Bryson Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 Not a thread on my personal habits, sadly... So; we're building a new venue. From scratch. I'm still at the point where I can (within reason) alter things like doors, wall positions, weight loadings, the lot. I feel obliged as my amazingly enlightened employer has involved me at this stage to get the damn thing right. So, in the ongoing search for perfection, tell me what bugs you about your venue (or venues that you've seen, touring types) and why. Particularly if it's been built recently. What do you look at and think "well, if I was building this I would have...." Are your sockets in an odd place? Too high? Too low? Do your get-in doors open the wrong way? What would you consider to be the right way? Are the doors too low? Are the dimmers in a stupid place? Any other niggles? Really? You have the perfect venue? Can I come see it?....(drifts off-topic... ;) ) Let me know. No reasonable rant refused. (I'll ask you to refrain from mentioning contractors or manufacturers by name, though - if I think I need to know, I'll contact off-list.) <_< Thanks folk: remember; I want real bile...vent that spleen, then seethe in jealousy as I contruct the perfect venue. :** laughs out loud **: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirdtap Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 'Lo from a conversation I had recently ...Equipment needs to have a planned service routinue. New equipment bought from a stage lift to a regular boiler. These items will break unless looked after. A couple of venues I know have 'saved money' by not getting servicing done, then after a couple of years the item breaks and is out of date or 'sorry gov they don't make em any more'. Then the only option is get it replaced. My personal ideas are:Wide backstage corridor - allow props and costumes as well as the fire exit route. Open control area for sound? Maybe in the auditorium put in a patch bay to make things easier. Bleacher seating if possible is a very good idea. I think the royal opera house has a state of the art system. Disabled access a few venues have suitable dressing rooms and toilets backstage but no easy way of getting there. Workshop space- if any or do you have a suitable area for storing 'scopes sorry genie lifts? Cable ducts. From backstage to front of house and also up and down stage. Lift the lid put your cable in and close the cover. Suitable break out points in the lid for flexiblity Thats it for now... maybe B) What might help is any ideas you have post them and get any reactions from users. Have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 You do need a certain amount of common sence in looking at the all "Architects" decisions. I mean I have worked in one place where the scene dock doors were on the first floor. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteSav Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 To add to Thirdtaps great suggestions:- Heaps of storage. As close to the area of use as possible. More storage. Amp room not tucked away 3 floors up from the rest of the P.A. Toilets in backstage area, not just en suite within the dressing rooms. Security camaras in dressing room corridors and backstage areas. Big sinks (Belfast type) to get mop buckets in. Dock doors that don't rattle (Not the steel roller type) Warm up area for dancers, to keep them safe whilst you're still tidying the stage. Ventilated workshop space. Acoustically considerate venue design. A green room A crew room with tea/coffee facilities. A bat phone for FOH to communicate with prompt corner and the control position. House lighting which is accessible to change blown bulbs and energy/cost efficiant. silent comfort cooling/heating/air con. I'm sure there's loads more, let me go get the snagging list.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted March 22, 2003 Author Share Posted March 22, 2003 Open control area for sound? Maybe in the auditorium put in a patch bay to make things easier. Open window 2mx1m on the control room, plus facility to in the back of the auditorium if necc. Bleacher seating if possible is a very good idea. I think the royal opera house has a state of the art system. Not really possible...it's only got 250 seats, though. Disabled access a few venues have suitable dressing rooms and toilets backstage but no easy way of getting there. Disabled access is all pretty good Workshop space- if any or do you have a suitable area for storing 'scopes sorry genie lifts? Yes - huge covered garage/loading bay/workshop Cable ducts. From backstage to front of house and also up and down stage. Lift the lid put your cable in and close the cover. Suitable break out points in the lid for flexiblity Good idea - will look into it. Heaps of storage. As close to the area of use as possible. More storage. Have got Amp room not tucked away 3 floors up from the rest of the P.A. Amps are currently tucked under the stage. Good idea? Toilets in backstage area, not just en suite within the dressing rooms. yup Security camaras in dressing room corridors and backstage areas. yup Big sinks (Belfast type) to get mop buckets in. Will ask... there's a cleaners cupboard wchich I'm sure will do the job, but must check. Dock doors that don't rattle (Not the steel roller type) Nice solid timber 3m high Warm up area for dancers, to keep them safe whilst you're still tidying the stage. The hall/auditorium floor is fully sprung! Ventilated workshop space. yup Acoustically considerate venue design. They're employing accousticians A green room A crew room with tea/coffee facilities. Too right. A bat phone for FOH to communicate with prompt corner and the control position. Got that - will need to add a special (silent) one prompt corner. House lighting which is accessible to change blown bulbs and energy/cost efficiant. Halogen 12v stuff at present. In the ceiling - should be ok. They did want to install HF fluorescents, but I vetoed that. silent comfort cooling/heating/air con. I'll ask, but do you really think they'll admit to planning to install a sytem that makes loads of noise? Thanks for all your help so far. Any more for any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 Fire alarm system with sensible smoke heads, dead mans handle for exit signs, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 couple of largeish (63a/125a) 3 phase outlets for those self contained shows with facilitys for bare ends.easy acsess from control room to back stage without fighing your way throght the audianceinfra red induction loopcontrol of working lights from the autitorim plotting positionfloor dips with both 13a and 15a socketsload in doors that open both ways(then theres no wrong way <_< )unlimited budget,ok I can dream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 The two things on my whish list would be, On suite toilet in the spot box and control room, and a winch FOH to lift the touring sound desk off the stage and deposit it in the FOH mixing position. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirdtap Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 'LoI remeber a mate telling me about some Dutch theatres he had worked in. To get the sound desk to the back of the audiroium they had a girder running down the centre of the roof in the auditorium. On the grider was a hoist on a carrage that could lift the desk to the mix postion with minimal fuss.TAA DAAAI thank you <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 Here's one that always gripes me, having the dimmer room on the OP fly floor, only reachable from the LX Box by going up into the roof and crawling all the way down to the OP fly floor, or legging it throught the auditorium and up several ladders! Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Robertson Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 Sure you have already thought about this.Get as many sockets around the venue as you can and A nice patch bay at the dimmers. It's easier to add dimmers than sockets futher down the line. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilly Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 What bugs me... ;) Integrated voice evacuation system with FOH and backstage calls (doesn't work) Lack of storage space/ workshop space LX installation by a certain company (badly thought out). Insufficent space left in trunking for pulling new runs through Not enough capacity on telephone switchboard (our organisation has grown from employing 12 FT staff, now 35 FT staff in just under 5 years, that wasn't anticipated) Low quality ceiling tiles (crumble when you try and get them out (to get to cable trays etc) Silly, but... beams of grid too close together, so you can't tie off spot lines easily. Whats good :** laughs out loud **: Soundweb (Very versatile) Full width pit lift Audio and Video tie lines everywhere (I mean everywhere, those lines in the office/bar/green room always seem to have new uses) Things we put in after we opened (Got missed) <_< RF modulator to put show relay feed onto TV network (eg Green Room/Bar) Dedicated Show Relay feed to C/Room (Damn those calls) Think thats all. I'm sure theres more, but some of its just too libleous. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Russell Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 As a rule of thumb I would make sure that the spec given to the contractors who are going to do the install states that all trunking must have 30-50% free space so that you can add cable runs in the future using existing trunking. Also be careful about the contractor’s interpretation of your spec. I know someone who has just lost 2 feet of ceiling space due to a ventilation system in their new studio!, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen_mcauley Posted March 23, 2003 Share Posted March 23, 2003 Some things I don't think have been covered Extra DMX lines to everywhere for whatever.Video lines to reasonable projector positions for onstage projection.Extra speaker points around the venue for infill / sound effects where desiredMains power readily accessible/switchable to lx bars for moving lights etc. Rackmountable Armchair for long plotting sessions Think we could spend forever on this topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Urquhart Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 Your lift intended for steel deck is the correct size for steel deck! The bars on your Tension wire grid are high enough to allow cantatas and other longer lamps to be used! The install company dont install a domestic AUDIO flasher as the bat phone device!! Circuit labelling is correct Independants control available onstage as well as control room. Socket boxes are on the correct side of the Gangway (Church in Paisley)There is enough space on the rail to fit a lamp on the bar (same church) Your FOH sound position has all connections to stage boxes via its spider. The spider purchased is also not 30 feet long! Your control room sound position has a lifting type window rather than sliding. Control room windows are angled rather than 90 degrees, less reflection like TV Control rooms. Working light controls are repeated at the exit for when you lock up at night. Working lights in get in are within the ceiling or protected well for max height and protection. Get in should not have 5 foot step, a gentle slope up would be easier. Get in door is not designed for access by HGVs anyway Blues, Wish we had some permanent types that could be off locally as well. Could fix most of this but for people wanting to do shows and stuff!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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