# Flying People: A risky buisness



## StewTech (May 19, 2011)

Flying people can be a huge increase in perceived production value. If you're doing Peter Pan and you'd like to fly about like Mary Martin, it may seem tempting to use some climbing gear and a pulley.

12BSTEWA Media: Flying People: Risky Business


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## ScottT (May 19, 2011)

Assuming this is your article... I also believe that Gravity Design Inc does flight. I'm not sure if they'd head to a school, but they do it professionally.

Gravity Design


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## StewTech (May 19, 2011)

This is indeed my article. I'll be sure to add that in. Thanks


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## derekleffew (May 19, 2011)

Thread moved to Scenery and Rigging forum.

No offense StewTech, but although we've written, and linked to, better articles ( Flying Effects - ControlBooth , Why Not to Fly, DIY - ControlBooth ); any method of getting the word out to the masses is good. A glaring error is "Hall of Associates" rather than Hall Associates. I'd also embed the URLs for the websites of Foy and ZFX rather than a Google search result. And D2 Flying Effects (CB member Delbert, owner) and Branam Enterprises should be on your list.


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## Korg (May 23, 2011)

Stage Technologies and Fisher Technical (FTSI) should also be on that list. Between the Cirque shows, tours, movies, and other overhead automated rigging those guys do, they probably have more people flying on their gear every night than the rest of the companies mentioned do combined in a month or more.


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## gafftaper (May 23, 2011)

Korg said:


> Stage Technologies and Fisher Technical (FTSI) should also be on that list. Between the Cirque shows, tours, movies, and other overhead automated rigging those guys do, they probably have more people flying on their gear every night than the rest of the companies mentioned do combined in a month or more.


 
True, but I don't think either ST or Fisher is going to send a guy to George Washington Middle School in nowhere Iowa for a production of Wizard of Oz.

Also I've never herd of Gravity Design. Remember that you are not just renting someone to safely make your actors fly. You are also renting a flight choreographer. When we did Peter Pan last year with Hall and Associates (something I documented extensively here on CB), I was really impressed with how the flight director took over a variety of scenes and added great flight tricks that we had not thought of adapting them to our show and choreography. We were only thinking about Peter and the kids flying through the window. He added flights in the battle with the Pirates and when Wendy get's shot by the lost boys that we had never considered.


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## What Rigger? (May 23, 2011)

gafftaper said:


> True, but I don't think either ST or Fisher is going to send a guy to George Washington Middle School in nowhere Iowa for a production of Wizard of Oz.
> 
> Also I've never herd of Gravity Design. Remember that you are not just renting someone to safely make your actors fly. You are also renting a flight choreographer. When we did Peter Pan last year with Hall and Associates (something I documented extensively here on CB), I was really impressed with how the flight director took over a variety of scenes and added great flight tricks that we had not thought of adapting them to our show and choreography. We were only thinking about Peter and the kids flying through the window. He added flights in the battle with the Pirates and when Wendy get's shot by the lost boys that we had never considered.


 
(in my best Walken voice): "Guys! Guys! It's _Hall Associates_. No "and". No "of". No "if". No "elephant".
I got a fever...and...the cure is MORE cowbell".


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## gafftaper (May 23, 2011)

What Rigger? said:


> (in my best Walken voice): "Guys! Guys! It's _Hall Associates_. No "and". No "of". No "if". No "elephant".
> I got a fever...and...the cure is MORE cowbell".


 
What makes you an expert on the name of the company? 

... oh that's right you work for them sometimes.


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## MPowers (May 24, 2011)

> True, but I don't think either ST or Fisher is going to send a guy to George Washington Middle School in nowhere Iowa for a production of Wizard of Oz.



A little less parochialism here! The middle of Iowa is a fine place for top of the line flying companies to practice their craft! Last year ZFX and FOY both did productions here. ZFX 2 Wizards, One at North High and Foy at least one Peter Pan at Shell-Rock Middle School. These are just the ones I know of right off the top of my head. 

First, Iowa is NOT the steeps of Antarctica or the wilds of the Gobi Desert. Nor are we the theatre capital of the USA. We do OK though, "A" companies of Lion King, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mama Mia et. al. play here and CLE (my employer) provided a multitude of rigging, motors, truss and other items for each tour as they passed through.

Second, flying companies are in it for the business. They will go anywhere the customer pays them to go. Barrow Alaska, Viet Nam, Sidney and even ...... Iowa.


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## gafftaper (May 24, 2011)

Sorry Michael, [-]I should have said Nebraska [/-] 

I was not trying to insult you or any of your brethren. I was trying to point out that ST and Fisher aren't likely to touch a project that doesn't have a million dollar budget. ZFX, Hall, and Foy on the other hand, are in the business of creating a great show, no matter how far away or how small the venue.


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## Van (May 24, 2011)

gafftaper said:


> ...., no matter how far away or how small the venue.


 
Don't say 'Small Venue' I think he's sensitive about that kind of thing !


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## What Rigger? (May 24, 2011)

I never got to Iowa. But some of my most fondly remembered flying gigs were in Toledo,OH at Central Catholic HS (beyond fun. WAY beyond) and Tipton, Indiana home of the Ti on Lounge. The "pt" fell out of the sign years ago so the owners just left it and changed the name. We were late for rehearsal one day because we got stuck behind a tractor and there was no way to go around it with the tiller on the back!!!

Paw Paw, Michigan may be heaven on earth.

I freakin' love the Midwest, and that's no joke no jive.


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## What Rigger? (May 24, 2011)

gafftaper said:


> What makes you an expert on the name of the company?
> 
> ... oh that's right you work for them sometimes.


 
Full disclosure: It's been a year since my last HAFE gig. I am now swallowed whole by the "other" gig.
You know!


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## MPowers (May 24, 2011)

> Sorry Michael, I should have said Nebraska
> 
> I was not trying to insult you or any of your brethren.



No Problem, I forgot to put a smiley face at the end of my post.


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