Elevating Production in the Theatre and Stage Rigging Industry
Many theatre industry applications, from on-stage effects in plays to action movie scenes require quality cables and pulleys to bring scenes to life safely.
Below are our product lines that cater to the industry, and some of the applications of our products in the theatre and stage rigging industry.
Product Lines
Cable Assemblies
Custom cable assemblies crafted with precision and expertise. Our aircraft, military, and commercial cable assemblies are all highly customizable, and are durable enough to withstand demanding applications.
Coated Cable
Involves a meticulous process of extruding a plastic jacket onto aircraft cable or wire rope, to enhance durability, functionality, and improve aesthetics. More resistant to abrasion than ordinary cables and adds resilience for harsh conditions.
Pulleys
Pulleys and sheaves are manufactured for increased safety, durability and performance. Can be effectively used in various applications with varying weight loads and cable types.
Applying safety precautions allows theatre and stage productions to be successful. From having actors fly through the air, to changing sets quickly or supporting lighting and sound systems, cables are all over movie and play production.
Let’s look at some of the specific applications of cables and pulleys in this industry.
Product Applications
Sound Systems
A crucial aspect of a live stage production is quality sound to help immerse an audience. This involves strategically placed speakers and sound systems that are kept stable and still. Certain speakers and sound systems can be quite heavy, requiring strong and durable cables routed through pulleys. Not only is audio quality better if speakers are stable, but quality cable and pulley support avoid the possibility of accidents involving speakers falling.
Lighting Fixtures
Lighting can oftentimes make or break the realism and quality of a stage performance or movie scene. Not only do light fixtures need to be supported by cables and pulleys, but often they need to be adjustable during scenes. Whether it is a spotlight on an actor, or a large light fixture that needs to move across the stage, high-quality cable-pulley support systems allow for ease of movement and thus better scenes.
Movie Production
Production teams on movie sets rely on support cables and pulleys for various applications. Dynamic camera movements during a scene, or special effects involve pulleys, which can smoothly move the camera along predetermined paths or elevate it to capture aerial perspectives.
Stage Effects
Many stage performances require multiple sets, to show a change of location or time. To run a play or musical smoothly, these changes need to be made quickly, to keep the attention of an audience. These set changes typically involve lifting away some or all of the background and replacing it. Cables are attached to these objects and routed through pulley systems to allow operators to control their movement vertically with precision and reduced physical strain.
Safety Harnesses
Some of the most impressive scenes in movies and plays involve actors either suspended in the air, or seemingly flying across the stage. Impressing the crowd with these scenes requires safety precautions preventing actors being injured. The pulleys and cables attached to the actor’s safety harnesses must be secure and durable, to not only keep them safe but to present the desired look of flying or floating to convince the audience.
Stage Curtains
Controlling the visibility of the stage, and creating transitions is crucial to stage productions. Raising and lowering curtains to change sets, switch actors and more is done often during every performance. This means that cables and pulleys involved in stage curtain rigging must be durable, and resistant to wear and tear ensuring that throughout the entirety of the production they can consistently perform.
