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Chezaday Inner circle Naperville, IL 1673 Posts |
Once again the season is upon us and I still find my self dreading working outdoors. Nothing is worse than fighting the elements and trying to keep things from getting damaged. My thought was to design some sort of cover or flats for an off-stage area.
I'm sure someone has had to come up with something simple and practical over the years. My latest experiment with an Abbott's Jet Set failed. The wind just wants to make a sail of the curtain no matter how well you have it anchored. Does anyone have any ideas to share, there has to better way ... Steve |
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
Only work under tents and covered areas? If they cant cover it, you cant perform.
-Matt
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Bill Nuvo Inner circle 3094 Posts or 2742 Posts |
Have the ability to pull the truck/van right up to the stage area (most allow this because of bands).
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magicgettogether Special user Michigan 556 Posts |
I like these, they are pretty tough and reasonable priced from $99 up.
http://www.ezupdirect.com/ezup-instant-s......dome.php http://www.ezupdirect.com/ezup-instant-shelters/exp2vp.php |
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
The bigger ones might be nice for a backstage area, for an illusion show, especially with side walls. http://www.ezupdirect.com/ezup-instant-s......inum.php
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Christopher Starr Inner circle Heart of America 1850 Posts |
Steve:
Just experienced this myself last Saturday. Had to perform on a trailer that had a 4x8 piece of plywood nailed onto the bed to cover the hole in it. Try rolling around your cube zag on that! The sad fact is if you accept these type of outdoor dates, you are forced to fight the elements. Even a small breeze wreaks havoc with balloons, silks, anything light weight. One moment you are set and ready to go, then a small breeze has blown your stuff off of every side table. The solution is to have a setup like John Bundy, and roll up to your gig with your enclosed trailer stage, open the front and yell "showtime"! Sadly, I'm about $20,000 shy of being able to do that. Chris |
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AnthonytheMagic Regular user 112 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-06-14 07:13, Matthew W wrote: Sometimes you have to work these kinds of shows... Its called making a living! I work these all the time. The ez ups work the best. Customize your show for the elements. Hey when you work outsideyou can use fire! It's great working outside! Anthony |
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Chezaday Inner circle Naperville, IL 1673 Posts |
With the way things are .. who can turn away work? I've been at this for quite some time and things never work out the way you plan.
Last week we were supposed to be on a concert stage. Because of the weather we were moved to the Bingo tent. Sure we were under cover now .. but the wind was cutting through. I needed some off-stage area for the props, like a flat to block the wind .. this is what I'm getting at. I can't perform under a 6'X 6' tent .. haven't you seen my act?? Steve |
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Eldon Inner circle Virden, IL 1137 Posts |
We pull our trailer directly behind the stage. If we can't get there we get as close as possible. I have a backdrop system that connects to the trailer. It can't blow over. Of course we can only use it when we are directly behind. It's nice but it still doesn't stop the wind from blowing everything around. I'm getting good at the T-R Newspaper in gale winds. Neil Foster used to say " The only thing lower than a Carnie is a Magician that performs outside". Remember Neil said that, not me. (No letters please.) LOL
But, with all that being said. With the corporate business being slow fairs and festivals usually pay well, so you gotta do them. |
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RJE Inner circle 1848 Posts |
We did 2 shows a couple of Saturdays ago outside at two different venues.
The first one, we used the DJ's sound equipment and plugged in our MP3 and ran our own music. He had large speakers on poles. One blew over during our show and hit the stage. Second show, different venue, we pulled the truck up to the back of the stage and left everything in the back of it and worked right from the truck. No choice. Those EZ Ups that the vendors were using were blowing down all over the place at this venue. They certainly do not hold up well in stiff winds that I have seen. Steve you're right. Backdrops become sails in wind and are more of a hazard than a help during those times. I guess you learn to cope. We have since those shows added a wind clause along with a rain or wet conditions clause to our outdoor show contracts. |
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Frank Simpson Special user SW Montana 883 Posts |
I'd recommend against using flats, as that is just a sail on a frame that wants to blow around.
If you are able to have any kind of compromise, Rose Brand offers various perforated fabrics that are used for covering speaker stacks and the like for outdoor venues. (Textilene is a 36% open weave.) Also certain linens will allow air to pass through to a degree. (I have a 5' x 12' promotional banner from the LA premiere of The Phantom of the Opera that is silk screened on black linen.) While they will still billow, they're much less likely to become airborne on you. |
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RobertBloor Inner circle The Socialist Republic of the USA. 1051 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-06-14 07:13, Matthew W wrote: Yep. That'll keep fair buyers eager to book you. /sarcasm Best advice for the fair/festival market - create a show that you can perform anywhere; on stage, off stage, inside, outside and even to a certain level of poor weather (rain/hail/lightning etc withstanding) Robert
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
-The Declaration of Independence |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-06-14 07:13, Matthew W wrote: The voice of no experience speaks! If you can get a booking these days, you take it. Tents usually won't keep the worst of the wind at bay. I worked for 26 years on outdoor stages, so maybe some actual hard core experience will help here. I had a fellow make me some backdrop pieces that actually held up when the wind blew. They had a wood framework, and were covered with strips of cloth. The framework was basically open with cloth that was cut in "slats" or strips that were nailed alternating on the front and the back. The strips were 8 inch pieces of solid color cloth, folded and ironed on each edge, so that about 2 inches of cloth was folded in on each side. This formed a slat that was four inches wide. These were nailed to the top and bottom of the framework, first one on the front, next on the back, next on the front, etc., overlapping about an inch or so. The backdrop was on wheels. It was 5 feet high on each end, rising to 7 feet high in the center. It split in the center, and my Merlin logo in a circle went right on the center of the backdrop. The base was a piece of plywood with a 2x2 wood frame, hinged to the bottom of each backdrop section. The base was 2 feet deep by 4 feet wide (on each piece), and the pieces attached to the base with door hinges -- big ones. There was a long brace that went from the base to the top of the backdrop. The backdrop itself slanted back about 2 degrees, so it wouldn't overbalance. The wind could blow right through the cloth slats without allowing anyone to see what was behind the backdrop. If it got really windy, we put sandbags on the base sections. We only had to do that once during the 8 years that I used those backdrop sections. They were somewhat cumbersome, but they did the job very well. If you are going to work on a stage with no covering, forget all about E-Z ups, and things like that. They have the durability of a piece of paper. I wasted $100 on one of those pieces of junk and found that having someone follow me around with an umbrella was more practical and funnier. If it's raining, chances are you won't have an audience anyway. Instead, ask the person hiring you what THEIR rain plan is. Some festivals encourage having performers work in the booths or the food areas. You may not be able to do your illusion show there, but you surely can do some close-up. As far as rain protection for your set-up illusions -- get some big blue tarps and tarp those babies up. Also, if you build your illusions yourself, paint them with exterior grade house paint. It has a lot of advantages. It is usually matte, so it doesn't glare under spotlights. It won't get messed up in the rain. I built a dollhouse about 30 years ago, which I painted with the same paint the Renaissance Festival used for their buildings. I would do occasional touch-up work on it, but never had to do anything major to it. It is still being used by one of the top pro's in the DFW area.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
You can't always take the gig and be able to do it the way you expected. Why I meant was, would you really work in rain because you are booked for a show? Is it worth risking your props? Likely your shows equipment is worth more than you are being paid. Besides, if the audience is not covered are they going to stay around in the rain to watch the show?
What about a flatbed truck with one of those portable car tents staked to it? There would be a roof and a back wall. I carry an EZ Up type tent with me to my outdoor shows in case it rains (to pack up and move inside, or leave) or I could use the shade. It is enough room for me to perform under, and I can even put my backdrop cross bar across the frame.
-Matt
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AnthonytheMagic Regular user 112 Posts |
Matt,
How many outside shows have you done with illusions, doves, props of any size. And is magic all you do for a living? Anthony |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-06-15 01:31, Matthew W wrote: Canvas and/or nylon does not block the wind like a wall. Trust me on this. When you book a show, you have to make sure you know what the rain arrangements are WHEN YOU BOOK IT, not if it rains. Some shows have a rain date. Others require that you perform. The secret to this is that if it rains, have a "rain show" ready. A rain show is one that uses items that the weather won't hurt. I can't tell you how many shows I have done in a slow drizzle. If it really started coming down in buckets, working the show was a moot point. The savvy performers worked under shelter, such as in a food area or in a booth, when the rain started coming down. Much as I hated to, I sometimes worked in one of those stupid Renaissance Festival ponchos. Not exactly period, but it kept me dry. One reason I kept my job for so long at TRF was that I NEVER missed a performance. Remember "The show must go on."? That's not a saying or a good idea. It's a fact. BTW, I've had a wind pick up an EZ-up and blow it right off the stage when I didn't have my backdrop in place. I've also had an EZ-up fold under the weight of the water that got trapped on the roof when, for some reason, one of the legs started to sink. A tarp is solid. It will protect your props. An EZ-up is shade, but that's about it. Why would you want shade in an outdoor show, anyway? Don't you want your audience to see you? If you are out on stage so long that you are beginning to have a heat stroke, you need to do some serious re-working of your scheduling.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
Shade is great when the sun is really beating down on you. It also keeps the sun from shining behind you, which sucks when it is shine right though silks used for cover during an effect.
The tent is great is it starts raining at a party outdoors. If it starts to rain, I am already underneath, and can pack up to move to another location
-Matt
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Drew Manning Special user Dallas, Texas 913 Posts |
No offense Matt, but I think in this case I am more inclined to follow Bill's advice and listen to what he has to say. The man has work outdoor gigs longer than you (and possibly me) have been alive. He knows what he's talking about, so I don't see the point in trying to convince others to the contrary.
I live my life for a layer of ice
Just like those poured by my bartender vice Any taste of vermouth would be really sublime, When you have a good martini time! -The Reverend Horton Heat |
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RJE Inner circle 1848 Posts |
Bill has lived at least 3 life times and his knowledge, experience and advice is priceless. In fact, the EZ up he refers to using was eventually destroyed in a mishap with a fire breathing dragon!
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Chris Stolz Inner circle Mississauga, Ontario 1958 Posts |
What about cases? I'm assuming that a guy like Steve has cases for most of his props. One could always stack those up and cover the audience facing side with a curtain...I can't see the wind blow down a 3 or 4 foot stack of cases.
Chris Stolz
BLACK ART BOOK: Hiding In The Shadows. |
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