The A-Frame is a core building block of the AV-Drop modular system. Two A-Frames can be joined to build a compete frame or can be extended in height and/or width by using extensions to create additional sizes. The frames are connected with an UP (Union Piece.)  The come in 4’ and 5’ heights and each height is available in 4’, 3’, 2’, 1.5’ and 1’ widths.

AV-Drop frames for angled sets, available in stock degree configurations of 75°/105° and 60°/120°.  Additional sets include 45°/135° and 30°/150°. Custom Angles may also be available for specific projects.

The ratio of an image’s width to it is height. It is commonly expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, as in 16:9. For an x:y aspect ratio, the image is x units wide and y units high. Widely used aspect ratios include 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 in film photography, 4:3 and 16:9 in television, and 3:2 in still camera photography.  Today, 16:9 is the most common ratio.  

Backdrop

Scenic element behind a speaker or presenter meant to add context and visual interest, often including graphic imagery or branding. 

The base weight is a compact mass of recycled rubber, steel, or cast iron used to counterbalance pipe and drape or an AV-Drop stabilizer, which functions the same as  stage jack. Sandbags are an alternate solution.

Bracket For Screen. The BFS slides between two frames and has a support bracket extending outwards from the face of the frames. The bracket provides support for a front projection screen or gallery frame. BFS brackets come in multiple extension depths that allow frames to be suspended from the wall on different planes. 

A blackout skin is typically an opaque inner skin which attaches directly to an AV-Drop frame when a non-opaque outer skin will be used. White/Blackout and Print blackout skins can be opaque as well – completely light blocking. 

Borderless Screen refers to a front surface video projection screen without borders. Typical fast fold style projection screens have black borders surrounding the image area. AV-Drop screens are “Full White” without any borders. The screen is all image area. 

Custom printed fabric skins with specific graphics for the project. Prints range in seamless sizes from 10’h up to 25h’ under special circumstance. Various printing methods are used, dye sublimation, Latex, or UV presses.

Auxiliary spaces in a meeting or conference, used for smaller group meetings, typically after a general session has concluded. 

Dual Corner Clamps are used to attach AV-Drop frames at a 90-degree angle, such as with a stabilizer or 90-degree corners. They are also used to secure a rear projection screen from behind .

A structure finished with fabric on both sides.

A computer printing technique which uses heat to transfer dye onto materials such as a plastic, card, paper, or fabric. The sublimation name was first applied because the dye was considered to make the transition between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid stage. 

Dye Sub printing is used frequently for AV-Drop skins. Prints are available in 128” and 192” wide.

Extensions are a core building block of the AV-Drop Modular System.  They are used to extend height or width of the “A”, “F” and other named frames and are connected to the other frames using Union Pieces (UP. )  Standard lengths are 6’, 5’, 4’, 3’ and 2’.  Custom sizes are available.

The extrusion is the actual molded form of the frames.  The AV-Drop extrusion is designed for maximum rigidity and minimum weight. It is also a manufacturing process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. A material is pushed through a die of the desired cross-section. Allows for the creation of complex cross-sections, and to work materials that are brittle, because the material only encounters compressive and shear stresses. It also forms parts with an excellent surface finish. 

A core building block of the AV-Drop Modular System. Utilizing Extensions, the “F” frames create panels of heights and widths that are typical higher or wider than A-Frame panels. F- Frames come in 4’ and 5’ heights and are typically used in pairs – one left and one right. Both heights are also only 1’w which allows for greater flexibility when shipping, as the pieces can take up less space on a pallet.

Portable, foldable projection screen system based on leg-to-frame joints. Compatible with AV-Drop for attachment from the rear.

Flat

A theatrical flat is a basic building block of scenery used in theatre, film, TV, and live events. Scenery flats are used to create a background and are commonly build of wood and covered in canvas, muslin or other fabrics or custom printed banner material.

FR - Flame Retardant

FR refers to a fabric that has been treated to be flame retardant per established fire code standards and ratings. Flame retardant fabrics are created by applying flame retardant chemicals. Flame retardant chemicals are dissolved in water and then applied to the fabric through dipping or spraying. When the fabric becomes dry from this process of application, flame retardant chemicals adhere to the fabric fibers which make the fabric Flame Retardant on an impermanent basis. Flame retardant chemicals will be removed when exposed to water, making machine washing or dry-cleaning problematic. Humidity and airborne dust and oils can also diminish the endurance and effectiveness of the flame retardant chemical.

Projection Screen used when image is projected from front of house, rather than behind the set. Offers more flexibility in material than rear projection.

Smaller, hanging sections of AV-Drop, attached to a larger white AV-Drop wall from the front using our BFS brackets, similar to paintings hanging in a gallery.

Main gathering of a meeting or conference, inclusive of all (or most) attendees of the event. Requires room with largest capacity. 

Scenic element forming top of a set or a surround above a rear projection screen; forms the border for the upper “void” or cutout in the surround. See also Skirt.

IFR - Inherently Flame Retardant

IFR refers to a fabric that has been treated to be flame retardant per established fire code standards and ratings. Inherently Flame-Retardant materials have flame retardants built into the fibers so that they become permanently fixed to the material’s structure.  By the protection being built into the fiber itself, the flame retardant will not wear or wash away.

The inner skin refers to an AV-Drop the skin that is applied directly to an AV-Drop frame. The inner skin is often used as a blackout layer when a non-opaque outer skin is used. The inner skins can also be a single layer light blocking or printed skin.

Scenic support structure meant to provide counterbalance from the rear. Sits perpendicular to the surface of a piece of scenery, usually weighed down with sandbags for non-permanent installations.

Large format printing medium using water-based inks. Commonly used on outdoor signage, vinyl banners, vehicles and other applications where a degree of water resistance is desired. It works quite well for AV-Drop fabric skins in widths up to 128” (3.2m.)

Legs are tall narrow drapes or flats hung or supported to the left and right of the stage area use to mask the wings of a stage. They are also used to frame the sides of a screen / display area designed to frame and focus the audience’s attention to image area.

Less Than Truckload (LTL). Common method of freight shipping for AV-Drop rentals. Individual pallets, usually one per order, are accepted by a carrier for shipment. When shipping LTL, the shipper pays for the portion of a standard truck trailer their freight occupies, while other shippers and their shipments fill the unoccupied space.

Slang, referring to main group of a meeting or conference. See also General Session.

Molton is a popular wide format fabric used extensively in Europe. It is typically 118” wide (3 meters). AV-Drop typically uses black as it would be considered a dim out fabric, not quite 100% blackout, but quite adequate for most applications. However, if there are high ambient lighting conditions behind the frame a secondary blackout skin may be required. Molton has a matte finish and absorbs light and reflections. It is available in several other common colors, including chroma key green.

Muslin

Muslin is a wide woven broadcloth which is produced seamlessly up to 40’ wide. AV-Drop uses muslin up to 25’h as a skin to build seamless projection surfaces for video mapping. Muslin is not an opaque fabric and typically needs an inner skin of a blackout fabric.

National Fire Protection Association, NFPA-701 is drapery fabric is tested by burning small samples and then measuring the flame, char length and flaming residue. If a fabric meets the NFPA-701 in these three areas, the fabric is considered flame retardant and receives a NFPA 701 certification. This is the accepted US flame resistance standard that fire department jurisdictions accept as being a minimum standard for fire resistance drape typically used in commercial applications. Note: The State of California has additional certifications and test requirements.

The outer skin refers to an AV-Drop skin used over an inner blackout skin. This is due to the outer skin having some inherent degree of translucency.

Photo Call is the European name for a Step and Repeat.

Profile

In manufacturing, the thickness or basic outer shape of a material. See also extrusion. AV-Drop frames are built of an aluminum extrusion profile.

Design Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection. These objects may be complex industrial landscapes, such as buildings, small indoor objects or theatrical stages.

Theatrical architecture forming “picture frame” above a stage, allowing for basic conception of “audience” and “performer”. Usually decorative in a theatrical context.

Screen constructed from PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Durable and available for front and rear projection. Prone to cracking in colder environments if not properly handled and stored.

AV-Drop frame utilizing ¼ radius curves on one side. Used to create curved scenery. Available in 1’-6”, 2’, 3’ and 4’.

Refers to a rear projection screen made of PVC film and stretched on a frame. Available in different aspect ratio and sizes. AV-Drop frames can be used to build common or custom size rear screen frames.

The rigging clamp is Proprietary clamp for the AV-Drop system with Eye-bolt attachment. Attached to top horizontal member of an AV-Drop wall in order to rig to hang from truss or other overhead support.

The sandbag is literally a bag of sand used a counterweight and added to a stabilizer (jack frame). Theatrical Sandbags are made of various weights but most commonly 25-30lbs and made of a heavy-duty canvas or nylon fabric with a web belt carry handle(s). Other counterweight is made of recycled rubber or stage weights made of steel or cast iron.

A Scenic Wall with one or more cutouts (voids) to accommodate a projection screen. May be a solid color, graphic printed or architectural. Often used as main scenic element of a meeting or trade show behind a speaker or series of speakers. Screen surrounds are also made of drapes to be used around Fast Fold Projection Screens.

Silicone Edge  Graphics.  SEG is a high-resolution dye-sublimated fabric graphic finished with a thin silicone strip (or welt/gasket). The silicone strip is sewn directly to the edge of the graphic, and the strip is then inserted into a frame with a recessed groove.

Set

The skin refers to the fabric covering stretched and fitted over an AV-Drop from. The skin can be made of various fabrics, opaque or translucent, solid color or printed. The perimeter of a skin has Velcro hook sewn around the entire perimeter as the method of attaching it to the frame(s).  Skins are made to a specific size frame assembly and are not designed to be modular or adjustable.

Scenic element forming bottom of set or projection screen surround; forms the lower “void” or cutout in the set. See also Header.

See also Jack. Used to provide vertical and counter support for AV-Drop walls or panels.  All AV-Drop stabilizers for Ground Support are made of the same hardware as the main AV-Drop wall and typically attach to the frames with DC-CLP clamps. 

Hard stage floor meant to support scenery, either permanent or, in the case of a meeting or conference, temporary and often portable, installed by stagehands.

Typically rubber, sandbags or metal weights used to balance, counterbalance and otherwise support temporary theatrical structures.

AV-Drop set designed to have multiple planes rather than one flat surface, meant to create depth and visual interest. Available in a wide variety of configurations.

Standard Clamp. The standard clamp is proprietary clamp meant to hold AV-Drop modules (walls) together from behind the set-in parallel sequence to create a single wall. Clamps to the inner channel of the AV-Drop extrusion from the rear.

Step and Repeat

A step and repeat is a banner/backdrop, also known as photo call or press wall, used as a publicity backdrop primarily for event video and photography. The name “step and repeat” refers to a repeating printed pattern of logos or graphics typically featured on the structure.

Step and repeat banners are most often seen at red carpet or fashion events. As their familiarity has grown these custom design and printed backdrops are being used for galas, weddings and even corporate events to offer a "celebrity-like," VIP feeling for guest photos.

AV-Drop modular scenic is the perfect solution for broadcast quality backdrops utilizing matte fabric prints.

Truss

A truss base is an aluminum or steel plate meant to support a piece of truss from the ground. Attaches with nuts and bolts to truss structure.

A truss base weight can be compact mass of recycled rubber, steel or cast iron used for structural counterbalance and support.

Custom length extensions meant to allow for the AV-Drop system to accommodate inch or fractional dimensions beyond the capacity of our normal stock sizes. Useful for creating specific-sized projection screens (example: 6’ x 10’8”) or other irregular sizes. Used in place of a normal UP (union piece) between connections.

Universal Connector for all AV-Drop modules. Made of narrower extrusion to fit inside the main extrusion of an AV-Drop frame. Attaches securely to frame via spring-loaded push-button mechanism. May be made of aluminum or plastic for lighter weight with no reduction in durability.

A form of digital printing that uses ultra-violet lights to dry or cure ink as it is printed. As the printer distributes ink on the surface of a material (called a "substrate"), specially designed UV lights follow close behind, curing - or drying - the ink instantly. Originally developed for quickly drying gel nail polishes during manicures, ultraviolet light applications quickly expanded into industrial and commercial markets. Because the UV lights cure any printed ink immediately, the dots of wet ink do not get a chance to spread out once printed, resulting in much finer detail. In addition, UV cured inks are weather-resistant and offer increased resistance to fading. This curing process is more environmentally friendly as it produces few VOC’s, odor, and heat. UV curing also allows the flatbed printer to be used with nontraditional materials like acrylic or aluminum.

A short section of drape or hard scenery used above a set or stage for masking, especially of lights or cabling. Typical lengths are 1’, 1’6”, or 2’. See also Header.

See Projection Mapping.

The White/Blackout skin is the most common skin fabric used for AV-Drop. White blackout skins utilize a wide format fabric that is typically available in 110” wide raw fabric, making it perfect to build seamless 8’ wide flats. The fabric itself is polyester composition laminated with 3 layers of foam on the back to create the blackout quality.

The fabric itself is not unique to AV-Drop but is commonly used a blackout liner for commercial or residential Drape.

Common textiles are typically woven or knit with finished rolls averaging 48” to 60” wide. Wide Fabrics are 2.8 to 3.2m wide 110”-126” wide. AV-Drop utilizes wide fabrics to make seamless 8’ wide. flats. This is preferred opposed to traditional wooded flats that are 4’ wide or need to join or have twice as many seams every 4”.

A term used for the left and right drape flat of the screen area. Wings are also the area to the left and right of a stage are typically out of site from the audience.