[photo above: The Lord of the Rings, Theatre Royal Drury Lane]
Scenic automation is at the forefront of the largest most complex productions in the world, ensuring that the most mind-numbingly complex sequences of scene changes can happen at the touch of a button right in front of the audiences’ eyes.
Relevant pages at Theatrecrafts.com
Automation Credits
Random Glossary Entry
SPIKEMARK
(Trade Name) Software built by scenic automation company Creative Conners to use with their automation systems.
Creative Conners website
A selection of notable shows and designers / suppliers
- Beauty and the Beast
- Billy Elliot – AVW Controls and Delstar Engineering
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Stage Technologies / Tait Towers
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering
- Groundhog Day (Old Vic, London) – AVW Controls and Weldfab Stage
- The House of Dancing Water (Macau and Belgium) – Stage Technologies
- KA (MGM Grand) – Stage Technologies
- Legally Blonde (Savoy, London)
- The Lion King (Lyceum, London) – Delstar Engineering, JD Automation
- The Lord of the Rings (Toronto, London) – Silicon Theatre Scenery and Delstar Engineering
- Love Never Dies (London)
- Mary Poppins (Broadway & Tour) – Design by Bob Crowley – Big Vision Group
- Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London)
- Newsies (Broadway & Tour) – Design by Tobin Ost – Hudson Scenic
- Phantom of the Opera (London) – Delstar Engineering
- Phantom of the Opera (Las Vegas, USA) – Fisher Technical Services
- Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre, London)
- Our House – AVW Controls
- Shrek the Musical – PRG (Broadway)
- The Sound of Music – Stage Technologies
- Spamalot – Delstar Engineering
- Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark – Fisher Technical Services
- Sunset Boulevard
- Voyage de la Vie (Singapore) – Stage Technologies
- We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre, London)
- Wicked (London) – Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering
- Wizard of Oz (London, 2011)
Safety
Modern automation systems have a high degree of safety systems built-in.The automation operator has easy access to an E-Stop (emergency stop) button, enabling the system to stop moving in the event of a problem. There are also E-Stop buttons in locations where problems might occur, such as in the theatre basement where an actor may get onto a platform lift, or at high level if performer flying is used. The automation operator has a number of closed-circuit TV monitors to enable her/him to see all parts of the system.
This video shows a ‘safe edge’ on a lift for a production of The Bodyguard. As soon as something gets in the way of the scissor lift, it stops moving instantly, preventing what could be a serious injury.
Books
Companies |
Broadweigh Portable wireless load monitoring [UK] |
PRG Scenic Rigging & Automation [USA] |
Unusual Rigging Rigging, suspension and automation [London, UK] |
Flying |
Fisher Technical Services 3D Flying [USA] |
Jobs |
Automation London Theatre Automation & Motion Control jobs [London, UK] |
Makers |
Weld-Fab Stage Engineering Ltd Revolves, Scissor Lifts, Scenic Engineering [UK] |
Manufacturers |
AVW Controls Impressario System [London, UK] |
Bosch Rexroth Stage Technology [Germany] |
Creative Conners Inc. |
Delstar Engineering [UK] |
KEB America Automation Products [USA] |
Kinesys Motion control |
Q Motion Stage engineering and automation |
Silicon Theatre Scenery Scenic automation and performer flying [The Netherlands] |
Stage Machines LLC |
Stage One Scenic Automation Projects [UK] |
Stage Technologies Includes many examples of their projects |
Tait Scenic Rigging & Automation |
VisualAct Technology & Engineering for the entertainment industry [Sweden] |
Resources |
Podcast: Circuit & Gear - Scenic Automation |
Software |
Spikemark Scenic Automation & Visualisation |
Keywords: Scenic Automation, Automated Scenery, Moving Scenery