Techie Gifts

[Foxinabox10]

I am now the TD at my school and we have two parents who help us out, one for lighting and one for sound. They come in once to twice a week and help us fix things that are broken, give advice, and more. At the end of each production, we give them a gift. The old TD was lazy and just got them Gift Certificates. Does anyone have any ideas of what to get somebody to say "Thanks for your help."? I was thinking about including a ControlBooth.com Magnet too if they would make one with the microphone too.

[Mayhem]

I think that any item from the vast selection of ControlBooth.com merchandise would be a perfect gift.

[avkid]

are they professionals helping out?

[digitaltec]

gift certificates are always a good idea as long as it's to a nicer place ( not McDonalds). I mean it's a good time to take the significant other out for a night on the town to say thanks for all the crap they have to put up with.

[Foxinabox10]

They are both engineers by trade and are not professionals, although the sound parent can rewire and repair pretty much anything and the lighting parent wrote our lighting program, so they're pretty smart.

[avkid]

at the least get them both a subscription to Total Production US (free) and maybe a radioshack gift card


www.totalproductionus.com

[jorno67]

as an older type person who has helped local high schools put on shows, I always enjoyed the show t-shirt, and something directly related to the show. It makes us feel like we're aprt of the crew instead of "the old guy". Gift cards are ok, but aren't the personalized thank you that means a lot more.

[Foxinabox10]

The only show shirts that we have made are for stage crew with inside jokes and stuff for stage crew. Unfortunately we don't have an overall show shirt.

[jorno67]

The only show shirts that we have made are for stage crew with inside jokes and stuff for stage crew. Unfortunately we don't have an overall show shirt.

Actually that kind of shirt would mean more because it is personalized. Adults who help out are doing it for fun and memories not for $25 gift card from radio shack.
It doesn't have to be a shirt, but a personal thank you will be remembered much longer than a generic thanks. Don't forget to tell them what you have learned from them. And the guy who can fix anything knows that that isn't true, but it would make his day to know that you think that he can.
Make a gag gift. It's about people learning and sharing, not stuff.

[Foxinabox10]

But they're not involved at all with the stage crew and therefore a stage crew shirt wouldn't mean much to them, as they don't understand the inside jokes and everything. A card would be nice, and a picture of the tech people would also be nice.

[jorno67]

I don't know the whole set up, but I think you get what I'm trying to say. A card and a picture is great. Maybe there is some kind of inside joke or funny story. I once got two stage pin connectors that were melted together, mounted them to aplack and gave it as an outstanding intern award. I took a fork and removed the two inner prongs painted it gold and gave it as a curciut tester. Be creative but sincere.

[Foxinabox10]

I like the melted stage pin connectors...a lot. Any similar ideas for an audio person?

[Radman]

How about a plack with their name in cursive from a mic cable. That would be cool. I think I'll make one for my room!

[ship]

I think that any item from the vast selection of ControlBooth.com merchandise would be a perfect gift.

Suck up 8)

Given they are professional, perhaps a cast and crew 8x10 photo before the set giving the year, production and a huge thanks, perhaps even signed by everyone or a "the crew" would with a frame to hang from be very nice. Types of stuff one could plaster one's wall at work or home with and spark conversation in being proud of one's kids.

Gift certificate for sure is out, if nothing else to me it would mean something the theater needs in purchase if not too little to be of value to me to remember having.

Other stuff as curiosities in melted plugs are additional to such things I would think. Unless they collect such things of interest, I would hope that there is not a lot of them anyway. Also to many, the junk is just that and weighs upon you as to the value of keeping beyond sentiment. At that point also, un-personalized melted stuff would be of much more use than stuff that's highlighted and specilized. But such things I expect they would either keep or not anyway in already knowing about them as they should.

There is only so many paper weights one can use.

On the other hand, why not a good stage crew shirt for the show. Personal titles or not. Given they are pro's, some T-shirts I expect are not exactually rolling in. Besides I expect they are proud of the place they support thus would wear such things.

When it comes to printing, perhaps as a joke at the end of the season a pair of boxer shorts with something printed on them, otherwise stuff like monogramed socks could be of interest. A good school drama dpt. coffee mug is also of use. Perhaps a comedy and tragedy cell phone cover or something.

A CD of the season's musical with that mug would be nice. One to raise a smile on the commute home from work, one to drink with in the morning.

Given the advisors also have the kids breaking or abusing their tools, or just have not invested in something huge and great, how about investing in some cordless power tool kit? Say $10.00 per show each student each show and by the end of the season there is cash on hand for quite a present/tool kit. Otherwise given funding of kids, at least a donation with a core goal per show would probably work out better. If someone can only afford a buck they still need to be included and not excluded because they can't come up with the other nine. Everyone sits at the table and eats is the way of friends.


Given they don't do this for a living, a book or two on doing this type of thing in the theater or industry. You know that if you buy a thing for such people in that they are doing it out of interest, they will actually read the book also out of interest. Say some stage sound book etc.

Tickets to as mainstream of a Broadway show as you get would also be nice.


Destract this person for a while and engrave his tools with his name than mark them with say a paint marker stripe so they are findable. Such things show you care enough that they get their tools back.

Parents buying a bottle of wine for this person marginally could be appropriate also. (Sorry but not sure in being TD if adult or student, don't take the wording as offense please.)


If not normally done, especially than, during the final curtain call, stopping everything and calling them up from the audience to recieve flowers and a card would mean a lot to them.


If you school has for the most part assigned parking, one could measure and make a sign with printed on something like "reserved for ......" with their title such as student godsend or something like that. Than hang it for the final show above a assigned parking spot's sign that is right next to the theater or in their normal spot.

Some ideas off the top of my head at least.

[Mayhem]

I think that any item from the vast selection of ControlBooth.com merchandise would be a perfect gift.

Suck up 8)

LOL - I was wondering how long it would be before someone made that comment. :P

I guess my only addition to what has already been suggested would be to find out what they are interested in and see where that leads you.

In having donated my time and effort to various causes (both in tech work and also community/educational causes) I am happy just to be acknowledged. Some times, this is as simple as being mentioned in the credits etc. A shirt or laminate from the production is always nice.