School lighting hire price cuts

[tbexon]

does anyone know of anywhere in or around north yorkshire which does price cuts on lighting consoles for schools it's just there's a show coming up and in this economic climate I doubt the fundraisers will be able to get us as much money as usual and the school contribution will be down so we could really do with some cheaper deals

 

it's nothing urgent I just thought I'd ask you because I need to after the summer break to start coming up with estimates of cost

[simschr]

What do you want, and for how long?

 

People who usually get discounts know their supplier well, and spend a fair amount of money with them, so it's unlikely you'll get a discount just by ringing up - I could be wrong, but whilst you're asking for a discount the company's still got bills to pay!

[Nick S]

in this economic climate I doubt the fundraisers will be able to get us as much money as usual

 

...and conversely, in this economic climate suppliers aren't going to be able to get you the discounts you're looking for. They have to make a living too!

 

There are other ways of reducing costs - for example, you could try to cut back on delivery costs by either offering to collect yourself. Asking for a discount on a small order probably isn't going to work, and could even come off as a little rude.

[nick7076]

PM sent

[tommulliner]

We get a decent hire price with the guy that we hire from, mind you, we have been hiring off him for a good 15 years!!!!

Nick s is right, suppliers are going to struggle to give you a major discount so you may just have to follow nick s's price cut advice.

[paradoxism]

Also - depending on the type of desk you are thinking about why not try going for a smaller desk and adjusting your rig to fit. If you were getting some movers then cut them and go with a generic rig and desk. See if you can reduce your dimmer count. Look at if your school already has an older desk that still works and use that. Result is an overall saving on the desk, fixtures, and anything else you would normally hire! And on the plus side you get the challenge of pulling off a show with a smaller amount of equipment but still making it look just as good.

 

Everybody on here knows about the challenge of running to a budget and once the beg, borrow and steal options are out of the way we have to look to make the rig fit the budget, no matter whether it's a school show or an all singing all dancing west end rig. Scale changes but the challenges don't!

[EJP]

I totally agree with the current climate and budget issues!

 

I am about to produce my end of year stage school production and am desperate to do the Wizard of Oz, however my budget will only stretch so far.

 

Our current rehearsal space is great, it has a large stage & auditorium and brand new lighting rig (with booth). BUT NO sound facilities! This could somewhat restrict the production!

 

I am currently tyring to work out the best most Economical way of producing the show without jeapardising the quality.

 

In order to reduce set I have decided to incorporate physical theatre where possible - eg dancing poppies for the poppy field scene etc. I would love to incorporate Gobo's but not sure what expense is involved and how complex these are to set up?

 

Has anyone worked on the production before with a tight budget - and does anyone have any suggestions on how to light effectively at low cost, keep set to a minimum and cover sound effectively, Due to the number of principal characters involved there is a high requirement for radio mics (which is a tricky and expensive game). That doesnt even include the rest of the cast!!

 

I am aware that my questions could have been submitted under a number of different categories on this forum - but am I newby so I posted on this section first? Suggestions welcome...

 

Any technical / production advice would be appreciated...?? :)

[paulears]

If you have somebody who can mix large numbers of radio mics, and kids who are mature enough to use them properly, then go ahead, get some budget by hook or by crook and have decent sound. If you cannot find this person (and don't even think of letting the kids do it - they can't!) or the kids respond to "put it on, leave it on, and don't touch" by eternal fiddling, messing around and poor self-discipline, then maybe think again. Lighting needs to simply be illumination at the simplest level. Gobos - well, if you already have profiles up in the air, most could have gobos fitted to a holder and stuffed inside - BUT, gobos are great for effect, but once they have a gobo in, then they are not of use for ilumination, only mood. A few gobos and bits and bobs need not be expensive, and if you have woodland scenes, some breakups work well to suggest folliage. Like most things lighting, one is pointless, two feeble and 6 or more start to look interesting. You can also use them to suggest scenic location - so either stock or custom gobos can be useful.

 

If you have a limited budget, then you need to prioritise. Do you need amplification? Lots of 'leads' does not have to mean radios if you can spend some time teaching projection, and avoid productions that feature rock style or pop style music. If the selected show does, then is it the style of show where a few passed around handhelds would work? If, however, you do the traditional Wizard of Oz, then I'm not sure everyone needs to have a mic, do they? Live band or tracks? Oz lends itself to just a few basic lighting states. The beginning in the real world, colours for when they are on the road and something for the Emerald City. Staging will decide if you need even or area based contrasty lighting.

 

Sounds a good project. If you have more questions, ask away!