Calculating the cost of lighting

[sunray]

2 hours ago, J Pearce said:

The best I managed on that front was many years ago on a rather dire amdram production of Sound of Music in a church, where the MD had decided to use the organ for some of the numbers. By the nature of amdram we never managed to rehearse both the organ and the lighting at the same time, and so on the first show the organist issued forth a large chord, the blower responded to demand, and the whole place blacked out.

(They also used a real blindfold and the actor got lost and fell off the stage landing through the violin player’s violin - I was altogether rather happy when the show finished…)

Sad when those sort of things happen. One of the groups I helped with had 2 actors who would decide to do something different (better in their eyes) during the show than rehearsals, like stand in a different place for a solo where the spotlights shone elswhere or made their entrance from a different place and my cue for lights being the tab moving.

One guy insisted he was a trained opera singer (but I don't think I ever heard him hitting the same notes as the recorded music) and being in charge, or so he thought, insisted in adding a singing part into every show but from the floor and would dictate the position but never rehearse the song. The floor would be taped for the position of his music stand and lights focussed, always four. He always moved around and would take the stand with him then complain he couldn't read it due to lack of light.

They expect the tech to magically cope with their changes.

 

One of the groups had an elderly actress, probably the best in the group, but she needed help climbing the 4 steps to the stage. Missing her cue was considered impossible except when she forgot to get assistance after the interval and eventually did her part from the floor.

I've only been properly active in AmDram for about 5 years (until covid killed of the 4 groups I assisted) and to be honest it amazes how many hiccups occur.

[sunray]

6 minutes ago, technician-v2 said:

Thanks for the replies people. Yeah reading the meter is an option but as we're a school there could be a lot else on at the same time. Lots of classroom lighting, computers etc although we could take reading one day over a time period when we're not using the lighting then another day when we are and look at the difference as Andrew C says.

Yeah I've had the tea urn issue, 15 minutes before curtain up, not fun, didnt knock out the lighting, but sound, projection, everything else!

 

 

Tea urns are always a law unto themselves and users always manage to find the thinnest possible extension lead for it, even plugging two into it.

[alistermorton]

6 hours ago, J Pearce said:

and the actor got lost and fell off the stage landing through the violin player’s violin

Sounds like "The Sound of Music" in the stage play of "The Good Life".

Guess which play we've just done 🙂

[kerry davies]

I did lots of things in churches, abbeys, castles and the like and could regale you with nightmare power tales until Christmas BUT ... alister morton reminded me of one which began as a community event, grew to take the full WNO touring rig as a gift and had a 3 ph supply dug in through the graveyard (bones everywhere, dogs going bonkers etc.)

For that we installed our own meter/monitor in a garden shed simply to inform the electricity board what sponsorship they were providing. Alister seems to be suggesting installing your own meter on the feed to the theatre rather than read the main house one. Single phase ones are not that expensive and any decent sparkie could slot one into the line.

Edited November 9, 2023 by kerry davies

[sunray]

5 hours ago, kerry davies said:

... Alister seems to be suggesting installing your own meter on the feed to the theatre rather than read the main house one. Single phase ones are not that expensive and any decent sparkie could slot one into the line.

Indeed, here is one in a church hall, the top meter and adjacent fused switch feed the armoured cable to the small hall which I understand used to be exclusive to the scouts. In this instance it is directly off a Henley block but just as easily installed on any circuit.