"Spend a day at KÁ"- Special Report from LDI 2008

[gafftaper]

Well last Thursday thanks to the good folks at LDI I had the adventure of a lifetime at Cirque Du Soleil: KA. I got a three hour backstage tour with the T.D. of all 9 floors of this $200 million building. We had a dinner break. Then after a few minutes hanging in the control booth. I got assigned to work on stage with Tony the deck electrician. The guy's been there from the start and knew every detail of the space. Although his job is primarily moving around a few lights during set changes and fixing things if there's a problem, he helps the other departments with set changes too (a great lesson for those with the King/Queen of the booth complex).

The Assistant L.D. (I think) gave me a wireless clearcom pack set to a channel that only he, myself, and Tony were on so I had a private audio tour as we went along. However before I could go backstage my tour guide had a problem. With only 2 or 3 minutes before curtain it was discovered that the riggers had stepped on some instruments and blown the lamps again... apparently a regular problem in this one specific location. So while the show was starting, my guide was installing new lamps on stage. Once that was sorted out I was delivered backstage walking through the house high in the air on the catwalk network. Once in the back there was a series of doors slamming and people standing around casually talking. I was confused and shocked and asked why aren't people being quiet. It turns out when you have 4000 speakers in a theater (including speakers inside every seat) you don't have to worry about being quiet back stage.

So Tony takes me around a corner and suddenly we are standing just inches off stage on a catwalk 30' above the real floor, watching a scene on a flying stage. The scene ends and we move for Tony's first cue. Hugging a stairway we crawl within inches of being seeing. He points to a specific light hanging on a rail on stage (as projections of flaming arrows fly inches above our heads) and says "when the scene is clear wait for the actors to leave the stage, the crew to go on stage, and when this stage manager finally goes up the steps you go to that point and watch... then I'll pick you up when I leave the stage". I can't believe I'm where I'm at having the conversation I'm having. Then the fist bumps began. Apparently every time an actor leaves stage and meets a technician there is a fist bump. Tony said, "Go along with it. If you don't do it you'll only confuse the artists." So I proceeded to fist bump my way through the evening. Then we rush up the steps. He starts helping with the set change giving me a detailed narration of what he is doing on the com. When the change is done we go in the back and he plays air guitar. Oh yeah I like this guy

From there on it was non-stop insanity. With Tony saying things like, "When I wave my hand I want you to stand exactly HERE so you don't get killed." What a rush. Watching massive lifts moving, twisting and turning the massive main deck, acrobats flying and I'm inches away underneath or above them in the dark.

At one point he says "don't look up." So I look up of course.... just in time to get hit by 3 or 4 lightning strikes... I went blind for a few minutes so it's hard to know how many for sure. I think this is the product... I'm not sure which model they have but let me assure you one should never look at 3 or 4 of them at once.

Then there was the great climactic battle where 16 people are suspended on their own independently controlled high speed winch lines high in the air battling. I got to stand directly under them watching the battle and dodging things thrown to the floor in the fight.

I could go on for days about the technology in this show: The stage lifting system as described in this video that was linked to in the main LDI 2008 thread is like a massive Disney ride. Oh and that stage on that lift has a touch sensitive deck that sends messages to the booth where to put projections to make the deck ripple when people walk on it in the battle. There's the IR motion sensor system that tracks artist movement to project bubbles around them when they are "underwater". There's real and projected flaming arrows, Pyro, 4000 speakers, Over 3000 lights... it's unreal. My favorite excess are the "Lighting Panels of Doom". During the Wheel of Death scene, these two huge panels come flying in. 24 rows tall by 8 rows wide... 192 PARS per panel. One per side of the stage = 384 Pars (looked like S4 or similar). All running around 30-40% for a nice orange glow. When the scene is done they go away never to be seen again. Awesome look both lighting and architecturally. It must have cost at least $100k-$200k to buy, build, and install for only about 4 minutes of show. THAT'S AWESOME.

So thanks to all at Ka and LDI for making this possible. They are one amazing group of people. Thanks to Tony for taking me all through the dark places and bring me back alive (but exhausted). Finally, A special thanks to the anonymous CB member who works at Ka. I had a fabulous time in your world my friend. Thanks for sharing. If you ever get to Seattle let me know I've got a killer black box theater to show you.

Want to work for Cirque? According to the KA T.D. your best bet is to be a college student and get an internship. A very high percentage get hired. Once you get in then you are set as Cirque likes to steal crew from other Cirque shows. Others I talked to (not KA employees) said that it appears they like to hire young hotshots who have a short but impressive resume (and preferably a degree). They don't seem to like hiring old dogs.

To anyone who has any questions about the show ask a way. I spent 6 1/2 hours there and have a pretty good picture of how things work I can probably answer most of your questions. If I don't know the answer I bet our CB friend who works there would be happy to whisper the answers in my ear via P.M. to share with you.

[Hughesie]

Originally Posted by gafftaper

Want to work for Cirque? According to the KA T.D. your best bet is to be a college student and get an internship. A very high percentage get hired. Once you get in then you are set as Cirque likes to steal crew from other Cirque shows. Others I talked to (not KA employees) said that it appears they like to hire young hotshots who have a short but impressive resume (and preferably a degree). They don't seem to like hiring old dogs.

That will be interesting for me as only touring shows (that are already staffed) come by Aus. As for the degree part i feel in this day and age we are moving away from having unqualified crew like the traditional "roadie" as the industry becomes more formalized, so when i had the chance to leave school and get a diploma instead of my orginal plan of just going out and working i didn't hesitance.

This said it still comes down to who you know and what connections you have but when you apply for a job at cirque du soleil (and many other companies) you don't deal with a person you deal with a system that asks you to submit a resume and nothing more.

Maybe working for cirque is just a pipe dream but i think in life and in work you have to aim high and have a goal to work towards and just crossing your fingers isn't going to work.

To Gaff, I only have a few questions

• What desk are they using for FOH Main mix
• What kind of dsp system are they using (i think its a meyer external system as anything on board just wouldn't handle 3 streams by 4000 chairs)
• Finally, how are the sound effects played back, and is it on timecode

[Kelite]

Thanks for the exclusive 'behind the curtain' play by play, gafftaper, as well as the time spent chatting with us at the Apollo booth about your time spent in Vega$. It seems as though your time away from the Pacific north wet was time certainly well spent.

We appreciate you tasking the time to pass along your KA experience!

[Grog12]

Ah the show about a stage....fond memories of their backstage tours...I had a friend who worked KA....then got hired away..to do Cirques big show in Japan.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by Hughesie

...This said it still comes down to who you know and what connections you have but when you apply for a job at cirque du soleil (and many other companies) you don't deal with a person you deal with a system that asks you to submit a resume and nothing more. ...

As has been stated previously, Cirque had a booth at LDI, and was conducting both pre-arranged and on-the-spot interviews. I believe dvsDave talked to them about recruiting directly from within ControlBooth.

Yet another reason to be on one's best behavior and use proper grammar, spelling, and syntax on these boards. Prospective employers ARE watching.

Hughesie, some of the answers to your questions may be found here: TPUS Cirque Du Soleil KA.

[Footer]

Tell me if I am wrong on this, but aren't the vegas shows half hired through the hotels and not by cirque personally? For some reason I remember seeing a posting on Artsearch or backstagejobs that said something like that.

I have a friend who is out with Corteo right now, and he got the job via a USITT interview, but he already had fairly extensive touring experience in both arena and theatre shows. The last time I worked one of their shows, (Saltimbanco arena tour) most of thier crew was under the age of 30 minus their PM and head rigger. Most of their crew also barely spoke english. They are very much a "promot from within" company, and they treat their crew very well. They expect a lot, but at the same time you will be flown from location to location, and if you are somewhere longer then a week will be staying in a corporate appt, not a hotel room.

They want everyone to have a degree in entertaiment technology. They also want people that know their field inside and out.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by Footer

Tell me if I am wrong on this, but aren't the vegas shows half hired through the hotels and not by cirque personally? For some reason I remember seeing a posting on Artsearch or backstagejobs that said something like that. ...

You're not wrong, but you're not correct either. For the resident Las Vegas shows, all non-management positions are hired by and work for the hotel. However, Cirque has full veto-power, and in many cases, exclusive hiring power, by telling the hotel whom it wants them to hire. I advise all interested parties to complete an online application at both the CDS website AND the hotel's. Cirque is currently ramping up to hire probably two hundred (or more) technicians for its seventh Las Vegas production, at the $9.8 billion CityCenter, opening late 2009. Many will come from existing shows, creating a ripple effect due to openings in those shows.

[Kelite]

According to the City Center website:

< Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and CEO of CKX, Inc., commented, “I am pleased that during this time, when we remember Elvis Presley and celebrate his life, we are able to announce his return to Las Vegas, a place where he truly rose to iconic status. And with the remarkable creative talent of Cirque du Soleil, fans who saw Elvis perform, as well as those who never had a chance to see him, will be able to experience Elvis in an entirely new and exciting way. This will be the first step in establishing a twenty-first century presence in Vegas for the King.” >

So we may soon be saying "Elvis has just entered the building!"

[bdkdesigns]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

Cirque is currently ramping up to hire probably two hundred (or more) technicians for its seventh Las Vegas production, at the $9.8 billion CityCenter, opening late 2009.

So it would appear as though the CityCenter is looking to hire 400 techs total then? In talking to one of the people in charge, I was told they are looking to hire 200 techs full time for the CityCenter for special events. I'm assuming they would be doubled up so it would appear as though there will be a huge hiring spree going on soon there.

[gafftaper]

Hughesie if you really want to work for Cirque I would seriously think about coming to the U.S. for college. You will probably have to move to Vegas to work for them anyway. From what I heard, the majority of their road and international shows are staffed by selecting people who already work for Cirque in Vegas. Then they replace the Vegas pool with new hires. Which makes a lot of sense. Not saying that's the way everyone get's hired into the Cirque family, but it sounds like the majority get hired like that. If you want to try to stay in Oz and get hired for only work there, it may be possible to do that but the majority who get those jobs will have come from another show, probably starting out in Vegas.

Originally Posted by Hughesie

To Gaff, I only have a few questions

• What desk are they using for FOH Main mix
• What kind of dsp system are they using (i think its a meyer external system as anything on board just wouldn't handle 3 streams by 4000 chairs)
• Finally, how are the sound effects played back, and is it on timecode

I think Derek's link answered most of those questions. I didn't get much info on the sound system actually. They have a recording studio in the basement that the musicians play from live. They talked on the tour about using the live band to vamp and stall to cover delays if something goes wrong technically. If that's true, then I'm guessing that any recorded effects sounds are probably manually triggered. Also there are just too many ways that the show could be delayed for things to be automated. I'll P.M. our CB member on the inside for more info on the topic.