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Grosh backdrop ES1313 at the Glasgow Summer Theater’s production of Children of Eden
must measure the travel distance of each rigging lineset to
be certain the bottom of the drops can be flown out entirely.
You can determine this distance by loosely fastening the end
of a flexible tape measure to the batten with spike tape and
slowly flying it out to maximum height. Also consider diagonal
sight lines from the first few rows to the bottom of the
flown scenery. If a glimpse of the very bottom of your painted
backdrop from the first few rows is unacceptable, you may
need to add black masking downstage of the backdrop.
Installation and Operation
If your staff does not include an
experienced rigging technician, you
should first ensure your personnel are
properly trained in the installation and
operation of counterweight rigging
equipment before flying any scenery.
Pre-painted backdrops, like most
conventional theatre curtains, usually
include sturdy jute webbing across
the top hem, with metal grommets
and ties installed at 12-inch intervals.
Installation simply consists of centering
the backdrop on a pipe batten
and fastening each tie to the pipe
with shoelace-style knots. For the best visual effect, you
may need to slide sections of threaded one-inch steel or
aluminum pipe (called “bottom pipe”) into a pre-sewn
tube at the bottom hem, thereby stretching the fabric
slightly and minimizing wrinkles. This bottom pipe adds
to the overall weight of the backdrop assembly and must
be considered when flying the backdrop. If your theatre
lacks working linesets, you may still use a painted backdrop,
but you may need to tie ropes or “pick-up lines”