Their Ron StageMaster Overload Detection System is Designed to Guard Against Truss Collapse
Their load monitoring and overload prevention products might never get to shine in the spotlight, but they seem to be everywhere these days: from the Orlando Conventional Hall to the Sydney Opera house; in the inventory of PRG and Kish Rigging; in the shows of Cirque du Soleil and Disney.
The Wrong Choice of Words Can Be Costly
Stories of so-called “stage collapses” have recently swept the entertainment industry, the nation and the world. As a staging professional for over 20 years, I was both saddened by the tragedies and dismayed by the incongruent journalism. The damage sustained during the recent collapses involved equipment falling from above onto innocent bystanders below. A stage, of course, is a raised platform, which is walked upon, while a roof covers a stage and hangs overhead. Reading these stories of “stage collapses,” I quickly grasped that a roof structure was actually the equipment in question. In the staging industry, we are now realizing that the mis-education of the public has costly and far-reaching consequences in terms contracts and insurance.
Perspectives from Raj Kapoor, Peter Morse and Brian Jenkins
Carrie Underwood has been out on tour in support of her fourth album, Blown Away, which debuted at the top of the charts along with her single, “Good Girl.” The current 2012 tour has been so successful that it’s expanded into 2013 for an additional 40 dates in the U.S. and Canada. PLSN spoke with the tour designer/directors about this impressive show’s design, which complements Underwood’s rise as one of today’s most accomplished musical artists.
PLSN: How did you begin your career in the entertainment industry?
Mitch Kaplan: My entry into the visual arts started in 1978. A schoolmate and I secured the rights to sell the print services for 3M brand Scanamural, the first large format, ink jet printer. This was the beginning of digital printing. It eventually evolved into billboard size, photo quality print vinyl graphics that you see everywhere. In 1988, Large Format Digital video display evolved from the technology of pixel manipulation. We were pioneers and the times were very exciting. Our very first sales call netted a $250,000 rush order for a sports marketing company. That was our catalyst into the digital world.
The 2012 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Medinah Country Club and 2012 London Olympic Games were just two of this year’s big events with live and televised production where crews relied upon the expanding range of ProPlex data distribution devices and cable options from TMB. The ProPlex line of devices includes GBS Gigabit Ethernet Switches, IQ Ethernet-DMX converters, DMX/RDM Opto-Splitters and forthcoming (early 2013) RMT remote media transceivers for multiplexed DVI transmission and distribution. ProPlex cable options are also expanding, including DMX, Cat5e and fiber optic cable and assembly/snake options now available, and TMB also recently introduced its ProPlex RDMigo touch-screen tester/controller and 8-Track devices for DMX record/playback and backup.
