Suzette Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 I am wanting to use my nice white filled cyc as a midstage cloth but I have no flying facilities.I know that I can just hire a wipe track and wipe it in but the director really hates wiped cloths and I am hoping to be able to tumble it or roll it somehow. Problem is that I don't want to make holes or sew rings or otherwise damage the cyc - it is too new and nice for that.There are eyelets up each side normally used for stretching the cyc. I presume I want to do some sort of rolling system - with long, wide-diameter pole in bottom of cyc and ropes either end that when pulled roll up around the pole and the cloth follows suit around the pole.If I use scaff pole that only comes in 21' lengths so for my 30' cloth I will need to use an internal barrel joiner - with a bolt sticking out! I will surely end up with at least bolt "stretch marks" up the cyc - or, heaven forbid, a hole in the cyc!What else can I use and any thoughts on how to fix the cyc to the pole, again without damage. Also I don't want something enormous at the bottom of the cyc as when it is in it will look a bit bulky - the front row of the audience is only about 8' away. I don't have any extra height to be able to do a great deal - the cloth is the height of the grid, so any other ideas or advice gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 To be honest, even if you can source a 10m drum that will be self-supporting from the ends - my guess is that it will have to be fabricated to suit your exact needs - there are more problems. Weight is the main one I can see - the drum (based on ones I've seen) will be at least 30cm in diameter, and will weigh quite a bit, without the weight of the actual cloth. Each end will need proper support. Do you have a beam or other support above each end that will take the weight? If you have a nice new cyc with decent crease free surface, you can bet it won't be like this after being rolled. Depending on the cloth, you make create ripples, or even worse, creases that will be difficult to remove. I seem to remember Stage Elecs doing drums at some point - but I may be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzette Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 I have the steel RSJ's above to attach pulleys etc. that will take the weight of the roller. But yes, I am concerned that the "nice new white cyc" is not the same at the end of the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian666 Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 do you have any height above the bar the cloth is attached to, even couple of meters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southham Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 You say it has eyelets along the sides. is there some along the top? If it is a true cyc then it should have or at least tapes. If that is the case what about doing a Kabuki drop. Kabuki bars are light and certainly go upto and over 30ft (we often use a 40ft bar mid-truss). This will allow you to get the cyc down and off quick without wiping it. All that depends if you need the cloth to come in and then go out or be in at the start of a scene and out mid scene. Failing that, to preserve the integrity of a nice new white cyc, maybe you and the director will have to compromise and go for a tab track!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzette Posted October 27, 2005 Author Share Posted October 27, 2005 I have got about a metre or so above yes - does that help? Yes there are tape ties along the top but the cloth needs to come in and out several times during the show so kabuki won't work. Anyway I'm not dragging the cyc across the filthy stage floor!! Thanks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 How much space is there between the bar and the proscenium arch? Would it be possible to zigzag rope through the holes going down the edge of the cyc then put a knot at the bottom? If you did this then had a pulley above the cyc to pull the rope up, the cyc would concertina fold as the rope is pulled, roman blinds style. The only problem is it will hang below the bar by quite a bit. It may also need weighting at the bottom to make it drop quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainu Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 We tumble our panto cloths every year. 9 metres wide canvas, painted. they are just taped to the roller with a substantial overlap. I'm not sure where we got our tumblers from but can find out. They roll from the bottom up.Your eyelets may cause you grief depending on how chunky they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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