The Approach

The stage footprint was roughly 50 by 65 feet, and the set itself measured about 16 by 20 feet. Once you accounted for art staging, grip and electric staging, and video village, there was very little extra space to work with.

We had one collective pre-rig day and one shoot day.

Grip, electric, and art department all needed to be building at the same time. There was no opportunity for grips to come in early, rig overhead infrastructure, and then hand the stage over to art. The schedule simply did not allow for that sequence.

On top of that, the ceiling was on camera and needed to look integrated from within the set.

The set was designed to be shot 360 degrees, with walls on all sides and a visible ceiling. Built into that ceiling were our nine openings for lights. Art department - led by production designer Greg Yaro - covered the openings nicely with milked plexi to make them look like built-in ceiling lights.

The existing overhead pipe grid at the studio was not capable of supporting the combined load of a ceiling piece plus integrated lighting we needed. There were no perms and I wouldn’t have trusted that pipe grid with even an 8x8 softbox. Hanging the ceiling from the grid was not a viable option.

So instead of flying the ceiling, we needed to build something that could support it from the ground independently.

The Structural Approach

The solution was to build a freestanding structure using Modulus-X truss that could support both the ceiling and the lighting, and then put that structure on wheels.

This immediately solved two problems; It allowed grip and art department to work simultaneously, and it removed the need to rely on the stage pipe grid for structural support.

The outer structure was built using 9 inch Modulus X truss (Mx|99|). Its outer dimensions were 20’x30’. All load-bearing verticals and spans were constructed from 9 inch truss to handle the weight and span requirements while staying within the allowable deflection.

Inside that outer frame, we built a secondary box using 6 inch Modulus X truss (Mx|66|) - smaller but still strong enough. The interior box had the same dimensions as the set build - 16’x24’. This inner box carried the lighting and physically supported the 16’x24’ ceiling piece beneath it.

Using two truss sizes allowed us to put strength exactly where it was needed, without adding unnecessary bulk.

Integrating the Ceiling and Lighting

Each skylight in the ceiling had its own SkyPanel S120 with a snap bag. The lights were positioned so the snap bags aligned precisely over each skylight opening. This allowed every skylight to be controlled independently, with no spill contaminating the neighboring openings. I wanted to make sure the snap bags would provide us with the control we needed. Too far away and spill would be a definite problem. Too close and the lights wouldn’t fit. Visualizing the build in Vectorworks beforehand allowed us to pre-configure lighting positions beforehand so we didn’t waste any time on the day. We knew the total height of the snap bags, the distance between lights, and the types of clamps. I was able to plan out the exact height they needed to be rigged so we could come in on the day with a plan and not waste time.

The 6 inch Modulus-X truss functioned like a rigid softbox frame. It provided clean mounting points and flexibility for the lighting units and enough rigidity and a variety of mounting options to support the ceiling piece.

The ceiling piece itself was attached directly to the 6 inch truss box. The integrated truss bolt holes and hand holes made attachment to the ceiling flat a breeze. Dimensions were coordinated with art so the perimeter of the ceiling aligned exactly with the outer edge of the 6" truss box. We mechanically fastened the ceiling through the Mod-X bolt holes with wood screws and large washers, backed it up with grip chain every few holes, and added ribs between skylights for additional center support.

Once everything was assembled, the entire ceiling and lighting package was lifted using six 1/2 ton chain motors attached to the 9 inch truss above with eye bolts on both ends to keep the mounting solution low profile. The deflection observed in the 9 inch spans after taking the fully built out weight of the 6” inner box was measured and stayed within allowable limits.

Why Modulus X Was the Right Tool

Modulus-X truss provides unmatched weight ratings, which made it perfect for this build.

Twelve inch box truss would have been too bulky, more visually intrusive, and harder to integrate cleanly with the ceiling and lighting. It also would not have allowed the same flexibility for fastening the ceiling directly to the structure or for mixing truss sizes efficiently.

Modulus X offered a strong strength-to-weight ratio, compact geometry that worked with our limited space constraints, and a modular system that allowed us to combine 9 inch and 6 inch truss exactly where each made sense.

Even at longer spans, the structure stayed within allowable deflection limits. It was rigid enough to lift cleanly with chain motors, while still light enough to be safely rolled across the stage floor.

The integrated bolt and hand holes made the attachment of the ceiling piece seamless - wood screws with large diameter work perfectly through the bolt holes while grip chain threaded through the hand holes was used for added security.

We truly maxed out our space restrictions on this stage - the rig couldn't have been built any taller. Even at max height we barely had the clearance for the ceiling piece over the set wall.

Rolling the Structure Into Place

One of the most important decisions was putting the entire structure on wheels. This was the most important aspect of the build. Without the ability to roll, this structure would have been worthless.

Division Rentals custom fabricated rolling bases designed specifically for Modulus-X truss. Each base used three swivel casters mounted to a central bearing, allowing the vertical to rotate smoothly while carrying significant load. Each caster holds up to 3000 pounds.

Four rolling bases were mounted under each of the four 9 inch verticals. Once the ceiling was assembled and lifted with enough clearance, the entire structure was rolled into position over the set.

Art department temporarily pulled a few jacks as we rolled the structure in to buy us more space on the left and right of set. This whole structure looked like a straddle carrier at a ship yard. It rolled in easily with 3 people on each leg. From there, the ceiling piece was trimmed into position on the chain motors just above the set walls. Art closed the small gap between the ceiling and walls with decorative trim.

We made sure none of the ceiling weight was resting on the set walls because the set walls weren't built for that kind of support.

The Result

The entire rig was built in one day and was operational by lunch. The shoot day ran smoothly, with full control over all nine skylights and complete freedom to shoot 360 degrees inside the set.

After the shoot, the ceiling was rolled back out, lowered, and fully de-rigged in roughly an hour and a half.

Fast build. Clean execution. A solution that allowed all departments to succeed.

This is the type of real-world production problem Modulus-X is well suited to solve.

Huge thanks to my grip crew - this team always makes me look good and allows the shoot days to go as smoothly as they always do.