The new favorite hobby for the officers is to do blackout tests. Very legitimate tests to make sure that all of the proper emergency systems kick on in case of power failure onboard. I approve of making sure this goes smoothly. I value my safety and sleep better knowing that this stuff works. However, EVERY time we do a blackout test my rigging system has a new unpredictable failure. When encoders need to be reset I have to reprogram each production show that uses that encoder every time it is used... times 3 production shows... it eats up my spare time very very very quickly.
So consider the fact that we have done 4 blackout tests in the last 2 weeks, you might understand that I am beyond frustrated with this process.
The last blackout test was yesterday morning at 9:30am - they gave us a whopping 2 hours notice. To prepare for the blackout test we shut down the sound system, the lighting system, and, of course, the rigging system.
Blackout test came & went.
At 4pm I went to the rigging booth and powered back on the rigging system.
At 4:20pm I get a call from the aerialists rehearsing on stage that the stage has filled with smoke and it smells like fire.
At 4:20:30sec I am in the rigging booth which is full of smoke but nothing appears to be on fire.
At 4:21 I call the bridge and report the fire stating deck 6 because the smoke was coming from ABOVE the rigging booth.
...
No one contacted me for over 30 minutes. Eventually I went up to deck 6 to see what was going on...
...
Rigging power supplies had fried.
Pictures below.
My life sucks.
I am embarrassed to ask, but what is rigging/rigging booth? So sorry for the flameout and the blackout tests and other headaches!
ReplyDeleteRigging (or in the ship also automation) is what runs the fly system, turn table, pit lifts, stage lifts, tracking curtains, backdrops, etc...
DeleteSo, are they glorified winches and pulleys with motors?
ReplyDeleteWOW. we had our own fun with a blackout test the other week... was annoying and frustrating because our rigging computer freaked out too... but no story quite as exciting as yours... thank goodness! So now what?! Can you do your shows?
ReplyDelete