Out of chaos rises opportunity. Tyler DeLong, like many other individuals in the entertainment industry found himself suddenly without employment in the spring of 2020 due to Covid-19. Through his searches for the next project, he had the realization that there was a need in the entertainment industry for qualified and experienced rigging experts to inspect rigging systems and advise on best practices. Thus he started A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan LLC to investigate this niche. Very quickly he realized that this need was larger than what he originally thought and he recruited his father, John DeLong as a partner and DeLong Rigging Solutions was born.
Tyler DeLong
Tyler DeLong is an ETCP Certified Rigger in both Theatrical and Arena Rigging (Certification # 2771) and an ETCP Recognized Trainer. He is also a voting member of the TSP Rigging Workgroup. Tyler has his OSHA 30 as well as being certified in numerous man-lifts and material handlers. He earned a BA in Theatre with a Concentration in Technology from Indiana University (class of 2010). Tyler has spent the majority of his career working as a touring technician, primarily as the Tour Rigger/Automation Tech. He also has spent some time as the Stage Carpenter at the Santa Fe Opera. His most recent touring was as a Production Manager for Feld Entertainment. His work has taken him all over North America, South America, and Asia.
Some prior projects include:
- Cavalia’s Odysseo
- The Adams Family
- Mama Mia
- Bring it On, The Musical
- Blue Man Group
- Finding Neverland
- Disney On Ice
- Jurassic World Live
- Sesame Street
Tyler has also worked freelance with:
- IATSE Local 618
- IATSE Local 49
- IATSE Local 30
- Numerous regional rigging install companies
In his spare time… Tyler is a lapsed rock climber, an all-around outdoor enthusiast, and he keeps an adventure blog with his spouse Caitlyn at www.amanajeepnorealplan.com.
John DeLong
John DeLong started out as a member of and one of the set-up guys for a local Symphony Orchestra and Civic Theater Pit Orchestra in home-town, Kokomo, Indiana. As he pursued his ambitions as a musician and added an Opera Theater Tech major to his college curriculum, he figured out that he was more productive and happy with long hours in the theater rather than long hours in the practice room.
John graduated from the Indiana University School of Music, now the Jacob’s School of Music with a Bachelor of Science in Music and an Outside Field, (Stage Technology). Soon after graduating he took a job offer, from the brother of a class-mate, as a shop supervisor and draftsman to build scenery for a touring band. The band didn’t send the money on time, so the scenery wasn’t done on time and he was hired to go on the road with them to finish the scenery. After the scenery was completed, he stayed on the tour to assemble and operate the scenery in each venue of the tour.
That was the first job that consequently led to the next job, that led to the next job, that led to the next job, etc. During the college years he had acquired knowledge and some experience both as a student and in an apprentice/intern position as a theatrical rigging installer. He quickly migrated to touring as a Rigger. In the rock and roll touring business at that time, rigging paid the best, had the most autonomy and fit his skill set and interests the best.
For the better part of 15 years John worked mostly as a tour rigger. Occasionally working as an electrician, occasionally as a production manager and between touring gigs did a few months on the night gang at the Metropolitan Opera and most of a year in a New York City scenery shop as a carpenter/welder.
Clients during those years included:
- Parliament Funkadelic
- The Isley Brothers
- John Denver
- Some one-offs for regional opera companies
- The Beach Boys
- .38 Special
- Black Sabbath
- Scorpions
- Sammy Hagar
- Van Halen (w/Sammy Hagar)
- Ratt
- Def Leppard – Hysteria & Adrenalize
- Metallica – …and Justice For All
More recently:
- January 1994 – Hired as House-crew, Head Flyman at Indiana University Auditorium
- July 1999 to February 2021 – Stage Manager/Head Carpenter at Indiana University Auditorium
- January 1994 to present – Freelance as local rigger, Lead Rigger and Team Lead on calls for:
- IATSE Local 618
- IATSE Local 49
- IATSE Local 30
- Numerous regional Rigging install companies
- Fall 1994 to present – Adjunct Faculty at Indiana University teaching Theatrical Stage Rigging. Currently offered by the Department of Theater, Drama and Contemporary Dance. Previously offered as curriculum in the Opera Technical Studies program.
- ETCP Dual Certification # 691 Rigging – Arena/Theatre
In his copious spare time… John enjoys travel with his wife Rebecca, backpacking, mountain biking, darts and chasing some stupid little white ball around the golf course (would be a dis-service to the game to claim that he plays golf).