All About Stage Engineering
Stage engineering has become an art form over recent years with more and more artists demanding amazingly impressive stages to justify high concert ticket prices and to get people out of their homes and in to the concert arena.
You only have to look at some of the recent big concerts to see how stage engineering has developed over the years and turned into a major business of vital importance to both venues and performance.
The 2011 Progress tour by the group Take That is a prime example of creating an impressive looking stage to wow fans - both in its good and bad forms! Part of their performance involved a giant, thirty meter high robot man that moved.
Its arms moved and members of the band stood in the palms of its hands to sing as it lifted them up.
However, in one early performance, there were problems with the robot which results in two stranded band members being helped down from the robot by ladder.
Nevertheless, the engineers fixed the problem and the next night the robot performed as expected, including standing up and moving during the concert.
Engineering a set is often a bespoke job.
No two jobs are the same, and no two venues are the same either.
This is one reason why football stadiums have become popular for concert venues - it means that the stage areas is pretty much a known quantity at all venues so you can create the perfect looking set and not have to compromise due to quirks in the venue.
Much of the stage equipment is hired, rather than bought - after all it is only wanted for a short period of time.
Many of the components used in stage sets are from stock, but there is often a demand for custom built equipment where it is necessary.
However, you don't have to be world famous pop group in order to have a nice set on your stage.
Many smaller theatres and performance houses also contract in engineering services to assist with their performances.
Sometimes this ranges from the simple harnesses for flying reindeer in the Christmas Panto, but other times it can be the more advanced and technically challenging equipment needed for a particularly demanding performance.
Of course, an important factor has to be safety.
With a lot of stage equipment lives could be at risk if it doesn't perform as expected or if it fails.
In the case of famous recording artists it can be a very expensive mistake should the equipment fail.
One only has to remember the Pink Floyd concert in the 80's where the seating collapsed during a performance to realise that engineering safety is of vital importance.
All equipment needs careful design and thorough checking and testing before each performance to ensure it is safe to use.
Things wear out, even in the best made design, and so safety has to always be paramount.
An impressive stage set can make a big difference in how well a performance sells out, and how much many it makes.
Good engineering can mean a memorable performance that keeps the customers coming back time, and time again.
You only have to look at some of the recent big concerts to see how stage engineering has developed over the years and turned into a major business of vital importance to both venues and performance.
The 2011 Progress tour by the group Take That is a prime example of creating an impressive looking stage to wow fans - both in its good and bad forms! Part of their performance involved a giant, thirty meter high robot man that moved.
Its arms moved and members of the band stood in the palms of its hands to sing as it lifted them up.
However, in one early performance, there were problems with the robot which results in two stranded band members being helped down from the robot by ladder.
Nevertheless, the engineers fixed the problem and the next night the robot performed as expected, including standing up and moving during the concert.
Engineering a set is often a bespoke job.
No two jobs are the same, and no two venues are the same either.
This is one reason why football stadiums have become popular for concert venues - it means that the stage areas is pretty much a known quantity at all venues so you can create the perfect looking set and not have to compromise due to quirks in the venue.
Much of the stage equipment is hired, rather than bought - after all it is only wanted for a short period of time.
Many of the components used in stage sets are from stock, but there is often a demand for custom built equipment where it is necessary.
However, you don't have to be world famous pop group in order to have a nice set on your stage.
Many smaller theatres and performance houses also contract in engineering services to assist with their performances.
Sometimes this ranges from the simple harnesses for flying reindeer in the Christmas Panto, but other times it can be the more advanced and technically challenging equipment needed for a particularly demanding performance.
Of course, an important factor has to be safety.
With a lot of stage equipment lives could be at risk if it doesn't perform as expected or if it fails.
In the case of famous recording artists it can be a very expensive mistake should the equipment fail.
One only has to remember the Pink Floyd concert in the 80's where the seating collapsed during a performance to realise that engineering safety is of vital importance.
All equipment needs careful design and thorough checking and testing before each performance to ensure it is safe to use.
Things wear out, even in the best made design, and so safety has to always be paramount.
An impressive stage set can make a big difference in how well a performance sells out, and how much many it makes.
Good engineering can mean a memorable performance that keeps the customers coming back time, and time again.
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