Hi all
I did a production of "The Kite" about 20 years ago. For the final scene, the curtain raised to reveal the old man and the boy leaning back against a tree while flying the kite out over the house. For this effect, the director didn't want to see the actual kite, but a highly visible kite string leading out to the house catwalk from center stage.
The trick was to get the string in place in the blink of an eye as the curtain was raised. To do this, I preset a piece of black braided fishing line (about 150 lb test and now available on Amazon) through a series of black painted clothes pins up the side of the proscenium and out to the first cat. The fishing line was wrapped around a large spool on a well lubricated shaft, and a rope was wrapped the other way around a smaller spool attached to the same shaft. As the curtain raised, the technician in the catwalk pulled the rope, causing the large spool to suck the fishing line in at a very high rate of speed, and the fishing line shot the kite string out to the catwalk faster than the eye could track it, especially with a short blackout before the curtain raised.
Steal whatever you wish from that idea :-).
All my best.
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Tracy Nunnally
NIU - Professor/TD/Area Head
Vertigo - Owner/System Designer
ETCP Certified Rigger/Trainer
DeKalb, Illinois
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2017 13:09
From: Marisa Visser
Subject: Flying a Kite Over audience
Maybe this is a silly question, so forgive me, but,
if there are 2 lines going into the catwalk over the house and attaching to fishing poles, and 1 line for the actor to give the illusion of control,
how does the kite enter the stage? Is the line dropped out the front of the catwalk and pre-set at the top of the show so when the actress enters with the kite it seems in the moment?
I need to create a similar affect with many butterflies...
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Marisa Visser
Theatre Director
Irving TX
Original Message:
Sent: 09-26-2017 06:40
From: Jerry Onik
Subject: Flying a Kite Over audience
I recommend using 2 fishing poles in the catwalk, one left and 1 right, your actor has the third string this allows you to triangulate positions over the audience, this will need practice time to work, consider it choreography, it would be limited to the front of the auditorium
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Jerry Onik
V.P. Theatrical Supplies and Equipment
Omaha NE
Original Message:
Sent: 09-25-2017 13:01
From: Dan Mellitz
Subject: Flying a Kite Over audience
Alright, so I have some ideas, but I was asked to find a way to make a kite in Your a good Man Charlie brown fly over the audience. I was wondering if anyone else had any brilliant ideas before I settle on one. I am open to any and all suggestions. My philosophy.... No idea is to big for any space as long as your creative enough to use your resources to make it happen.
Thoughts?
We have a procenium style space with a catwalk over the audience but straight down the middle from back to front and then a Cross walkway up front with a landing area before you head out over the audience.
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Dan Mellitz
Technical Director
St Andrews School
Barrington, RI
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