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Vertigo Rigs Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban Premier
It was all-action again for Vertigo Rigging at The Odeon Leicester Square for the launch of the new Harry Potter blockbuster, ‘Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban’. Vertigo’s brief included the rigging of a giant five-metre wide by nine-metre high Dementors claw, made by Brighton-based Phil Donoghue at the top of the cinema’s tower – strategically placed to curl round the tower, appearing to grip onto it.
Working in conjunction with Service Graphics, Vertigo covered the entire front fascia of the Odeon with adhesive vinyl panels, creating a massive Harry Potter picturescape and branding. The suspension of another ten-metre wide by four-metre high sign weighing over half a tonne required the installation of a substantial rigging infrastructure over the building’s balcony.
The initial stages of the vinyl cladding detail of the project started the Monday before the Bank Holiday Sunday of the Premier, when Vertigo installed a cantilevered trussing structure on top of the Odeon’s 37-metre high tower. Another trussing structure was installed along the lower part of the building roof, complete with a rail system.
With the rail system and the cantilevered truss in place, the entire cinema front could be accessed via motorised platforms, allowing three teams of vinyl applicators to work simultaneously. Doing this early meant they could do much of the structural installation without disrupting the cinema, and without needing for any cranes or cherry pickers in the square during this part of the build. The Vinyl application itself started on the Friday morning and was completed by Saturday morning – with the vinyl panels adhered directly to the building.
The cantilevered truss already over the top edge of the Odeon’s tower was designed and installed to be utilised for suspending the fingers of the quarter tonne claw, once it was in situ. Vertigo had been consulted on the building of the claw from the outset, and ensured that it was a sensible weight!
A special truss platform was installed along the lower level of the top of the Odeon that anchored the claw base in place. This was tied into the building using chemical fixings installed for the first Harry Potter Premier launch in 2001. Accurate drawings of the fixings meant that the entire trussing structure could be designed around the existing building strong-points. Two thousand excitable fans, waiting eagerly for a glimpse of Harry, screamed with excitement as the claw was craned into position.
In the square two Vertigo Power Towers (ground support masts) were rigged for lighting and LED screens. To finish off the magic, 40 inflatable Aunt Marges hung around the park on catenaries.
The installation schedule ran like clockwork despite being temporarily interrupted by a Fathers 4 Justice activist dressed as Superman, who joined the riggers on the roof during the build on the Wednesday. He was eventually talked down, allowing everyone to get on with their work.
The Premier was attended by the stars of the movie, a host of VIPs and glitterati, plus several thousand enthusiastic fans gathered outside. The clients liked the Odeon’s fascia dressing and the claw so much, that they decided to keep it in place for a week after the event.
16th June 2004
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