Rigging stages in Manila

Lights go out... music fades in... and we marvel another great production. Behind every show is an entirely different world of technology and industry. With advanced stage rigging technology and creative minds combined, a captivating show enchants us once more.

Two decades ago, concerts and various productions were only held on makeshift stages. Some stages could be as radical as the top of 10-wheeler trucks joined back-to-back. But now, could you just imagine watching Mariah Carey or Martin Nievera's concert on top of a truck or even a container van?

Productions nowadays have become so complicated. At the launching of Greenbelt 3, foreign dancers were flying everywhere. During Martin Nievera's "Airborne" concert back in the late eighties, he was flown from the gallery of the Ultra Stadium down to the stage. In Miss Saigon, the set would move and change so many times in one song and we watched in awe as a helicopter flew on one scene.

As we are enchanted by the production in front of us, we are oblivious to the events in the backstage, the technicalities and safety measures considered for the show. But it really is better to leave that with the experts of the industry such as the stage riggers.

"Stage rigging has been an industry of its own in the US for a long time. But here in Manila, it only started in the late eighties," shares Manny Inumerable, President and Owner of Stage Riggers, Inc.

Stage Riggers wasn't known in the entertainment industry until 1988. It started as EBI Engineering and Construction (from Manny's real name - Emmanuel Barrion Inumerable) back in 1986. That company soon earned its reputation as the "pioneer" of stage rigging in Manila. The combination of professionalism and creativity soon resulted to more projects from the government and the entertainment industry. By 1988, the growing company has been renamed to be known as STAGE RIGGERS, INC.

"We design and put together the structure or the skeleton of the stage. When I say 'stage', I don't mean the stage platform alone. 'Stage' includes the roofing system, lighting trusses, speaker towers, barricades, control platforms and other stage effects such elevators, revolving platforms, flying systems, vanishing curtains, and a lot more."

Manny formerly worked at a construction company and opted not to settle for a 9-5 job. He wanted to be an entrepreneur. Being an engineer and innovator that he is, he veered away from constructing buildings and instead constructed quality stages of world class standards for concerts, theatre productions, special events, television, and a lot more.

Building a stage isn't as easy as playing with a Lego toy. Scaffoldings, lighting trusses, moving trusses, and a lot more make up a stage. But it's not a matter of linking everything together and the show starts. The riggers have to ensure that the stage is built right. "The factor of safety is so important and I make sure that our crew is 500% sure that the stage is safe." This is where Manny applies his civil engineering background and his many years in the construction business.

There are modern cars, modern buildings, modern gadgets, and so are stages. Nowadays, directors and producers won't just settle for a stage platform alone. They want to see movement, set changes, flying, and even magical effects. Putting these things together require more than modern staging equipment but a good sense of foresight backed with accurate computations of load weights and measurements.

"When it comes to making stages which requires a lot of moving and flying effects, I can say that our company has the edge. In our company, we don't just invest on equipment. We invest on education and training. There is a lot of physics involved. We use load tables and compute how much is going to be loaded into the stage," shares Manny. "Depending on the director's requirement, we will then determine what kind of equipment will be able to handle their loads."

"Our materials are either fabricated in our warehouse or imported from reputable rigging suppliers in the US and in Europe," added Manny.

To date, Manny is happy building stages here. The fulfilment cannot be measured when his stage is enhanced with lights, sounds, and the artists.

"I still dream of having ala Las Vegas production here in Manila. As our company grows, we get more ideas and more complicated requirements from event managers and directors, and we try our best to deliver not only a nice looking stage but a safe one. In our company, we like to come up with new ideas not just for stage rigging but for stage effects like flying systems, disappearing curtains, elevating and moving platforms, and things like that," dreams Manny. "But for now we work with what we have and try our best to make sure we build the perfect stage for every project we undertake."

Stage Riggers, Inc. is very proud of its portfolio of projects. They have recently added the stages of Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey both held at the Bonifacio Global City, ABS-CBN's 50th Anniversary at the PICC Plenary Hall, Incubus rock concert at the CCP grounds, and the recent concerts of Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Lea Salonga, and many more local greats.

For almost twenty years now, Stage Rigggers hasn't stopped nor rested from giving the audience another stage to marvel about. One show is always different from the other. Sometimes, the more complicated and the more challenging a stage is, the more fun it is for the riggers. "To date, our business is far from boring," smiles Manny.

Stage Riggers, Inc. recently launched their online presence to showcase their past projects. You can now visit www.stageriggers-ph.com.

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