What are some "must haves" for every lighting designer's arsenal? What tools/items do you keep on hand just in case?
First, if you need tools to take to the hang, its time to take a look at your career and why you are at the hang, if you want to be an LD that is.
Big thing people are missing here, you must have your own Littlelite. Beyond anything, having a dimable light source is a must.
A headset is nice, but not required. Swatch books are, office supplies are, but most places will just give you a clip light or a desk lamp. Bring your own light.
Top-level LD's need:
MacBookPro to email about future jobs
iPhone to talk about future jobs
Associate LD to explain to the director why the LD is on the phone (or can't be at the rehearsal)
Assistant LD to take notes about what the
Moving Light Programmer is doing wrong
Another Assistant to say repeatedly "That's not how we do it in New York"
CPA to hide the kickback from the lighting rental company
Unpaid Intern to fetch coffee and other menial tasks
Why do you need a light? What would you look at that isn't already committed to memory?
I beg to differ on a headset being optional. Have you ever seen some of the headsets even at top level regional theaters? YUCK!
I always go to the hang. That way if the ME has any questions or issues I am right there to answer them. Otherwise you have to live with what he decides (and there is a reason they are ME's and not LD's). I always bring a spare plot as well. It takes up no space and weighs nothing so why not? You would not believe how many top level ME's I have seen lose plots.
Mike
Why do you need a light? What would you look at that isn't already committed to memory?
I beg to differ on a headset being optional. Have you ever seen some of the headsets even at top level regional theaters? YUCK!
I always go to the hang. That way if the ME has any questions or issues I am right there to answer them. Otherwise you have to live with what he decides (and there is a reason they are ME's and not LD's). I always bring a spare plot as well. It takes up no space and weighs nothing so why not? You would not believe how many top level ME's I have seen lose plots.
Mike
Paperwork is there so you don't have to commit things to memory. It's there to make your life easier by having things down on a piece of paper, thus clearing up your mind to think more creatively about your lighting.
Also, if you can be at hang, great. It can be really useful to have the LD at hang so you can say all the classic lines "You put 200+ more pounds on lineset XX than it can handle..."
Also, I take offense at the "(and there is a reason they are ME's and not LD's)". That carries a lot of implication as to your opinions on the intelligence levels of the different roles of theatrical professionals. It shows a lack of respect toward the ME as a position. I have found that having a knowledgeable ME who both knows their own craft and something about design is world's better than an ME he knows that "light hangs here". A design-intelligent ME is better at solving problems as they arise. Of course, the good ones know to give design input only when asked.
Not everyone has a perfect memory and remember 100% of everything they decided, not only that but memories aren't always 100% reliable, however a piece of paper will never lie to you once you've written the facts on it. Also it's useful to take notes on what went wrong during rehearsal so you can fix it later, not everyone like to strain their eyes in the darkness. I definitely think the littlelite is a great idea...while the Headset is definitely optional, I'm sure you can deal with the junky headset every once in a while. Also not everyone has the money to spend on a nice headset, those things are expensive.
I also agree with gafftapegreenia...you sound like you have a prejudice towards those working under you and I can tell you from experience...those are THE WORST people to work for. Everyone hates working for the LD who has his head so far up their rear that they think they know better than everyone else. I truly believe that most ME's are not ME's because they failed at being a Designer they just enjoy making things work more than they enjoy making things look good.
To each their own I guess.
Stuff I always carry on me:
Pens and Pencils
Paper
Script
Notes
Laptop
Swatch Books (Rosco, Lee, Gam, Apollo)
Light Plot
Circuit Diagrams
Exacto Knife
Wrench
Top-level LD's need:
MacBookPro to email about future jobs
iPhone to talk about future jobs
Associate LD to explain to the director why the LD is on the phone (or can't be at the rehearsal)
Assistant LD to take notes about what the
Moving Light Programmer is doing wrong
Another Assistant to say repeatedly "That's not how we do it in New York"
CPA to hide the kickback from the lighting rental company
Unpaid Intern to fetch coffee and other menial tasks
I just got done doing a show with a guy like that. He also was a middle man, hiring out all of the gear. Now if he quits bugging me for a friggin discount now that the show is over and done with because he felt some gear was not up to par, even though it works perfectly..... And for him to tell me that 4 1k fresnels will work just fine if they are only run at 50% pop.. 30% pop.... and what part of no matter what you set the intensity at if you are over 2.4k the breaker will pop he does not understand.
Why do you need a wrench or circuit diagrams as an LD???
Let me say this again, I completely respect ME's. I didn't say they failed at being designers did I? Some never wanted to be designers (which are usually the best kind to work with), some just haven't gotten around to it yet but want to be, and some are washed out designers (which are often the worst to work with). But there is some reason they are a ME and not a LD.
I totally respect them for what they do and listen to their advice and allow them to do their job unimpeded by me (I will never tell them how to circuit, how to hang, how to rig, how to fly, etc) and I expect the same courtesy from them.
Am I way off base?
Mike
I think it comes back to the earlier conversation about what level of it depending upon what level one is working at, but obviously this conversation has been in terms of more professional LD's, so in that case, one shouldn't need a wrench.
Also, you've made your position clear with a very solid and valid argument.
Thanks. Sorry if I hijacked the thread.
Mike
Why do you need a wrench or circuit diagrams as an LD???
Because not everyone is under the stranglehold of IASTE nor do they always have a programmer to program for them. I personally like to fine tune the focus myself sometimes and I also do my own programming 90% of the time and sometimes it helps to have a circuiting chart next to you so if you need to take out just one light you can just look at the plot and say "CHANNEL 46 RELEASE"
It's scary to believe that's how most theatres are run eh? I guess however you are mostly talking about large theatres and in that case then yes you don't really need those two things, but I don't think we should limit this theatre to just LARGE theatres.
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