224 STAGEMAKER Hoists

Revolutionary Solution from VERLINDE to Modernize Main GLAVKINO Tv and Film Studio.

Providing customers using film set pavilions with convenient system of equipment suspension is one of the

main tasks during film and television shooting. GLAVKINO complex chose solution from Sofit Light,

purchasing 224 STAGEMAKER SR5 hoists.

GLAVKINO film and television complex was founded in 2008. Today it has nine equipped film studios with a

total area of 21,000 m2. It is here that the shows are filmed, such as “You are Super”, “Where is the Logic”,

other programs for TNT and other popular channels. Pavilions of the complex are also involved in filming of

big cinema and popular television series.

Even a year ago, to accommodate lighting equipment and scenery in the shooting pavilions, customers had

to invite climbers, lay lines and solve other tasks of working at high altitude with the risk to their lives. It took

time and money. Management of the complex faced with the need to extensively modernize “stuffing” of the

pavilions. The main goal was to develop a system of independent suspensions which would reduce time

required for installation and ease the task of preparing pavilions for filming. Sofit Light project became the

ultimate solution.

“We had a goal to provide our customers with the opportunity to use an automated suspension, since we

have very high ceilings, not everyone has access to them, but this is necessary for work,” said Vlad

Mazurov, head of the directorate for customers operations. “Sofit Light managed to submit such a project

proposal that we were satisfied with, then to develop the project in full scope, and to successfully implement

it.”

“For our company, this is the largest sale of hoists to such a significant customer as GLAVKINO. We offered

STAGEMAKER hoists of new generation to the management and technical specialists”, says Arkady

Shakhidzhanov, Director of SOFIT LITE. “The feasibility of introducing innovation from VERLINDE has been

estimated for several months. Considering all the advantages, specifications, and price/quality ratio,

preference was given to our proposal.”

Denis Chuvilkin, head of the hardware complex in GLAVKINO: “After collecting feedback from companies

that have been using STAGEMAKER hoists for many years, we took into account a large number of positive

recommendations. STAGEMAKER hoists, indeed, justified our choice: besides the laconic design and

reliable uninterrupted operation, we were surprised by hoist motor soft working – low noise during filming is

very important.”

Installation took place in difficult conditions – equipment had to be located in pavilions occupied for shooting,

that could not be cleared. In some pavilions we had to work only during intervals between shooting, and all

the scenery remained in place, while climbers worked atop.

According to the installation diagram, hoists were mounted together with trusses. It is possible to strengthen

the structure if necessary, for this part of the hoists are stored in the warehouse. Full installation took 4

months, during this time about a thousand meters of trusses and 216 hoists were mounted. Load capacity of

STAGEMAKER SR5 model is 500 kg, and for this project was used D8 version with double brake.

Basic arrangement is used in several pavilions. The hoists have their proper locations, and there are

switching boxes on the walls – one per two hoists, with layout to all points on the ceiling. The customers get

prepared layout diagram, but if they are not satisfied with standard scheme on the ceiling, they lower

everything on the floor, assemble it for convenient work, and then return layout back.

Jean-Yves Beaussart, Sales and marketing Manager of the STAGEMAKER brand, was very enthusiastic

about implementation of this project, given the scale and volume of the equipment supplied. Upon

completing the work and checking all the assemblies and systems, European colleagues highly appreciated

quality of performance and ease of solving complex technical problems!

Today, show industry imposes high requirements on organization of shooting process. With implementation

of this project to provide the main pavilions with system of equipment suspension, attractiveness of the

facility for GLAVKINO customers has grown significantly. Now, site preparation for shooting takes at least

half a shift less. GLAVKINO management highly appreciates the level of modernization and moving to a new

stage that would be difficult to imagine without using STAGEMAKER hoists.

Representatives