# Lifting Platform for Young Frankenstein!



## Codebooy23 (Sep 16, 2015)

I am currently doing a production of Young Frankenstein, and need a way to lift a platform, with table and people, and can't not use just the fly rail system we have. Would this work and be safe, Milwaukee 1 Ton Electric Chain Hoist with 20' Lift Height 9568! Thanks!!


----------



## josh88 (Sep 16, 2015)

No. Find a rigger to help you out. There are too many ways this could go wrong and you can just use a chain hoist for it. You'll want somebody actually in your space looking at it who knows what they are doing to help you find an appropriate solution.


----------



## StradivariusBone (Sep 16, 2015)

I saw this when it was on Broadway, from what I can recall they lifted Frankenstein, the monster and the girl on a platform that was purpose built with the table attached. It looked like the Dr. and girl clipped in to the table at one point and the monster was strapped down. I never saw backstage so I couldn't share more than what I saw from the audience, but I echo what Josh said- hire a pro. They had multiple points on the platform which would imply a lot going on overhead, more than a single chain hoist could do. Call ZFX, Hall, Foy, etc.


----------



## JChenault (Sep 16, 2015)

And if you can't afford to hire someone who has expertise in this, find another way to do the effect. Young Frankenstein is NOT about a flying table. Lots of blinkey lights, interesting effects, and you can make things work. 

Another possibility would be to have some kind of scissor lift .


----------



## What Rigger? (Sep 16, 2015)

Codebooy23 said:


> I am currently doing a production of Young Frankenstein, and need a way to lift a platform, with table and people, and can't not use just the fly rail system we have. Would this work and be safe, Milwaukee 1 Ton Electric Chain Hoist with 20' Lift Height 9568! Thanks!!




Entirely unsafe. If your production absolutely _must _put people in the air, you need to hire pros as Josh and Strad said. There is no way in the world to DIY this, there is no way in the world to do this safely without a pro company that specializes in these sort of effects. It will cost money, so do not think you can pull this off on the cheap. If you need to get more info, feel free to PM me. 

Is this at ACT Theater?


----------



## themuzicman (Sep 23, 2015)

First, it is unsafe. The Broadway one was a purpose built Hudson Scenic Hydraulic Elevator with some good show control goodies built into it to ensure it would auto-stop if it ever faulted. Go read John Huntington's book on Show Control and read about what makes a good show control system - above all else safety stops. CM Hoists are not built to lift people, only gear. They have no safety stop, because the safety stop is on the ground with the pickle making sure everything is going well.

They cut the lift table on the first national, it was too much to travel and rig safely in every venue. If your next question is about a Tesla Coil being safe for use in a theater, the answer is most likely NO. The Tesla's on the tour were purpose built DMX fired Tesla's that had some show control goodness built into them to stop if there was a fault, they were built by ATTI who are genius experts in the field of live Tesla Coil performance and safety trumps all else in the work they do.


----------



## venuetech (Sep 23, 2015)

Look at bringing something down rather than lifting folks up. To emphasize movement create shadows of the apparatus as it moves into place.


----------



## themuzicman (Sep 24, 2015)

venuetech said:


> Look at bringing something down rather than lifting folks up. To emphasize movement create shadows of the apparatus as it moves into place.



The scene literally calls for people to be raised 20' in the air during a lightning storm. I don't think any amount of shadow play will make down look like up.


----------



## venuetech (Sep 24, 2015)

WSOD


----------

