mountainproductions, Author at Mountain NEWs

27 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in CM Hoist School Permalink

10 Things You’ll Love About Our CM Hoist School

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On January 27, 2016

The 31st Annual CM Hoist School: February 29th – March 4th
March is one of our favorite times of the year, because we bring in the month hosting our Annual CM Hoist School. For 30 years, Mountain Productions has been educating and providing the resources necessary to start a career in entertainment rigging and production. Our Hoist School takes a deep dive into chain hoist maintenance with one of the leading manufacturers in entertainment, Columbus McKinnon. But why should you attend our 31^st year? Here are 10 things we’re sure you’ll enjoy if you attend:

1) Mountain Productions’ campus
Students are welcomed to Mountain Productions with a tour of our operations. As you walk through the multiple buildings and offices at our location, you’ll see familiar equipment, and probably something new along the way. We take pride in maintaining our workspace, and invite you to see where it’s all made!

15 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Event Recaps Permalink

[EVENT RECAP] Mountain Productions’ New Year’s Eve Stages

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On January 15, 2016

For the past several years, Mountain Productions has brought in the new year in Times Square, staging the New Year’s Eve ball drop and Rockin’ NYE show. This year, we also traveled to Chicago to build a truss grid stage for Chi-Town Rising. Here’s a few pictures of those events below. Big thanks to 8 Hands High for providing the images of Times Square. Hope you are having an amazing start to 2016!

13 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Tips, Tools, & Resources Permalink

IP Ratings Explained

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On January 13, 2016

We work outside all the time. Although the spring/summer festival season usually brings warm weather and sunshine along, there are certainly times when we find ourselves and our equipment out in the rain or inclement weather. How can you make sure that your equipment is protected from the elements?

Leica’s E7400x DISTO is IP65 Rated

The IP Code (IEC standard 60529) classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. This standard was defined in order to further identify equipment as not simply “waterproof”, but to clearly state exactly what level of protection a piece of equipment has. CM’s newest hoist model, the IP66 Rated Lodestar, is named after its newly added weather-proofing features. But what exactly does “IP66” mean?

11 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Featured Products Permalink

Introducing Leica Geosystems on Mountain Productions Rigging Shop

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On January 11, 2016

We know how important it is to collect accurate measurements. Almost every aspect of entertainment production requires precise data, from site surveys to rigging points. Technology is changing the way we work, including the way we collect measurement data. It’s time to trade in the tape measurer and replace it with a laser distance meter.

Pictured: Leica DISTO E7400x

We’re excited to share that we have linked up with the original creators of the first laser distance meter, Leica Geosystems to provide their quality line of DISTO laser meters and LINO self-leveling lasers.

06 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Insight from the Experts Q+A Permalink

Insight from the Experts [Q+A]: CM’s Newest Hoist – IP66 Rated Next-Gen Lodestar

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On January 6, 2016

CM’s research and development department has been busy as ever, listening to customer feedback and demands, and working on new products that truly change the way we work. As one of the leading providers of quality chain hoists in the entertainment industry, CM has created hoists that cater directly to our needs. Last April, the 2-Ton, Single Reeve Lodestar was launched, giving customers and economical hoist that is lighter and easier to rig and transport (among many other added features! Read our article on CM’s RRS Lodestar here).

Now, CM has created a product that, again, is the solution to entertainment’s unique demands. We spoke to CM product expert and Vertical Market Specialist, Ken Tilson, about the newest chain hoist from CM: the IP66 Rated Next-Gen Lodestar.

22 Dec 2015

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in MTN News Permalink

And the winner is….

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On December 22, 2015

Thank you to all who participated in our Exofit NEX Harness Giveaway survey. We received helpful feedback and will be revealing some great new products and features to Mountain Productions Rigging Shop in the upcoming weeks that you have requested. Hearing from our customers is what helps us to provide exactly what you want from our online Rigging Shop.

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for…

The winner of the Exofit NEX Blackout Harness is:

Brian Dziura of IATSE Local 22

Congratulations Brian, and thank you again to all our entrants! Check back to Mountain Productions Rigging Shop for exciting new content in the very near future. Until then, happy holidays!

15 Dec 2015

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in MTN News Permalink

An Inside Look at Columbus McKinnon’s Virginia Facility

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On December 15, 2015

Located in a small town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Columbus McKinnon stands as one of the industrial landmarks in Damascus (well known as a “Trail Town” to oudoors enthusiasts and the Appalachian Trail community). When I was given the chance to visit the plant and work with CM’s team for a few days, I jumped on the opportunity. Mountain Productions is one of CM’s largest distributors and has maintained a long-lasting relationship with the manufacturing powerhouse. During my brief visit, I started to see what makes Columbus McKinnon stand out from its competition, and why Mountain Productions has stood by CM and its products for years.

10 Dec 2015

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Tips, Tools, & Resources Permalink

Understanding the Lodestar Serial Number System

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On December 10, 2015

People have been trusting in CM’s legendary Lodestar chain hoist for years. Some of the oldest Lodestars ever manufactured are still in use today. Alot has changed over the years in terms of the Lodestar assembly and specific parts required.

It’s important when re-ordering chain hoist replacement parts to know which year your hoist was manufactured, as some parts have been outdated, updated, replaced or have been assigned a new part number. There’s an easy way to identify what year your hoist was from, and it’s all in understanding your Lodestar’s serial number. Take a look:

07 Dec 2015

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in MTN News Permalink

Win an Exofit NEX Blackout Harness for the Holidays

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On December 7, 2015

We’ve got an easy way for you to enter to win a brand new Exofit NEX Blackout Harness from our Rigging Shop!

Simply click here to complete a quick 3-question survey & enter a valid email address
Submit your responses.

This promotion will be running until December 18th and we will be picking a winner at random on December 22nd, right in time for the holidays.

17 Nov 2015

Sticky Post By mountainproductions Posted in Tips, Tools, & Resources Permalink

The Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2015 and How to Avoid Them

Sticky Post By mountainproductions On November 17, 2015

OSHA released the top ten most common workplace safety violations for 2015 in October, and you’ll most likely not be surprised by what you read. These top ten violations have been identical for the past 5 years, and are recurring issues across the industry for many years now. They are also areas that are very common to our industry, and situations that ourselves and our colleagues deal with every day. Here’s the list, along with some tips on how to avoid a hefty OSHA fine in the future:

Fall Prevention (6,721 citations)

Our crews are frequently working at height, and are mandated to use proper personal fall protection and fall arrest systems where necessary. Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry.

Read more

Brian Dziura of IATSE Local 22

Fall Prevention (6,721 citations)