“hundreds of balloon animals descended onto the stage” – Brian Ives from Radio.com
Dropping 3,000 balloon animals a night for The Roots’ … And Then You Shoot Your Cousin release concert was a big task, but the final effect was worth it. There were logistical challenges to master, and a number of people have asked how we pulled it off.
First, we have a great team of balloon twisters who can all make a balloon animal in moments. We set up an inflation station with two large nitrogen tanks and continuously filled baskets with balloons from it so each of us had a ready supply to twist. Jumbo plastic bags were filled with twisted animals, and the full bags were piled in the corner. After a full day, we had 3,000 animals bagged, and it was time for the net.
Second, we used Colin Stewart’s Reli-A-Drop, a professional balloon net. We stretched it out in the theatre, and squeezed balloons from the bags into the opening in the net. Then we sealed the net with cable ties, and attached three rigging points at the top. The Reli-A-Drop is pre-strung and very easy to use, and as long as it’s rigged properly everything will fall correctly.
Third, we had the help of the professional crew at The Public Theatre to physically get the big nets in the sky. They ran two rigging cables above the lights but below the I-beam supports for us. We hoisted a net across each cable until it was positioned above the orchestra/stage. The pull-lines were attached to a rail on the catwalk above the audience.
Thanks to the great team, great equipment, and great crew, we were able to drop thousands of balloon animals at the right moment. Check out the behind-the-scenes pics to get a flavor of the project.
Thank you to the awesome team of balloon pros who made this happen:
Randy Adelson, Christina Cornevin, Elizabeth Covington, Kenwyn Dapo, Brenda Hernandez, Colin Jaffe, Julie Michael, Justin Quackenbush, Brad Root, Tristen Strauss, Kim Spagnola, Glenna Thompson, Jonathan Vasquez, Melissa Vinson, Pete Waldman
A behind the scenes video made by Jonathan of all the above mentioned talented artists!