After the success of the Delta Spirit light rigs for their last tour, they asked me to go to work on some stage props for Coachella.
After a brainstorming session we decided to try and build some big fans that look like the energy wind turbines out by Palm Springs. Essentially, everyone driving out to Coachella, would see the energy turbines, then see them on stage with Delta Spirit and get the connection.
I modified a standard ceiling fan – mounted it horizontally, and added blade extensions so that the total diameter was 13.5 Feet!
Then I had to figure out how to mount them to a tripod so that they could transport and set up easily. No problem:
So I took the completed fans over to their house/practice space so they could set them up and get a feel for them. It was a little breezy that day. Problem.
The breeze was causing the fan blades to flex considerably, creating lateral movement, causing the blades to slam into the tripod base. We knew there were playing an outdoor stage at 4pm. So the question was, how to modify the fans so that they wouldn’t be a problem in the afternoon Coachella breeze?
At this point in the project, I handed it off to the guys to figure out a solution that would work for them aesthetically and functionally.
All in all, the blades got about 2 feet cut off from the ends, and they attached some metallic ribbons to each point – creating psychedelic rotating triangles. They also painting the fans metallic gold and silver.
Here’s a video I was able to snag off youtube from a fan at Coachella. Pretty neato!
