Lighting Technology, 2nd Edition

7

Lighting suspension systems

 

7.1 Suspension and why it is needed

In TV and film studios, the majority of lighting is placed at a reasonable height above the acting area. The reasons for this are quite simply that we do not wish the acting area to be full of equipment, additionally the floor area is also cluttered with cameras and sound booms.

When gas lighting over the stage was introduced it consisted of a 1.5 inch bore steel gas pipe with rat tail burners fitted along its length every few inches across the whole width of the stage. The pipe was suspended from steel ropes and fed by flexible hoses from the sides of the stage. It is interesting to note that 1²⁹/₃₂ inch (48 mm) is the outside diameter of a 1.5 inch steel gas pipe and this ...