Opperating lights at scaff tower

[^Lightsup^]

Hello there,

I am wondering if may be able to help me,

there is an upcoming show coming up its a big rock concert

the turn out last year was 850 people and I found it hard to see

the stage now I know techs are not meant to reley look at the stage but

seeming that this is a rock concert and it involes alot and I mean alot

of effect lighting and like I said I foun this hard to view last year so I was

trying to think of a solution to help view the stage and one of my ideas was

to controll from a scafolding tower last year I was on a plat form which stood about

1 ft off the floor but my only problems are.

 

A) running cables and scuring desk and computer and laptop

B) Securing my self and the other technition

C) getting permission to go ahead with this idea (asking the head master Possible answer is NO because of H&S reasons)

 

so I was wondering if there was any other views to help me with this issue I would be more then pleased

to here your ideas also another thing I was a bit unsure about is how do I approch the head master with

this idea.

 

so like I said if its possible please could you heap me with this,

 

Thanks alot

Nico

 

 

 

Moderation: QUALITY CONTROL - the post is below our normal standard. It doesn't ask the correct questions, it doesn't make sense, it is really confusing, it has amazingly bad punctuation and grammar, and uses 'I' instead of 'I' which many members find very irritating - The fact you have to now re-explain it shows the initial question was lacking in many areas.

 

Moderation: DUPLICATE POSTINGS - These are not allowed. You have a number of replies, I have merged them together - as is evident, many members have been confused

[Sarah Q]

Wow, that was hard reading, but I think I get what you're asking....

 

Instead of a scaffolding tower, you could make a small riser from steel deck (two 8 x 4 will be plenty, bolted together). If you are only aiming to see over people's heads, it doesn't need to be hugely high.

 

With a proper set of steps up to it, and handrails around all sides, then you will be perfectly fine to sit the lighting desk and other equipment on a table. Simply lx taping the cables down the legs will secure them - basically avoid pulling them too tight or creating any trip hazards.

 

I don't think a scaffolding tower is a good idea, and cannot see your headmaster allowing you to do it, speaking from my experience of working in education.

 

Just my thoughts

[^Lightsup^]

Wow, that was hard reading, but I think I get what you're asking....

 

If you are only aiming to see over people's heads, it doesn't need to be hugely high.

 

first of sorry about the text I am still learning new user I do apologise

and secondly that is a pretty good idea other then the fact I do not have that equiptment and I normaly find at theese concerts that people stand up its pretty manic.

 

Still thankyou very much I will bare that in mind

[Jivemaster]

Many an arena concert will have towers for sound & light, video, security etc. However persuading a headteacher to allow a pupil up a scaf tower is most unlikely. The cables are the easy bit! Try geting barriers to prevent punters pushing the tower along or over!

[frazer]

Hi Nico,

 

I am struggling to completely understand what you are saying as your sentences are not structured at all. And PLEASE use the spell checker! Among other things it is spelt Technician - I noticed you have also spelt it wrong on your website!

 

Anyway, not sure you can get 1ft high scaff towers. Why don't you consider putting yourself and the desk on a piece of decking with 1 foot legs? Seems like the simplest idea.

 

Frazer

[paulears]

Strewth!

That has to be the longest sentence ever posted on here.

 

Nico,

 

I really have no idea what you are really asking because a great deal just doesn't make sense.

 

Let me see if I have got it.

 

You want to control the stage from the audience. Ok - do you mean lights, sound or stage management? AND - what on earth do you mean when you say techs shouldn't look at the stage - of course they should - why on earth would they not want to look at the thing they and the audience are staring at all night?

 

A proper scaff tower can be used as a work platform - but there are a few aspects that are important. A foot (metre may be lowest) high is not a major headache, is it?

Guard rails and kickboards to stop things falling off are needed. At that height, somebody will have to make a decision to not use outriggers, as 1. I doubt they'll fit, and 2. Even if they did - would they play any part in stability - maybe not? This will be somebody elses problem.

 

Your head has said no? or will say no? or may say no? I have no idea - depends if common sense plays a part.

 

Cables need to be safe - so no trip hazards, or electrical issues.

 

Securing yourself - forget it. If you are inside hand rails, why would you want to secure yourself in? You can't go anywhere.

[Dj Dunc]

We are raised approx 2/3 foot off the deck using temporary staging. We bolt the pieces all together, so that the structure will not separate. We bolt "toe boards" onto the edges of the deck,and a similar arangement on the desks (except the access) so that all the cables/tools/cases/tables etc cannot fall off onto anyone. Also we cover the sides facing the audience with drapes, to neaten it up. For the access to this position we needed to put hazard tape on the edges of the decking, and to not have any steps etc protruding into the punters.

[tanko]

Nico,

 

Check the meaning of dry hire, before you put it on your website!!

D

DRY HIRE - Equipment may be "dry hired" ie without an operator or labour, or can come "wet" ie with operator(s).

 

You seem to think the exact opposite!

 

Tank

 

edit - Helps to leave your name!!!

[gareth]

Ah, that old chestnut - "I'm a hire company" says your profile ... no, you're a schoolkid, aren't you? And for goodness' sake, learn to post in English - I had to have a couple of goes at that amazingly badly-written question before I could even work out what you were asking.

[^Lightsup^]

Ok I am sorry I am a new poster

so let me try and get this post right.

 

what I am trying to do is control lighting from a scaffolding tower it is a few meters high.

the point of this is to view over peoples heads because last year there was a big turn out with alot of people standing up.

and what I meant by technicians are not meant to view the stage is there is normally a lighting box sorry for any confusion Paul. what I meant with my head master is that I do not know how to ask him to let me go through with this idea, I have not asked him yet.

 

So sorry for any confusion and I hope this is better.

 

Still if you have any views do say

Thanks again,

 

Nico

 

P.s

My site is still under construction please add comments to help improve it :(

[pritch]

I must say that the notion of not looking at the stage amuses me greatly!

 

If the audience are all going to be at the same sort of level in front of you, then there's probably no need to go up a great height, just as long as you can see the stage over their heads, everything should be fine.

 

You could probably get away with a low scaffold, but may well be a bit on the small side in terms of area, especially if you're using a tower. A steeldeck or other sort of staging riser should be just fine, with appropriate handrails to stop you and your gear disappearing over the side.

 

Obviously keeping the audience from getting too close is going to be of great importance, so some sort of barriers around your riser will be in order.

[Ynot]

:( :down: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH!!!!!!! :down: ;)

 

Sorry, Nico, but you've managed to hit MOST of my Blue-Room pet hates in a single posting!!!

 

I suspect that you MAY be a foreign student, so SOME leeway can be granted for the poor English, but not much if you've been here for over a year!

 

You are just FOURTEEN, so you CANNOT in any way shape or form run a (legitimate) business.

 

You're attempting to resolve something that is NOT your responsibility - that belongs SQUARELY with your teachers.

 

There's no reason why you can't assist with lighting etc at your school, but you should ALWAYS be supervised by a competent adult and decisions such as this - especially when you're talking about being raised above floor level - are NOT for you to be saddled with.

 

Apologies if that sounds harsh, but you need to understand where you can and cannot be involved/responsible.

 

Oh - and I couldn't get past the front page on your web site, the one which says 'Under construction'

Be VERY careful about what you advertise on the web, especially considering the (il)legalities of a business at your age!!

 

Tony

[Frag_Me]

Do what I do and be really tall!

 

I did once operate lighting and sound from a dressed scaffold tower whilst lighting a dinner event in a large hall. It wasn't my call on whether I was allowed to do this but the powers that be gave me the approval, having secured the tower to fixings on the wall at multiple points. The actual operation etc was the easy part, the key was to make sure that the scaffold became as close to a fixed platform as possible.

 

This was for a sedate dinner though rather than a rock concert. You might want to consider whether the crowd will play any part in destabilising the platform.

 

And as it was with me - get someone who is "in the know" to survey your ideas first hand to make sure it gets approval from them, ideally the site manager for your venue. Don't ask the headmaster, ask the site manager. Unless the headmaster used to be a building contractor or something.

[paulears]

It does occur to me that most schools have rostra, either timber or metal versions being common. It shouldn't be too much problem to use them if you can arrange a method of stopping things and people falling off.

[gareth]

Sorry to be so critical, but I'm kind of overwhelmed by your contributions so far! You're 14 years old at the moment - in as little as two or three years, you might be out in the Big World looking for a job or applying for courses in further education. You clearly have issues with written communication (punctuation, capitalisation, spelling, even basic stringing-words-together-to-form-a-coherent-sentence), and by your own admission you don't even know how to approach your own headmaster to ask a simple question. How are you going to cope when it becomes essential for you to communicate with people you don't know in a way which will impress them enough to offer you a job or a place on their course?

 

Sorry, I know I possibly shouldn't be jumping all over you like this - I've resisted the temptation to be a grumpy old tw@t in response to people posting badly-written rubbish on so many occasions lately that I've lost count, but I simply had to say something. (I'm now waiting in anticipation for what seems to be the stock reply these days in response to any and all accusations of crappy English - "... but I'm dyslexic!" :()

 

Anyway, you really don't need to be fannying about with scaff towers to get around your problem - Sarah has already hit upon the best solution. A piece of 8x4 Steeldeck or similar (or perhaps a couple of pieces side by side if you need space for other operators) with legs long enough to lift you high enough to see over the heads of the crowd. A foot or two will probably do it - why do you need to be "a few metres" up in the air? (Especially seeing as you apparently don't need to see the stage to operate the lighting! ;) :rtfm:) If you can't get Steeldeck, I'm sure your school has some folding/demountable staging or rostra somewhere - just use some of that. If your school hasn't got any, maybe a neighbouring school has - perhaps you can borrow it.