AboutJames Medd Expertise My main area of expertise is in technical theatre, mainly stage management, lighting control and set design, although I also have expertise in the areas of lighting design, stage management and special effects production and design. My experience is generally through working on shows such as Pantomimes, Musicals, Operettas, and small Concerts, being performed mainly on a small to medium scale. I have also been lucky enough to work on some West End shows in the last few years. Normally I work in the capacity of Stage Manager or Deputy Stage Manager, but I am also an experienced lighting board operator, flyman and follow spot operator.
Experience I have been working in technical theatre areas for about ten years, starting out with assisting Amateur Dramatics crews and working my way up. In that time, I have designed numerous lighting rigs and stage sets, in all cases taking into account the look, mood and style of the production. I have been involved in Lighting operation, from small productions using a basic lighting system to larger productions using large lighting rigs including moving lights, such as MACs. I am also involved in the production and operation of special effects, including pyrotechnics, stage smoke and special set pieces. At present, I am working as a DSM in a Yorkshire theatre,which mainly involves me giving cues to cast and crew members during performances. I also deal with operations such as set construction and dismantling, flying, lighting programming and control, and basic backstage operations. Most of the productions I work on are amateur or semi-professional shows, such as "Little Shop of Horrors", "Jekyll & Hyde", "The King and I", and "We Will Rock You". However, I have also worked casually on a few West End shows where different skills and competencies have been needed.
Expert: James Medd Date: 6/30/2008 Subject: flying
Question in a theatre what other objacts can you fly?
eg lights and cloths. what else?
Answer Hi Chayla,
Thanks for your question.
The number of things you can fly in a theatre is pretty much limitless. Providing that you have a good flying rig in the theatre to begin with, there are plenty of possibilities.
Backcloths and lights are the most common things to be flown in and out; you can also fly smaller set pieces in and out, such as a flat painted to represent a tree or statue. You need to have a good length of cable between the object and the flying bar, which obviously needs to be kept out of sight.
Other things might include a bar holding high-power lighting or pyrotechnic devices, but for these the flying bar may need to be lowered into the audiences' view for the effect to work well.
You could also install a "Tab-Track", which is a device for opening and closing curtains in a similar way to the ones you may have at home. The parts you need for this can be bought quite cheaply from a theatrical supplier, and the end effect, when done well, looks superb.
Pretty much anything up to a large rock-concert style lighting rig can be devised. With this option, you would assemble a truss framework on the stage floor, install and patch the lighting fixtures you require to the truss, and then fly the whole thing out as one. For this case, you will obviously need several flying lines (we usually use anything between 5 and 12 lines for a big lighting rig), and this naturally spreads the weight across the rig. You can also use the lines to tilt the rig towards the audience.
The only instance where I really wouldn't advise using a normal flying rig, is when you plan to fly humans. It looks fun, but don't be tempted to try it without the proper equipment and the advice and training of an expert. I've only done personnel flying rigs once or twice, and they are hard work. I would seriously recommend if you are ever trying to achieve the effect of a person flying, you contact someone in the know before you do anything. There are several companies offering this kind of service both in the UK and the United States.
I hope I have answered your question and provided you with the information you need. However, if you should need any further advice or info, please feel free to get in touch.
