Recent content by awhaley

I know it was said in the second post... but it didn't get much replay time, so... I'd seriously consider renting a high-output dmx-controlled fogger. They can produce QUITE a puff of smoke on command and are reasonably safe around actors. DO make sure you're dealing with a high quality...

My random wondering about this topic: If a person were working with thin enough material, and were actually set up to do acid etching well (as in, had home-etched circuit boards before and knew what chemicals to go with and how to use and dispose of them safely...) do you think the toner...

I have to echo the advice about avoiding booms if you can because they WILL get run into by young dancers. They make for beautiful sidelight, but instruments on the pipe ends will look good too and don't bruise knees and faces.As to your original question about what fixtures to use... My...

You've got a lot of us talking about it...In the end you have to make the decision, and you'll bear the consequences. None of us are (to the best of my knowledge) experts in the field of asbestos risk assessment and mitigation... so you're really asking the wrong folks and you should...

I definitely agree with the suggestion that the dj may be your best resource for the dj style 'fancy stuff'... even if he is the semi-retired-sold-all-his-gear sort... he may know where to get it and probably knows how to set it up. And you may find that hiring a second DJ who does have all the...

This is a very cool project idea... and it will help you get way more familiar with how lighting consoles 'think.' I agree that the Enttec Open or Pro is the best hardware choice for getting the dmx out of the computer. Hippy's Open DMX resources ( Hippy's Open DMX USB Resources ) has...

The problem with using any old fashioned system for lighting design in a thrust or arena space is that backlight for someone is sidelight for someone else and frontlight for someone in another seat. So a 'key-fill-back' idea isn't really useful to you here. My approach to design (both...

What are your requirements for the finished product? Do you need it to dim the lights, or just blink them on and off? Do you need switches or sliders for each lamp? Each color? Does it need to sync to music on its own sometimes? All the time? Can you get us a picture of the...

I have to agree with Tim. After 4 years in the concert business, there wasn't a single job where I could have made any more money if I'd brought my own Express along... and there were very few times when I would have made a penny off a better console. If you just own the console... the rest of...

While, as a lighting designer, I'm always the one shouting "turn off the frontlight, burn the cyc, bring in the full stage black, and learn to actually tell the story with light on the dancers," I've also done my fair share of these sorts of dance recital things... and all you have to do to make...

Since you're in college, presumably to learn, I'd take a different approach...What do you want to learn more about? If you want the programming experience on the Ion to cement what you've already learned about it, then go that way. Otherewise, figure out what the most interesting console...

I agree completely Wfor! And I really appreciate how the CB community is respectful of other viewpoints... even if they're in strong disagreement. I really liked the statement about movers being too new to know any better. ;) Much simpler than explaining everything to non-lighting majors...

There's always the OTHER way to tell what the beam angle is... plug it in? Once you've IDed one of each, it should be pretty easy to turn each one on at a set distance from the shop wall and determine what flavor you're holding.Art Whaley Art Whaley Design

In my opinion, yes, you should include a concept statement, that includes a quick overview of what the director's concept was, what your take on it was, and what challenges you ran into (along with how you overcame them.) Not everyone will read it. But you can encourage most people to at...

You should absolutely build a portfolio with what you have there. Colleges aren't expecting you to enter with a dozen shows... Show them how much you thought about those shows, how you took an artistic point of view about the material, and how you had a process or method to your madness...