Role of a Small Scale Venue Electrician

[sam.hunt]

Hello everyone

 

My name's Sam and I've just started my third year of the Theatre Practice degree course at Central, and my project for this term is venue and show chief for a studio space, and the model we are adopting is "small scale", which means 48 ways of dimming, no movers, small crew. As part of my course, I am researching models of professional practice, and feel that this would be an excellent place to get some useful information.

 

Some background about my course and my role: all the roles in the production team are undertaken by students, from PMs through LXs to crew. This term, my role is venue chief for a studio space and production/chief electrician for three small scale shows (budgets of £1000). We have an ample supply of lanterns and infrastructure, and my role will mainly consist of ensuring that the lighting designs (produced by students) are correctly realised, that all the production managers (again, students) work together well, and that the season goes smoothly, both from a lighting point of view and a more overall sense.

 

Therefore, I would appreciate it if anyone who feels they could contribute could answer a few questions for me:

1. Firstly, who are you and what do you do/have done in the past?
   
2. What role does a lighting designer have in a small scale venue/production? What kind of activities would you expect a lighting designer to perform during the rehearsals, get-in, and show week?
   
3. The turn-around for the three shows is very tight (1-2 days). What mechanisms and techniques have you found useful to aid in smooth transitions from one show to the next?
   
4. Two of the shows are collaborative/devised, and while this may prove to be an interesting and exciting process, there is the risk that the director/designers may get lost in the artistic side of the production and loose focus, especially during the technical and dress rehearsals - is there any advice you could give to help keep everyone focussed and on-track throughout the whole production process?
   
5. For a small-scale studio space, and a rig of no more than 50-60 lanterns, how many crew would you expect? Due to the tight turn-arounds, we will most likely have one day to get rigged, focussed, and programmed, before technical rehearsal the day after. Considering that, as a small-scale venue, budget for crew would be tight, I am anticipating having no more than two crew, and myself. Do you feel that this is a reasonable goal, and what suggestions would you offer to help my crew work as effectively as possible?
   

Thank you very much for your time.

 

I will need to reference my research when writing up my project - if you would not like your name/user name mentioned, please let me know, otherwise I will presume it is ok for me to reference you directly.

[Just Some Bloke]

I've not worked in small-scale producing venues, but I can tell you about small-scale tours playing studio spaces, as I've worked on several.

 

Firstly, 48-ways of dimming is very nice to find and I would always design small studio tours to fit 24-ways of dimming if neccesary, as that's what you'll get at some venues (admittedly many have more, but it's much easier to go in knowing you can do it on 24 ways than to have to re-work things at the venue).

 

The venues I'd go into would normally provide 1 technician who would have pre-rigged the lighting, would help with the get-in, focus the rig for me then sit and plot on their desk to my call. We'd arrive at 2pm normally and all would be ready by about 6pm with a bit of luck. This allows an hour to overrun if we get delayed arriving or it's a difficult get-in (or if they haven't pre-rigged which would be very annoying!).

 

The things I'd require of the house technician would be:

 

1) To know what they're doing and not keep having to ask their boss or say "sorry I don't know how to do that".

2) To have pre-rigged.

3) To have called me in advance if there's anything on our advance information that they can't do. That way I'll already have come up with a 'Plan B'.

4) To know somewhere nice to eat before or after the show!

 

I realise you were asking about in-house productions, but I just thought I'd give you a flavour of the other side of things. Hope I wasn't too OT. :)

[Bryson]

1. Firstly, who are you and what do you do/have done in the past?

Matt Frankish, Technical Manager (temporarily) of the Croydon Clocktower, a 165-seater venue with a 68-seat cinema as well as various bits of "Arts Centre" stuff. I was here for 5 years previously, all sorts of varied freelancing doing..virtually anything, then a year and a bit on Cruise Ships, then two years taking a new National Dance Agency from scratch to functioning venue. Then back here to help out during an extended absence.

1. What role does a lighting designer have in a small scale venue/production? What kind of activities would you expect a lighting designer to perform during the rehearsals, get-in, and show week?

Well, you're producing, which we don't do an awful lot of, but I'd expect the LD to...well...design the lighting. As in: Go to rehearsals, create the design, liase with the director, draw the plan (in advance!), "call" the focus, plot the states (not actually on the desk, in the audtorium). Also, I'd expect to see notes after the first performance...but not the second!

1. The turn-around for the three shows is very tight (1-2 days). What mechanisms and techniques have you found useful to aid in smooth transitions from one show to the next?

You'll want all of the plans in advance of the first one, and see if you can composite the rig in any way. Even if that means hanging the correct lanterns but not actually getting them plugged up, that'll help you do it faster. If you can avoid rehanging between shows, or minimise it, that will really help you out.

1. Two of the shows are collaborative/devised, and while this may prove to be an interesting and exciting process, there is the risk that the director/designers may get lost in the artistic side of the production and loose focus, especially during the technical and dress rehearsals - is there any advice you could give to help keep everyone focussed and on-track throughout the whole production process?

Schedules, schedules, schedules. Make sure everyone has one, and that they know that there's no additional time available (even if there is...). You need a tough Stage/Production Manager who isn't afraid of the Director to keep the Tech moving. Make sure the schedule has "artistic" time reserved so that the Director knows that there is some time for them reserved - it'll make it much easier to move them on if you can say: "You can do that at xxx time."

 

1. For a small-scale studio space, and a rig of no more than 50-60 lanterns, how many crew would you expect? Due to the tight turn-arounds, we will most likely have one day to get rigged, focussed, and programmed, before technical rehearsal the day after. Considering that, as a small-scale venue, budget for crew would be tight, I am anticipating having no more than two crew, and myself. Do you feel that this is a reasonable goal, and what suggestions would you offer to help my crew work as effectively as possible?

Three sounds reasonable. (Assuming your access equipment allows for that.) We do: One up the Genie, one at the bottom, one on the desk. Don't forget to give the crew breaks (they'll work faster when they come back, so you'll get the time back) and try and bash out the focussing quick. 20 extra minutes on that lantern won't make it 10 times better. Fix it in notes later if you must. I've always been a great believer in the big loud "Good enough, next lantern!" as those that have worked with me will attest...

Make sure that whoever programmes the desk is good. Like, as fast as the LD can talk. No-one likes to sit around waiting for the op to bugger about. If they can pre-empt the LD by recording likely looking subs or groups while the focus is taking place, that'll speed things up. (If done well!)

 

 

I will need to reference my research when writing up my project - if you would not like your name/user name mentioned, please let me know, otherwise I will presume it is ok for me to reference you directly.

 

Feel free to quote me all you like.

[neilalexrose]

What bryson says about getting plans as soon as possible and re-using lamps is a good idea, but a better idea is put up a standard rig, whereby the lamps stay in the same place for the entire run/season, and then the most you need to do is refocus, or at a minimum just do a colour change if the focus is good.

 

I'm Working for a large scale opera company at the moment, who are doing 3 shows in daily rep on tour, and they use a standard rig with lots of boom lantern and colour swapping. It relates to this situation in that we have a morning to get the overhead rig re-focused from the original focus notes. We rig the overhead bars on the get-in, then move booms around to suit. The standard rig is given to the designer, and they use what they need, then if they need anything extra, then they can request it.

 

A standard rig should give enough lamps to do a good 4 colour wash from front and back/top, and a breakup gobo wash if you can get it. (scrollers can make colour changes easier, and give designers more choice of colour, which most will appreciate!) Then you add a handful profiles on bar 1\FOH for specials, leaving enough lamps left over for any specific effects the different designer wants - like booms, specific gobos, or any unusual effects. If you work it right, chances are the desginers will be happy. If you explain to the production manager that it will take longer to re-rig, require more crew, and therefore be more expensive, then they will probably be able to sweet talk the designer. (I know it's a student show, so no cost implication, but it's an example of how it could work in the real world).

I used to work in a mid scale one night stand receiving house, doing everything from rock and roll, to talks and classical concerts. We used the standard rig very well, usually doing a colour change from the night before, before the next event arrived. Then all that would be left was to focus some specials before the house opened. We tried to avoid moving the rig around as much as possible (70 odd lanterns in fixed grid venue takes a lot longer to rig and focus from one tallescope than you'd think.) As has been said before, a bit of careful planning goes a long way. We were often thinking 3 events ahead, making sure we were rigging lanterns when we had time and manpower to do it, even if the event was a week later.

The rock and rollers didn't tend to care too much where the lamps were, as long as they have a good 4 colour wash from back and front, enough specials to light the singers, and would normally bring in their own movers, pre-programed. The classical musicians don't like the buzz of parcans too much, and as long as they can see their music, and don't have any light in their eyes, they wont complain.

I know it's slightly different to what the OP is doing, but these are examples of how it has worked in a multi-purpose venue, and also for daily rep opera. If it works for them, it could work for you.

[richard]

1. Firstly, who are you and what do you do/have done in the past?
   

Have been technical consultant to the arcola for most of it's life, it is a small-ish producing off west end venue with similar constraints to yours. I have also acted as venue technician at times.

 

I have also worked there, and in other spaces as Lighting Designer

 

1. What role does a lighting designer have in a small scale venue/production? What kind of activities would you expect a lighting designer to perform during the rehearsals, get-in, and show week?
   

I wouldn't normally treat an arcola show that differently to that in a larger venue. I would expect the LD to attend rehearsals and production meetings, give input in to the design of set and costumes from their perspective. Attend technical rehearsals and all performances up to and including press night.

 

The extra things that the small scale venue usually adds to the LDs job are:

1. Assiting/managing the rigging of equipment.
   
2. Direct management of the lighting budget (ordering kit/buying gel)
   
3. Blagging as much stuff as possible
   
4. programming the show myself (as opposed to having a programmer) although sometimes a programmer is available.
   

1. The turn-around for the three shows is very tight (1-2 days). What mechanisms and techniques have you found useful to aid in smooth transitions from one show to the next?
   

The arcola would usually have a two day gap, the shedule would work as:

1. sat night, previous show closes, get out completed straight after, seating moved around (if applicable), if large set then commence build
   
2. sun morning, rig LX/sound, build set
   
3. sun afternoon, continue rigging/building. LX flash out
   
4. sun eve, Focus LX
   
5. sun night, paint call (if needed)
   
6. Monday all day - tech (3 sessions), maybe spend an hour or so plotting before that starts
   
7. Tuesday AM - work on stage
   
8. Tuesday afternooon - dress/notes
   
9. Tuesday night - first preview
   

Press night would then usually be on Thursday. The Arcola, as it has grown, has now begun to have first preview Wed, with press Fri, which takes the strain off a bit!

 

1. Two of the shows are collaborative/devised, and while this may prove to be an interesting and exciting process, there is the risk that the director/designers may get lost in the artistic side of the production and loose focus, especially during the technical and dress rehearsals - is there any advice you could give to help keep everyone focussed and on-track throughout the whole production process?
   

Very difficult thing to do. You have to be careful not to be seen as being 'jobsworth' or a 'no man', however you also need to bring up the issues. People tend to appreciate you not bringing up simply problems, but offering solutions to those problems at the same time (so seeming more helpful). It is also worth having regular meetings with the whole creative team to check where you are in the process, what deadlines have been met and missed, and how people feel it is going. People often tend not to appreciate problems being brought up in front of the cast, and this gives a good point to have those discussions.

 

1. For a small-scale studio space, and a rig of no more than 50-60 lanterns, how many crew would you expect? Due to the tight turn-arounds, we will most likely have one day to get rigged, focussed, and programmed, before technical rehearsal the day after. Considering that, as a small-scale venue, budget for crew would be tight, I am anticipating having no more than two crew, and myself. Do you feel that this is a reasonable goal, and what suggestions would you offer to help my crew work as effectively as possible?
   

 

If you mean simply for lighting, then three technicians should be ample (we would often only have two) It is worth ensuring that you work closely with the other departments to ensure that you don't tread on each other's toes. Also that you have a good plan of what is going to happen.

 

I would disagree with some others in that I would usually prefer to strip down the rig completely before starting to re-rig. This may look like it will take more time than shuffling but it does mean that there are far fewer mistakes made, and less patching issues.

 

I would also remind people to ensure that before starting to focus you properly flash out the rig people often don't bother with this but I find nothing more annoying as an LD than coming to focus and having to wait for many little patch/plugging/lamp problems to be fixed. Again it is quicker to spend a bit of time flashing through and fixing in one go, than starting to focus before everything is ready.

 

Finally, make sure that proper breaks are taken, people often try and work beyond their limits and so slow down. It is often best to take a couple of full hour long breaks (out of the bulding) than to work on, get tired, hungry and grumpy!!

 

I will need to reference my research when writing up my project - if you would not like your name/user name mentioned, please let me know, otherwise I will presume it is ok for me to reference you directly.

reference away

[sam.hunt]

Thank you everyone for your input so far.

 

Many of the points that have been mentioned I have already considered so far, so it is reassuring for me to know that my process is following that of professionals in the industry. Other points have been brought up that I will take on board, and I deffinately hope to impliment many of the things mentioned.