For over 30 years, Dari Automazioni has been operating in the entertainment industry, specifically in the field of building and operating stage machinery and equipment, the noble art of constructing and maneuvering stage devices.
From theatrical mechanics to television mechanics, through film sets and the world of events, our mission remains unchanged: to embrace our clients’ ideas by engineering their dreams and making them a reality. Creatives serving creatives.
It all started in 1985, with the founding partners’ gamble: to venture into the field of automation. The beginnings were tough, in a small space on the outskirts of Rome.
We began with the automation of gates and related ironworks, but our experience grew rapidly, thanks to the acquisition of increasingly challenging contracts; one of the most prestigious was the supply of gates, fixtures, and fireproof security doors for the “Quisisana” clinic.
Rapid growth capability, audacity in not shying away from difficult challenges, and fortunate circumstances were the mix that allowed this new reality to quickly establish itself, already from the early 1990s, in the prestigious RAI suppliers list.
It was our relationship with the Italian public radio and television broadcasting company that marked
a new course: it was the moment of consecration for visionary set designers – foremost among them Architect Gaetano Castelli – who brought increasingly complex scenography to the world of television productions, because of their volume and richness in automation. Hence, the need to seek innovative solutions, contrary to the rigid “schemes” imposed by the initial world of automation for security closures.
Increasing appreciation from clients, coupled with growing self-esteem internally, allowed us to make our mark and find recognition in another sector of the entertainment industry: that of cinema, also because film sets often find space within the same television studios.
Another significant step in growth came from the early 2000s, thanks to funds allocated by public administration for the refurbishment of stage towers in important Italian theaters. First and foremost here in Rome, Teatro Argentina, and then shortly after, Teatro dell’Opera.
Thus, a truly decisive moment of growth unfolded: the affirmation in this specific additional sector of the entertainment world, namely that of mechanics destined for “fixed” installations, not tied to individual events, but dedicated to the operation of the theatrical stage.
Theatrical and television setups, though similar in many respects, are characterized by a significant difference: television scenery is transient, while stage mechanics destined for theater stages are permanent.
A recent and highly important experience in the field of theatrical stage mechanics was the setup of the stage for the New Opera Theater in Florence, for the use of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
Designing and building machines and structures capable of being efficient for years has revolutionized our way of thinking and designing them from the outset: after more than twenty years spent working on the “prototype,” namely on unique specimens born from the creative mind of a set designer for a specific event, designing theatrical machines that should represent a “standard” was a complex challenge. However, the experience in the theater sector was decisive for our internal development, especially in terms of designing complex machines. Hence, the ability to seize another opportunity that the complex world of entertainment offers; being able to create mechanisms for the world of events.
From the historic venue of the Moulin Rouge – for which we handle all the motorizations present in the show – to the automotive fairs in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Paris, and fashion shows in Milan and Paris, we have been able to satisfy customers and affirm our position.
Television, cinema, theaters, and events. We have come a long way in each of them, accomplishing feats, achieving satisfaction, but also spending countless sleepless nights searching for solutions to various problems. We faced the great recession and the crisis in the entertainment industry during the darkest period:
the Covid-19 pandemic.
One constant has always been and will always be: evolution and the search for new methods, new technologies, and new markets to explore, firmly believing that the true strength of the company lies in its human resources and the array of skills and professionalism that they bring to the production process.
