Photo courtesy of Abel Aluart
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On a Wing and a Prayer (and a Wire!)
Helping angels take flight at First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale’s Christmas Production
One outstanding aspect of First Baptist Church’s Christmas Production is the flying of the angels at the birth of Christ. And what makes it so special in the production is that the church, in conjunction with Hall Associates Flying Effects out of Chicago, came up with a new way of flying actors providing a full three dimensions of movement.
“All the flying systems that we have seen around the country have been on what I call a curtain system,” describes Jeff Crevier, minister of creative arts at First Baptist, “where the actor flies in a straight line with up and down movement on a track. It’s a great effect, but we wanted the angels to do more than just in and out, up and down. So we searched for a company that would brainstorm with us. Many companies are willing to listen to you but reluctant to figure out a cost-efficient way to make it happen. Finally, we met Hall Associates.”
“Jeff [Crevier] visited us in DeKalb, Ill.,” adds Tracy Nunnally, president of Hall Associates Flying Effects. “During his visit, he outlined his idea for a new way to fly the angels for his show. Together, we laid out a plan for how to make this happen. Over the next month, I engineered the system and set up a prototype in our rehearsal facility. Once the concept was proven, I agreed to provide the flying effects for the 2009 Christmas Pageant.”
The request Crevier made was to be able to fly angels to any point in the room, without needing to run heavy trussing. After researching the concept, Nunnally based his design on an idea that was patented in 1917, was modified for newer technology and could meet the needs of the venue.
“The system is motivated by high-speed flying winches which are controlled by a computerized positioning system,” describes Nunnally. “Cues are entered into the computer based on location, time and ramp time, and the computer converts that into speed, direction and acceleration. [In addition,] there is a completely separate analog control system that allows the operator to control each winch directly should the need arise.”
When putting anything in the air, whether equipment or people, safety has to be of paramount importance. And safety starts with the design.
Nunnally elaborates, “All rigging equipment in the system has a rated breaking strength of at least five times the maximum possible force applied by the winches, and many of the components have a rated breaking strength of 10 times the maximum possible force applied by the winches. Our second point of safety is redundancy.
“In the operating system, the computer is the preferred system for moving the flying artists through the venue, as it provides predictable movements at predictable times,” Nunnally continues. Computers, however, can fail, and so an isolated direct-control system is in place to allow the operator to bring the actor safely to the floor. In addition, all winches are equipped with the same braking mechanism found in elevators.
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Jim Kumorek is the owner of Spreading Flames Media, providing video/media production and writing services to the A/V/L, technology, architectural and hospitality industries. He has led audio, video and lighting teams in churches as both staff and a volunteer for over 10 years. He can be contacted at james@spreadingflamesmedia.com.
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