Shackles, Burlap, & Lies

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Episode 05 - Gareth Connor Sep 26, 2026

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Episode 05 - Gareth Connor. This weeks episode we dive, (or is it move?) into the world of automation with Gareth Connor, President of Creative Connors, Inc. We discuss the differences between traditional rigging and automation, how it's implemented, and how and when it can be a useful tool. https://creativeconners.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Scenic-Automation-Handbook-Gareth-Conner/dp/1138850276 https://www.amazon.com/Automated-Performer-Flying-State-Art/dp/081535214X https://www.circuitandgear.com/

Episode 04 - ETCP with Meredith Moseley-Bennett Sep 26, 2026

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Episode 04 - ETCP with Meredith Moseley-Bennett. This episode we’re joined by Meredith Moseley-Bennet, the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) manager. We talk about all things ETCP, from how to qualify and apply for the exams, to how the tests are created. This episode is jammed packed with great information about the ETCP. And we even have a HUGE announcement about the exams. Etcp.esta.org

Episode 03 - Phil Van Hest Sep 26, 2026

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Episode 03 - Phil Van Hest from Bigger Hammer Productions joins us this episode to discuss his role as the rigging and safety supervisor for a labor comany. https://vimeo.com/showcase/7082170 https://www.protoindustrial.com/en/industrial-tools/Proto/Tethered-Tools/SkyHook-Transfer-System/f391117c-f8e8-4e6f-8668-b8058ee6b843_Proto%C2%AE-SkyHook%E2%84%A2-Kits/# https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Rigging-Handbook-Third-Glerum/dp/0809327414 https://www.amazon.com/Rigging-Math-Made-Simple-5th/dp/0997874686 phil.vanhest@biggerhammer.com https://www.assp.org/standards/standards-topics/osh-training-z490

Episode 09 - Jim Shumway Jun 23, 2020

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Episode 09 - Jim Shumway Author, rigger, educator, & Senior Project Manager at TAIT Towers Jim Shumway joins us to discuss his journey in entertainment rigging which includes working for Cirque du Soleil in China and then eventually ending up at Tait Towers where his specializes in performer flying. We also discuss design factors of materials, risk assessment and risk reduction, and over representing oneself. And there may be one or two mentions of his book. Jim’s book -Automated Performing Flying - lhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/081535214X/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Rock Lititz Studio grid capacity is 500 Tons. https://rocklititz.com/ Three Sigma - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/68%E2%80%9395%E2%80%9399.7_rule (I misspoke while recording and mentioned “95% confidence that 95.5% of the widgets would break at above the calculated force” was from Three Sigma. It’s actually from the Aluminum design manual. But the general concept with three sigma is the same, it statistics. As they say, “lies, damn lies, and statistics!”) The online webinars with Jim as a guest can be found - https://www.facebook.com/entprojects/ Tait’s Bar Block - https://barblocks.com/ Kong Frog - https://www.kong.it/en/2-products/items/f1-carabiners/p98-frog-cable

Episode 08 - Ed Leahy & Eric Rouse Jun 16, 2020

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Episode 08 - Ed Leahy & Eric Rouse Training, Training, Training. For the first time we are joined by TWO guests. Ed Leahy of Chicago Flyhouse and Eric Rouse of Entertainment Project Services talk about the importance of rigging training, how training has changed since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and how they adapted their teaching styles for online education. We also discuss what we think makes a good trainer and why you should take classes from a variety of trainers. https://www.entprojects.com/ http://www.flyhouse.com/

Episode 07 - Bill Sapsis Jun 09, 2020

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Episode 07 - Bill Sapsis The Man, The Myth, The Legend, Bill "Uncle Bill" Sapsis joins us this week to talk about how he started in the industry, founding Sapsis Rigging, and his involvement in developing the ETCP rigging exams. And of course there are a few of his legendary stories. http://www.sapsis-rigging.com/ http://lrlr.org/ https://wp.behindthescenescharity.org/ Bill and Eddie Raymond in T-rex costumes - http://newsletters.usitt.org/did-you-see-the-expo-floor-dinosaurs/ the ICOPER document can be found at https://esta.org/ESTA/icoper.php Sapsis rigging hangs internationally acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Bing's Phonex sculpture - http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/news/story.asp?ID=-95UVKB

Episode 06 - Siobhan Gee Jun 02, 2020

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Episode 06 - Siobhan Gee. This week we are joined by Siobhan Gee who shares with us her entertainment rigging origin story and how a mentorship turned into an abusive friendship, its affect on her mental health, and how she prevailed. We also discuss her prolonged harness suspension (aka suspension trauma) research, and some of the diverging opinions on appropriate action to take after the rescue. Siobhan's video on Prolonged Harness Suspension https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnh61OjHHoA Date that cages will no longer meet OSHA law: November 18, 2036 https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Professional/Descenders https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/index.html

Episode 02 - Ben Brian May 06, 2020

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Episode 02 - Today's guest is Ben Brian from Reed Rigging in Chicago. We talk about how he went from a product photographer to entertainment rigger to a principle partner of a large rigging company. We also discuss the importance of training, the ETCP certification program, and the Event Safety Alliance. /n https://reedrigging.com/ /n https://etcp.esta.org/ /n https://www.eventsafetyalliance.org/ /n https://www.kinesys.com/system-category/apexsystem/

Episode 01 - Yanna Kiriacopoulos May 04, 2020

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Episode 01 - In this podcast we talk with Yanna Kiriacopoulos about how she got into rigging, the challenges of doing so as a woman, and what others can learn from her experience. The Bag Yanna just got as one of her favorite tools - https://www.klimwinkel.nl/courant-cross-pro.html Entertainment Rigging by Harry Donovan - https://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-Rigging-Practical-Harry-Donovan/dp/097233811X Entertainment Rigging for the 21st Century by Bill Sapsis - https://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-Rigging-21st-Century-Compilation/dp/0415702747 Controlbooth.COM

Episode 00 May 02, 2020

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Episode 00 - An Introduction

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