Receiving House - Lx Prep

[fazJ]

Just wondering how everyone preps for a show as in from when you receive the lx plan to the time when the company walk in the door.

 

I know everyone will have slightly different ways of doing it and if I'm honest I'm looking for some ideas to streamline the way I do things and see if there is an easier way of doing it. I'm not going to put down how I do it just yet just want to see what other people's ways are first.

[Just Some Bloke]

Well first I'd check that what they've sent can be done at our venue. If not they need a phone call as early as possible.

 

Then I'd check for colours. Are they bringing colour? If not then do we have what they want? If not do we have an alternative that they've said will do? If not then a phone call again.

 

Then the plan would go on file till nearer the time.

 

Nearer the time I'd check to see if there's any chance of getting ahead by rigging some of what they want early and using that rig for something else. If not then I'd find a good time to do the pre-rig and ensure it's done before they arrive.

 

If there's absolutely no way it can be pre-rigged in time then another phone call required!

 

Once it's rigged then it gets patched into circuits then soft-patched in the board to their channels (assuming they're using our desk) after which it must be time for a coffee. :)

 

Just as you've made the coffee and are about to take the first sip, that's when they walk through the door apologising for being late due to the holdups in the M25 and saying how vital it is we get started straight away!

[chrismca09]

Always ring or make contact as soon as possible with the technician on tour/who evers bringing the show in, I do this as I've experienced non-lighting based people bring shows to the theatre I work in, with such a specific rig not knowing what the capabilities of the rig only to find out its a 4 colour wash with a couple of specials or something stupid, after de rigging what was a 4 colour wash to re rig it again at a later stage = ballache!!

 

9 times out of 10 our house rig is 4/5 colour wash with specials & a very punchy scroller back light, not forgetting 4 colour wash side light of course. saves time de rigging then re rigging your house rig when its more than capable than providing what the client really wants :)

[Ali2580]

Most of the time (in between shows coming in and out) we try to keep up a warm/cold wash, few colour washes, few specials and maybe a bar of parcans and floods. The worst part of venues like this is anyone uses them and that means people may constantly change the in-house rig so trying to keep it back to normal is difficult. Anyway...

 

We usually recieve the technical rider few months before the event. (However, we have had it 4 days before once!) When the event is closer, we look at the shows which may be in the day before/day after and try to rig as much as possible that is in every show. Obviously it might not always work and in that case we rig everything for the first show and then just turn it around before the next company are due to arrive. Once it then becomes quieter again, we try to get a basic rig back again. That's the basics of how we do it without speaking rubbish as my head is turning to mush!

 

Hope this helps.

[Stuart Basson]

If you get stuff well in advance of the gig it is always worth a phone call to the touring technicians before you pre-rig. Requirements planned in good faith in the rehearsal period change with the experience of performance, and companies on a daily turnround can't always find the time to notify venues. The simple phone call can prevent a wasted pre-rig.

[the kid]

The venue I work in we try and get 3 days shows in, and make minor changes where and when needed. Sometimes we do end up doing total re-reigs but we have a day or so before hand.

 

This is for small scale tour venue as well.