The Official Bulletin - Quarter 2, 2019

It’s like nothing ever seen before on Broadway. A 20-foot tall ape weighing 1.1 tons charges
across the stage frightening actors and audience alike. But what really stands out about the
creature is not just his size, but his dexterity; not just his fierceness, but his full range of
emotions, from surprise to compassion to tenderness. Whether watching from the orchestra
or balcony, the amazing King Kong has truly come to life!
The greatest wonder, however, is what the audience
doesn’t see. Nearly 1,000 feet of electrical cable and 16 microprocessors.
And a team of proud IATSE members moving
Kong about and controlling his emotions, blurring the lines between
actor and stagehand.
“We have three Voodoo Operators at terminals that look
like game consoles using joysticks to control King Kong’s head,
neck, facial expressions, shoulders, hips, waist and all of his
motions,” explained Andrew Elman, Head of Creature (yes, that
is his official title) for King Kong and member of IATSE Local
One. “An automation operator moves Kong around the stage.
Seven winches control his height and motion. On board, he’s
a mix of pneumatics, hydraulics and servo-motors. There are
45 axes of motion controlling movement of his arms and legs,
waist, head, neck, and shoulders. His facial expressions are
controlled by 16 electric servo-motors — the same motor used
on the Mars Rover. Pneumatics control his hands, wrists, elbows
and feet. He’s a mish-mash of every control and power
system you can think of.”
Because they are performing many of the functions of an
actor, the three Voodoo Operators work under a joint Actors
Equity-IATSE Pink Contract. “While they’re working off a script,
they also are reacting live to the actors on stage, just as an
actor does,” Elman said. “But there are three of them, so they
have to be completely coordinated. All the actions are intertwined;
the head has to move in sync with the shoulders. The
rehearsal process makes it muscle memory, but it’s still an impressive
feat with each and every show.”
Elman calls cues for Kong on stage during the show. And
he heads a team of IATSE members that take care of King
Kong from head to toe. “We have eight hours of work calls a
week to inspect and maintain the creature,” he said. “We do
a full inspection before every show, open him up, look at the
joints, rigging and mechanical systems and check for wear and
tear, leaks and abrasions.”
By any measure, King Kong is a marvel — and the skills
IATSE members use to bring the beast to life are wondrous.
But this is just one example of how breakthroughs in technology
and automation are revolutionizing the work of members in
every craft seemingly on a daily basis. In motion picture, broadcast
and tradeshow, as well as stage, change — rapid change
— is the watchword.
This, in turn, raises many questions. How are members
adapting to the introduction and use of new technologies? Is
automation displacing jobs or are there compensating developments
that create new opportunities? Do transformations in
work processes pose jurisdictional challenges? Are members
being trained fast enough to stay ahead of the curve?
In other words, like King Kong, will automation and technology
be a beast that rampages through our workplaces, or
will it a be gentle giant that enables us to thrive in the midst of
chaos?
“While they’re working off a script, they
also are reacting live to the actors
on stage, just as an actor does”
Andrew Elman, Head of Creature for King Kong
and member of Local One
SECOND QUARTER 2019 21