Tips for New comers

[vinntec]

1. The biggest lesson I learned in my first big show at a hired venue was that you cut the gels beforehand and bring them with you. Cutting 100+ gels during the get-in is a real time waster! Since then do it for all shows, small and large.
2. Expect the unexpected!
3. If you have agreed a get-in schedule with the SM, then make sure everyone sticks to it. It is very easy to shove LX closer and closer to the band call or in the case of a youth show, the cast arriving!
4. Rig LX first on a bare stage. As a travelling amateur LD (in my younger years) it was amazing how many societies put the set up first so LX had to be rigged on ladders - when the bars could have come down and the rigging done in next to no time. "We've always done it like this"!

[sandall]

Would second all of that, particularly pre-cutting the gell, especially if the venue crew insisted on doing the rigging & focussing & wanted all the colour in the tallescope bag before they started. Two of my bigger venues had fixed bars, so nothing to be screwed down till the tallescope was back in the dock

[vinntec]

Two of my bigger venues had fixed bars, so nothing to be screwed down till the tallescope was back in the dock

Unfortunately in my main venue with fixed bars, the set is built in situ as soon as the previous production closes. We did campaign a few years ago for the day after get-out to be for rigging LX (partly as business case for motorised bars) - but very few of our directors are used to working things out in their heads before the set is in place and they have rehearsed on it from a shell. This presents some interesting challenges for rigging, and focusing which is always a challenge anyway!

[gareth]

My biggest tip would be to keep technical theatre as a hobby, and don't consider making a career of it these days. A bit of a downer, I know - sorry about that - but it's what I'd suggest. Stick to a proper job! There's far too much politics and touchy-feely stuff involved these days, and not enough actual theatre.

[Charlotte_R]

Speaking as someone who turned my hobby into my job nearly 2 years ago, I think that the best advice is to turn up and be willing to turn your hand to anything. I used to be an engineer, most of my USP for clients is my attention to detail and work ethic but obviously successful teams are made up of a range of people.

[sunray]

. "We've always done it like this"!

I worked for an AV company [1996-2002] and that was the workshop managers favorite saying. As the company started expanding from about 30 staff to 80 we had to introduce monthly meetings where progress/problems etc etc were discussed. In my capacity of commissioning I started removing faulty cables from the workshop built racks rather than repair them and would take a plastic carrier bag to the meetings and one by one describe the faults I found and put an approximate price on manufacture and repair/replace. All of a sudden "We stopped doing it like we have always done." My name was, of course, mud but at least we started getting better work from the factory.

 

[Tomo]

Learn basic fault-finding techniques - halving the run, logical elimination etc.

I've seen (and taken phone calls from) far too many people who really have no idea how to locate a fault.

 

No matter what comes in the future, there will always be hardware failures - broken cables, connectors, buttons and touchscreens.

 

Learn about Ethernet networking - not in detail, but the broad strokes and the most common failures and issues like wrong subnet, duplicate IP addresses, spotting DHCP failures, unexpected loops, long switch startup times etc.

(While modern installs are likely to be mostly DHCP/zeroconf, there's still a place for static IPs)

Edited May 21, 2020 by Tomo

[willjam39]

Thanks for the answers so far guys :)

 

There are some there which all though obvious to someone whos done this alot wouldnt be the first thought of an guys starting out which is perfect.

 

The fault finding one brought back memories of being shown various ways when I was a eager youth and reminded me how many I still use both in and out of the theatre.

 

Will

[Just Some Bloke]

Two tips from me.

 

1. It's very easy to try to run things on a basis of everyone being equal and each person chucking in ideas and the team as a whole making things happen. This will work really well assuming you have twice the time you will actually have. Every show needs a Production Manager to bring things together and to move things along. Find someone who is well-liked by all the team and who has a knowledge of all aspects of the industry (even if it's just basic knowledge in some areas) and give them the role of PM and you'll be surprised how much better things just move along and how few deadlines get missed.

2. When you are doing a schedule, always give yourself more time than you first thought you would need. For everything. Oh, and never let the talent start earlier than scheduled! It's your stage until it's their stage.

 

That should be a good start!

[sandall]

There are times when PM needs to be able to stand up to the technicians*. On a youth "Godspell" a few years ago the (both very experienced) LD & board-op were allowed to waste so much Tech time on the opening chase that we barely got to the end of the 1st half before the kids had to go, which made for a very interesting Dress next night for the rest of us.

 

[*Curious - when I end "tech" with "ies" it insists on changing it to "technicians"]

Edited May 24, 2020 by sandall

[vinntec]

2. When you are doing a schedule, always give yourself more time than you first thought you would need. For everything. Oh, and never let the talent start earlier than scheduled! It's your stage until it's their stage.

Nor the band showing up early or unscheduled ;-)

[gareth]

[*Curious - when I end "tech" with "ies" it insists on changing it to "technicians"]

 

This was set up as an 'autocorrect' for BR posts waaay back in the mists of time. "Tech!es" is seen by many (self included) as a somewhat derogatory term for a skilled theatre technician - in the same way that you wouldn't call a skilled professional scenic artist a "painty".

[sandall]

Fair enough, though I usually only use "technician" on the invoice. So how about "noise-boy", "lampie" or "sparks" (though in my sea-going days this was exclusively used for Radio Officers, never electricians). Edited May 25, 2020 by sandall

[gareth]

'Sparks' or 'spark' is commonplace and accepted in the broadcast and film world. 'Noiseboy' is on a par with 'tech!e'!! Not sure how I personally feel about 'lampy'...

[Stuart91]

'Noiseboy' is on a par with 'tech!e'!! Not sure how I personally feel about 'lampy'...

 

Anyone who's described themselves to me as a "noise boy" has turned out to be less than capable.

 

I've yet to come across any "noise girls", perhaps they have a better grip on their personal branding.

 

 

Not sure how I personally feel about 'lampy'...

 

I'd feel it's a less derogatory term in the rock'n'roll world. I doubt anyone doing serious theatrical lighting would be particularly happy with the term.

 

Now, let's move onto "Vidiot"...