How do you label instruments for semi-perminent or large installations?

[SteveB]

Curious, when the plot was changed and is now struck and all the units are on the deck and out of location, you now have to go thru and read every label on every unit to ascertain which units are 1st Elec, which are 2nd Elec, etc.... then sort all ?.

I am, in that situation, not seeing how any of that labeling now saves any time, as opposed to a hang card or hang strip, where any correct number of S4 36 deg's that are needed on 1 Elec, can simply be carried down near the position. No labels required, as the hang card/strip tells all.

And every connector labeled ?.

Not seeing it, except in the examples Rochem details, such as a Broadway load-in where the gear for 1 Electric is coming out of marked hampers/instrument cases and thus it's easier to at least find all the 1 Elec gear.

As to glowing ?. It's tons faster in my world to glow all the red bax and have 4 electricians shove frames in units, with another grabbing color and sorting. I used to pre-sort all the color for an electric off a minimized version of an instrument schedule (out of Lightwright) and found it very prone to errors and mistakes, especially when electricians forgot to skip a unit without color. I even tried once putting empty frames for N/C, and when that didn't work, just started glowing.

But I cannot say either system saves any time over the other, just a different way of working is all.

 

[de27192]

Curious, when the plot was changed and is now struck and all the units are on the deck and out of location, you now have to go thru and read every label on every unit to ascertain which units are 1st Elec, which are 2nd Elec, etc.... then sort all ?.

Oh god I would never do that. For shows, I do it with movers because I set the addresses and modes in prep, and send them out ready to hang. But for generics.... well a S4-36 is a S4-36 is a S4-36... don't care which is which!

My only purpose for labelling is record keeping. PAT Testing for electrical safety, issues with mechanical parts (IE shutters, zoom, focus, yoke etc), cleaning of the insides, etc can be recorded using a numbered or barcoded system... it can be helpful for scheduling maintenance, or spotting recurring or frequent faults.

Also for the purpose of staff training, it can be good to record who changed the lamp, who performed the PAT test, who cleaned it etc... thus jobs not done properly can be sorted. I'm not looking for a witch-hunt, just it can be good to spot these things quickly and get them rectified than have people continuing to do something wrong.

 

[rochem]

Finally thought to take a photo while working at the shop today. This is for a pretty simple Broadway show, so we just put position and unit number on the fixture, and unit number on the connector. Also note the blue paint pen and the fact that labeling is written on the upstage side of the units.



In addition to this, we also have pre-printed labels for our dimmer doublers, mult and breakouts, homeruns, MLs and scrollers, and so on. As I didn't make these labels, I'd rather not post photos online, but if anyone's interested in a more in-depth look at how we prep shows, feel free to shoot me a PM.

I am, in that situation, not seeing how any of that labeling now saves any time, as opposed to a hang card or hang strip, where any correct number of S4 36 deg's that are needed on 1 Elec, can simply be carried down near the position. No labels required, as the hang card/strip tells all.

We actually end up doing this a lot off-Broadway, at theatres where we don't have any sort of a fly system. When hanging a light requires going up in a genie or rolling around on a scaffolding, it's usually far more efficient to fully prep each unit with color, gobo, accessories, labels, and all while on the ground, then lay it out to be hung. Then you only have to touch each light twice, once to hang it and once to circuit. Depending on the space, we'll also sometimes do this with dimmer doublers and twofers and whatnot so that the electrician in the air can move faster. It's definitely a little disconcerting at first to be 3 hours into an 8-hour loadin and not have a single light in the air, but it usually ends up working out.

 

[RideTheSquirrel]

I put up and tear down so many lighting plots each season that it's a completely pointless waste of time to label anything. Every connection is taped with black gaff to ensure they don't come undone and I just roll through and write addresses next to the instruments on the plot. Makes patching a piece of cake and I can get 8 Electrics hung, plugged, and patched in no time!

Edit: I will say that obviously having a fly system makes this a lot simpler than some of my fellow brethren who are screwing around on Genies and/or Scaffolding just to hang the plot.