Ynot

Firstly, I have no real desire to ask or know what the rig was for tonight's BBC Musicals event at the Palladium - although there have been posts on the Facspace lighting groups of what was used.

But I have to say that the content I watched on TV was IMHO absolutely stunning.

 

OK - with a nod to the LX #1, the amount of kit thrown at this gig was impressive, and the whole premise of having the talent perform to the up-stage wall (and cameras) whilst half the BBC Concert Orchestra and West End backing singers stand in the punters' seats was inspired, but strangely worked.

 

It gave a whole alternative way of getting so many performers into a venue whilst still keeping appropriate spacing.

 

But back at LX - given the scale of the canvas, this was an obvious play-time for the LD and he/she delivered in spades.

I think I saw that Neg Earth were responsible for the show - whoever it was, that was a job well done.

 

It's often easy when given a mass array of kit, to get stuck onto a small number of looks that repeat, despite the availability of such numbers, but this was clearly well thought out and executed. Some very clear and conscious decisions made for both effects and timing to compliment the performers that don't always get made for this type of show, but I'm betting that this is down to the fact that the team had pretty much sod all to do otherwise, so were able to concentrate on analysing the acts through rehearsals and planning one heck of a light show. Subtle when needed and flashy when that was right to do so.

 

My only regret is that because of the demands for TV editors to switch camera views so often we probably didn't get to see the full effect of the designs. But I saw enough to know that it must have been a joy to work on (and one heck of a load-in/load out...!)

 

Oh - the other regret is that there was by default NO audience feedback from the performances cos there was no audience.:(

For them, that must have been hugely depressing, although being able to perform in the first place will have gotten them on a high..

 

But overall, well doe the Beeb...

And of course sometime the safety proceedures put in place actually introduce hazards.

 

As examples:

Paul mentions many places remove or restrict ladders and steps. Having worked in a place [not a theatre] that restricts steps to 1.5m tall, changing tubes in fluo fittings screwed to a 3.2m ceiling is suddenly working at full scretch and suddenly quite hazardous whereas a set of 2m steps is quite comfortable for the job.

And let's not forget, in that vein, the decision some years ago that decreed the practice of properly and organised movement of a Tallescope with a person at the top was outlawed... Despite there being few (if any) recorded incidents of Talles falling over on stages, that meant that the process of the focus tech having to descend and reascend the vertical ladder between positions AND the temptation to over-stretch to save on doing that so often meant that additional hazards (arguably more risky than the the proper movement) were introduced...

Yes, that's an old chestnut here on the BR, but still valid, nonetheless

 

 

 

very random question, and one that won't win you many favours in here... :)

Sorry - but if it's just a break-the-ice question, you'd be better to come up with something a little more viable to answer.

 

However, you may be asking for research for your course - in which case there are a couple of better placed 'rooms' here - eg "Beginners Please" that may suit your needs better.

 

Not trying to put you off, so don't take it that way :)

A huge shame - Elaine left a while back and we got on very well, even being interviewed by the Police for our unlicensed importation of pyro into Northern Ireland!

Yep - Elaine leaving was a big loss to a lot of customers - she was always ready and willing to help out and often sent samples for me to try out in the run up to panto when we were looking for something 'different'.

 

I sincerely hope that a buyer can be found who will take on the product lines and keep them going.

Pyro of course probably being their biggest seller will leave a huge gap in the market - there's a lot of Le M hardware out there that isn't really compatible with many (or any?) other suppliers' pods etc. And haze/fog juice is going to be a pain for many if that dries up...

:(

 

 

In a word....

 

OUCH!!!

 

:(

 

 

 

We do exactly this sort of thing (when we're in 'normal' mode).

The optical o/p from the BluRay goes into a 5:1 breakout box. The 5 outputs from that box are fed into our (Midas) mixer as analog ins, but due to how we use the PA setup, at least 3 of those have to be simply re-patched physically at the patch bay when running films but that's an easy one to do - and then we have a specific film screening virtual patch on the Midas that routes everything where it's needed.

What was the audience size like, Brian?

Despite the statement that venues can have up to 50% capacity recently, few I guess could manage more than 30% if that, when using 1m plus mitigation (masks).

I know my place can't - we've tried it all ways but think 28% was about the best...

I've concluded that the problem is (was) that the laptop just didn't have enough 'grunt' in the graphics card to render the green-screen live.

I'd already tried the files on my bigger home desktop and a couple of other machines in various players (incl VLC) and no change at all, so gotta suck it up and make best of what I got.

It's only for a primary school Xmas thing for the kids and they loved doing it anyway.

This may be a settings thing that I've not yet found, but I used OBS yesterday at my wife's primary school - basically stuck each one of the gazillions of yr 1 and 2 kids on a table and filmed them from my HD web cam in front of green screen then super-imposed that onto a background of a looped Snowman flying (a-la Aled Jones etc).

 

Recorded using the OBS option, which recorded in the .mlk format.

 

Wasn't til I got back and looked at the files that I realised that they're all playing very jerkily - seems that the video element sort of pauses at times then catches up and then repeats.

These are only very short segments - max about a minute each, mostly around 20 to 30 secs. But it's rather annoying.

 

Anyone any ideas what could have caused this?

I doubt there's a fix (and no way can we repeat the exercise to re-film)...

We have a fair bit in stock - keep some staples in the cupboard (TFM, silver stars, various gerbs) as they're a regular fare for dance schools and some stage school events and I get a top up when I order and that means we can be reactive on the day if punters want more (or don't decide til the last minute).

 

So we will have a box or two that will need to be used up.

I've run demo nights over the years - brought in some movers and effects and used such pyro stock as I have in - to show the hiring groups what they can have (if they pay) so I'm guessing I may need to do something again next year.

That would have made a far more epic Bond movie scene!

Obviously the classic scene they used was a similar site to this one but I'm guessing nowhere near the actual damage done!

And let's not forget that until not THAT many years ago, the brake linings on your cars were coated with asbestos...

So for a long time there was likely to be asbestos dust lying in the roadside gutters as it inevitably wore off and dropped out of the wheel housings.....

Back in Dec 2002, we had an incident after an all-day rock festival at my theatre. After all was done and dusted some of the last punters were leaving but came back in to say they could smell burning rubber in the small outer foyer. I investigated, and sure enough we traced it quickly to the main 400A x 3-ph incoming cable! We ventilated (after turning off all but essential stuff on that line, and made sure the rest of the building was evac'd. After a short period of watching and sniffing we were confident that it was just an overheat and the risk of hire was averted - we went home.

 

Following day, reported the problem to our elec supplier who sent out a couple of guys. They took one look at it and tutted at the incomer, but then said "we can't do anything with that as it is - that's an asbestos board the distro and meter is bolted to.

So - called in the local council (our landlords) and surprisingly quickly one of the building dept geezers came out (after the power guys had left). Took one look, and said "Nah - that's OK, it's just Asbestolux - a substitute. Just to be on the safe side I'll take a sample."

He took out his pocket knife, scraped some flakes off into a money bag he happened to have. Then asked if we had another one - "To double-bag it" he said with a sly grin. He said he'd have it tested and let us know.

We heard nothing more so made the assumption that he was right.

 

The gig was the last before Christmas, so we talked to a few contractors, and ended up deciding between us all that if we put in a sturdy mounting board the other side of that wall, they would happily bring a new incoming feed from a different direction and install a new distro and meter for us just after the festive period. That was all done and dusted for panto which was great.

 

Now - the interesting bit...

We'd already scheduled a full month's closure after panto starting at the end of Jan. We were replacing all the theatre side electrics and moving the control booth around. We also took out a whole wall full of old MEM cast iron breakers and bus-boxes and condensed it all into shiny new distro boards.

 

All went well, using volunteers with sparkie experience etc, and we opened again with a dance school show at the start of March. On the Tuesday after that I had a call from a company who said the council were doing a borough wide survey of all their properties and an asbestos inspection team of two would be on the doorstep the following morning.

 

So - I turned out to open up and show them around.

It wasn't long before the chap with the meter was frowning, and when checking the control booth he found a huge concentration of airborne fibres that made him exit PDQ and shut all doors behind him. Within 30 minutes of him making phone calls he basically said "That's it - sorry, but you're closed"

 

Asbestos wall dividing the booth from the auditorium, ceiling too, walls in the equipment room downstairs and much more.

 

Longer story short, we battled the council for 3 months, during which time they brought in a bigger team of men in paper suits and masks and we had a HUGE tunnel out from the booth to the tarmac behind the stage doors with 2 40ft closed skips.

Anything with a fan or a slider of a grille - in fact 90% of what we had there was condemned and skipped. 6 month old Strand 300 desk and screens - Soundcraft mixer, several amps and2 follow spots - everything.

 

But at the end, we finally convinced the PTB that it was their building, they had (in the 70s) insisted on the asbestos walls and fireproofing around the place so they were fully responsible to cover the replacement costs. I negotiated a £75k package to cover everything from tech kit to the 7 rows of auditorium seats they ripped out, and bar stock. So for another 3 months we took the catastrophe and turned it into an opportunity and spent wisely. We re-opened in September with an even fuller calendar than before and didn't look back :)

 

Obviously everyone who worked on the project - especially those who cut the new windows in the booth - had to be registered with the insurers and council. As far as I'm aware nobody on that list has exhibited any lung issues since (touch wood) but I still have the documents...

 

Oh - and at the END of March an envelope arrived with a sheaf of papers from the council advising us of what was needed for working with and around asbestos!!! As a result of that December 'sample'.....

On the smoke cloak idea, it would be interesting to see what residue their smoke would leave.

Even some glycol machines will leave something if the space is saturated...

 

Yes, no theft would be preferred to any theft, but what about potential cleaning of a whole factory worth of gear...?

I'm still struggling with the fact that there are some schools of thought (and not a small number of new 'businesses' that have sprung up as a result) that claim the hazing of buildings is a sound method of sanitising a room that will last a week, or a fortnight or.....

 

My (laymen's) thoughts have always been that like any sanitisation, it's effective only until the next person with any infectious element puts a hand on or coughs onto a surface...

 

 

 

 

one way, distancing, cleaning, masks, ventilation takes infection risk to the "low to very low" category.

The big problem is in that one highlighted word above - "Distancimg"

And it always will be the big problem for venues and promoters.

 

I've seen various ads for events that are taking place at this time - but they are all either scaling down the on-stage action (and that includes scenery and lighting needs) to the point where reduced punters MIGHT cover the costs, or they're fortunate enough to get some sort of funding or sponsorship to cover the empty seats.

 

Let's face it - we're not going to be anywhere near workable options until we can get a LOT closer to filling more than 30% of seats...

 

 

 

Listening to today's updates, I'm hopeful at least that we'll qualify for the £3k a month Rishi announced - that's pretty much what we've calculated is our average monthly cost is just to keep us closed, so bonus there.

And the extended furlough may be utilised for our single PT employee, although we had worked out that we could afford to bring her back from November at least for a while.

We couldn't apply as we're "Not the right sort of charity"... :(

Looking through the list of venues close to me, there are a few surprises - many different types, including some I'd have thought were structurally similar to yours. And of course many that aren't charities.

Hmmm... ©

There were very specific inclusions/exclusions listed - We're a non-incorporated charity (though moves are afoot to change that) and that was an exclusion

 

 

 

We couldn't apply as we're "Not the right sort of charity"... :(

Yup - I reckon some posters are over-egging the pudding to an extent.

 

Any truss that's seen a little life on the road either on a tour or from a hire company and sold off after is going to be second hand/used be that used for a month or three or a year+. Whether that truss is going to be sub-standard or not depends entirely on how it's been treated by the crew in question.

 

Now - any truss in a hire company's stock is effectively going to be 'used' and the proberty of such is not really going to be something that you'll know if you're hiring. Some of the bigger boys MAY do a more detailed check of kit as it comes back in but I doubt the smaller outfits would. But does that preclude them next time you want to hire in? I seriously doubt it.

 

So the general advice I'd give for anyone is make sure that YOU give any truss you buy a good looking over BEFORE you part with cash.

 

For the OP here, who wants a floor-bases setup at 12 high (NOT that tall in the grand scheme) with relatively minimal planned loads is to just look at specs for whatever truss he's looking at.

I've used tri-truss over a 5m span with no problem (following guidance) and I'm pretty sure I've been on load-ins where box truss with 7+ metre spans have been fine. DON'T quote me on those as I'm not qualified for chapter & verse, but it does sound like we're building a mountain for this guy to climb where it's really not necessary.

That's a huge shame - I enjoy hearing your tales of the iconic antipodean establishment, and will miss them, although it sounds like you may get the chance for more in the future.

 

As for the teaching, though, if it's anything like the UK (I'm married to a primary teacher...) you may not have time to think too much about extra-curricular stuff! :P

But I hope that you do and the plans for a career change go well.

 

And of course you'll always be welcome here :D

Thanks all.

I've decided that the Botex pre-made boxes are too good to pass up from Thomann, so just ordered.

:D

[How many outs?

 

 

Need initially to replace the 1 in/5 out boxes I have, but potentially making up more for general use.

Looking for some suitable project boxes to make up some Powercon splitter units. I made some up 5-ways a few years back to supply power to our 8 Paletta floods from a couple of Canford type metal clad cases the size of a comms beltpack - ie the same sort of case as the beltpacks. However, never been 100% happy with them so want to make up some new ones.

Not yet found anything suitable from the usual suspects so just wondering if this is something anyone has done before and can recommend a case...

Never quite sure whether these petitions ever actually have any effect on the status quo, but for something as close to home for many as this one, it doesn't hurt to at least try.

 

This one was I think started by the ATG - at least that's where the e-mail I've had thanking me for adding my name came from.

 

So, if you haven't but think it might help, why not add your name here...?

 

:D

never ever this kind of petitionsend up good. Only as a public discussion

Sooo...

If people sign it and it gets noticed (maybe) then it potentially helps.

If people sign it and it ends up going nowhere, then maybe it's a waste of a couple of individual minutes, but possibly worth a try.

If people don't sign it then it definitely goes nowhere...

 

I agree that petitions I've seen as a rule tend to be for things that are not actually achievable and possibly wild ideas. But this one does speak to the effect on the lives of thousands of people who can't work, despite desperately wanting to, so if there's a chance it could get somewhere, where's the harm?