Small ladders for ballet lighting

[vinntec]

We will have a ballet in our theatre for the first time soon. The choreographer has said he does not want any booms to be used as he needs the full stage width (we are a tiny venue).. So OK we can use pipe ends, but then it occurred to me that a ladder which hangs on a single G-clamp and can take 2-3 lanterns to crosslight one under the other might work better, But can I find anyone which stocks such a thing? Can anyone point me in the right direction or do I need to make something up myself?

[dbuckley]

I've done this both ways; those ladder elements can be hired, and I'd be fairly sure I've hired it from White Light, as that was where I hired most stuff when I lived in Blighty.

 

A few scaff bars and clamps works well too; I do a single straight drop and then bars across with lamps on. I also arrange the safetys so that they end up round the actual top bar, so if any of the clamps give way the secondary suspension is actually going to keep the thing in the air, not do nothing to prevent it from landing on some poor twirly's nut.

[top-cat]

Moving light ladders are common in rock n roll. Sometimes they are rigid made of 48mm tube, sometimes they are tubes hanging on steel wire drifts. If you call a rock n roll lighting supplier you should be able to hire some.

 

Otherwise the easiest thing to do will probably be scaff bars and fixed couplers. I would use the clampy type not the kee type, the kee ones don't suspend so well as they're only held together with a grub screw.

 

If you think you'll use them frequently, you could call up a theatrical engineering firm and have some welded, they might be nicer to use and you can have them powder coated black. Happy to recommend suppliers if you want.

[mark_s]

White Light stock all the bits required to neatly make up ladders to your specification - they term them 'LOLER ladders'. Alternatively, you can always make an alternative solution out of scaff and clamps.

[AndyJones]

I have some bits that would do this Pete, drop me an email!

[Judge]

Its probably worth your while to buy the parts and make them yourself. Side ladders are always useful to have in house for all kinds of production. I would recommend making with ally pipe and Kee Clamps, though as pointed out these are designed to work in compression and not tension so what I have done in the past is taken out the screws and drilled through the hole through the pipe and bolted the thing together.

As long as these are not too wide then you can hang from a single centre point but you will need some form of bracing unless its really small and only has a couple of lights on. As soon as you start hanging moving lights on one of these it all gets trickier but is doable - tie off to sides can help.