Friday, November 14, 2008
How Riggers Raise the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: Live on Scene
Popular Mechanics: "Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, but the Christmas season officially began today—at least here in New York City—with the installation of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Problem is, how do you install a monster tree in the middle of a crowded plaza? With about 10 guys, a crane, cables and a little eyeballing."
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8 comments:
I love how even on that level there is an aspect of just eyeballing it. it's humbling. its a reminder just like flying actors is that lifting something is lifting something even if that something is huge or even if that something really is a someone.
I never realized just how heavy the trees were. thats a lot. ALso, in one of the pictures,there is a man in the tree. I really hope that he wasnt in it when they lifted it!
This is actually pretty cool, the way that they achieve the look or build the rig is not surprising. though it reminds me that there is rigging going on all around us. and even the most seemingly commonplace things, like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center requires a great deal of load in, including a crew of riggers to anchor that bad boy!
What amazes me most about the raising of the tree is how it's accomplished by a family business, and not some extremely well off company. This also traces my mind off into the world of permanent architectural rigging, and how that intimately ties in with the world of entertainment rigging.
This is great. I love that raising this tree is not highly complex or technological. They lift it with a crane, lower it into the stand, then secure it to the nearby buildings. I love that the men actually climb into the tree when they are securing it. You would think that there might be some more "high-tech" way to do this, but there isn't. Yay for good old-fashioned work.
I can't believe the average tree weighs 20,000 pounds. And the guys who install the tree just eyeball it, how fun! I do feel safer knowing they secure it to near by buildings though with it weighing so much.
I wish I could see the installation of the tree...It would be very interesting to watch the guys climb up to secure the tree and to watch the eyeballing!
yeah, you try sticking a level on the side of that and see how accurate your measurement is.
sure, i've never really thought about it, but it's not all that complex an operation. probably took only 4 hours to do.
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