a number of disco/mirrored balls will descend into view around the house. does anyone know of any apparatus that will enable us to rig the disco balls to lower electronically and safely?

 

[sk8rsdad]

Rigging tends to fall under the "if you have to ask you shouldn't be doing it" category. That said, any rigger is going to have to know more about your performance space to be able to answer your question. For instance, what sort of rigging points already exist? Do you have a fly system of any kind? Does it have to be "electrically" or is that some arbitrary design decision?

 

[avkid]

There are plenty of options, but none are cheap.

 

[65535]

A few pulleys and properly aligned cord and you could have them all move at the exact same time and speed using 1 winch.

 

[Teber]

You could use the Apollo Right Arm I suppose.

 

[MPowers]

You say in a "less complicated Way" What way is that? How are you thinking of doing it now?


Tells us how you're planning to do it and then answer the following questions, How fast, how far, how many mirror balls, how many $$$ available, how much time available, how high a skill level of your shop?

You say around the house as in over the audience? Do you have FOH cats to drop from or do you need to drop from other points?

To be honest my first thought is this may cost some bucks. Advice is free but actual system design or spec'ing, can cost, depending on who and how much.

As you see, there is a lot of information needed to even come close to answering your question, but spout it out and we'll give it a shot.