Staging 101

Fixed Height vs. Variable Height

Stages are generally used to elevate performers high enough to be seen by the entire audience, and depending on the event, the height the stage needs to be at to make this happen varies greatly. Intellistage offers stages as low as 8" to as high as 78", in most cases allowing you to switch between at least a couple different heights. If you only have one or two types of events you do and they all have the same general height requirements, a fixed height stage would work great. If, however, you put on many events which all vary in their requirements, being able to fully adjust your stage for the given situation is a necessity.

Ideally, our stage would rest on a perfectly flat surface but what happens when you need to put the stage on an incline? Intellistage took this real-world scenario into account and now offers the All Terrain and Pro-Flex series of stages, which give you complete control over the length of the stage's individual legs (more on those later). Setting up on flat land leaves your options open but if you are trying to put a stage on the side of a hill, you will have to use one of these two series.

Stage Finish

Though easily overlooked, the stage's surface can actually make a big difference. Carpeted versus non-carpeted is the biggest distinction to start off with. Carpeted stages provide the best grip for performers and equipment/stands - however, they do lack in versatility as they should not be exposed to excessive moisture and are therefore not the best for outdoor applications. If avoiding carpet, you'll generally be dealing with an industrial/Tuff Coat finish, which provides grip, albeit not as well as carpet, and is suitable for any environment. For the Pro-Flex series, you also can choose to have a natural wood finish, perhaps the most visually appealing of all the options.

Stage Accessories

Stage accessories can be used for a variety of reasons, ranging from simply aesthetic purposes to functional necessity. The most common accessories you may want to consider are guard rails, ramps, stairs, and stage skirts.

• It is recommended that any stage over 8" has stairs or a ramp of some sort, the latter also making the stage wheelchair accessible and easier to move gear on.
• Guard rails are great for young performers and can be a valuable safety precaution if your stage gets crowded.
• While you might think you can forego stage skirts, they really do make everything look a lot more professional and clean by hiding any cables or other gear running beneath the stage.

Stages can be a big investment in your productions, and it's important to get exactly what you need. If you need any further assistance in getting a stage set up to your liking, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-945-9300. Either myself (ext. 8132) or another sales advisor will work with you directly to make sure you get the stage setup that best suits your needs!