... The set designers on a bigger show are smart and courteous enough to put outlets in a wall, resulting in extremely convenient places to plug in lights and practicals.
On low budget shows, they do no such thing, resulting in the juicers having to run stingers everywhere and/or worry about how they're going to hide the cables. More often than not, the job requires the extensive use of zip cord* which, on a low budget job, there probably isn't much of anyway.
*Zip cord is also commonly known as "lamp cord." It's also, for whatever reason, "illegal" to use if you're on a Union show.
5 comments :
Different studios have different rules pertaining to zip cord. When I was at Paramount, zip was forbidden -- we had to use hubbles and stingers for everything. Other studios allow us to use up to six feet of zip on a fixture, but no more.
The reasons for this aren't entirely clear to me, but seem to stem from a fear of fire due to overloading the 18 gauge wire, and the lack of a ground.
Still, in a business where time is money -- and both are scarce -- we break this rule all the time...
I'm not sure whether or not the "illegal" extends outside the studio onto location, but I see the stuff used all the time. (Yes...almost exclusively for small practicals.)
But I'd say the difference between a big show and a low budget one is that the big show spends time on a real soundstage while the low budget one uses some old warehouse as their stage. Then, when they go there for cover, they can't record sound because of the rain drumming on the roof.
Michael - I love how we're in a business where the rules say one thing, but the norm says another.
Nathan - Or because they're right next to a busy freeway or train tracks. :)
As I remember, the problem with zip cord, is that is has a high resistance. Should there be a problem with a fixture, if it's wired with too much zip cord, the breaker won't trip.
JD - That sounds much more reasonable than the "they're scared you'll overload it" explanation that I usually get. Thanks!
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