Tait is widely considered as global leaders in the design, manufacture and tour logistics when it comes to scenic motion, and were an obvious choice for production director Jake Berry (who was in charge of all technical elements) and set designer Es Devlin as they conceived one the most ambitious live touring productions ever seen.
Berry and Devlin will be joined at this unique seminar by James 'Winky' Fairorth, president of Tait Towers, alongside Dana Bartholomew from Fisher Technical Services (FTSI), also part of the Tait Towers group. Following presentations by each of the panellists there will be a question and answer session for the audience to delve deeper into the technology which brought the caped crusader live to stages across the world.
Tait designed and supplied the visual, scenic and flying effects for the production, an action-packed live performance which brings the comic book hero's story alive with a mix of circus-style stunts and industry-leading technology, video animation and special effects. The show premiered at Manchester MEN Arena in the UK on 19 July, 2011 and is now touring arenas across the globe for the next two years.
Helping to turn set designer Es (Devlin) and executive producer Nick Grace's ideas into reality, Tait supplied over 20 different technical elements which were produced specifically for, and integrated into, the stunning set. The production centred around one main stage, which Tait created with visual impact and ease of assembly and use at the core of its design.
Matt Hales, project manager at Tait Towers started working on the project in May 2010. He said: "The rolling main stage is comprised of Tait proprietary system which magnetically locates the decks. We set up parts in different sections of the arena floors, which allows the aerial mother grid and stage to be simultaneously worked on. Once the grid has been lifted each stage section can be rolled into place, aligned with total accuracy and assembled very quickly.
"The stage contains some very complex elements including prop lifts, circular lifts, video integration and a pantographic staircase. The staircase, located at the front end of the stage, is a flat surface which becomes a staircase when lowered, which saves a huge amount of performance space. It's also spring loaded meaning it can be operated by just one person."
The main stage incorporates an LED floor which was developed specifically for the show by the Tait design team and Frederic Opsomer at Tait Technologies in Europe, while the track which the Batmobile travels on is integrated into the structure of the stage, with the Batmobile travelling at up to 16 feet per second. Tait also developed a 25ft joker mask which was moved onto the stage from the rear and used by performers for tumbles, climbing and acrobatics. The free standing structure had to be durable enough to withstand up to 16 or more performers moving around on it at any one time.
(Lee Baldock)
