Been doing lighting for 8 years...but I have a serious fear..STILL!

[Thelightinggal]

Hello everyone! Maybe someone here can help me...or maybe kick me around, I don't know. But I feel like I have a serious issue...but maybe its not so serious. I am a new graduate student in lighting design, I did my undergrad in technical theatre, and have been around lighting for the past 8 or so years. But for whatever reason...there is a fear that I CAN NOT seem to get over. When I go to focus a light, I ALWAYS fear that I am going to drop it, that its going to fall to the ground and hurt someone..and I could lose my job. Since I have this fear, I take longer to focus a light. Now I UNDERSTAND that the industry standard is like a minute and a half or so to fully focus a light. But I am not a union member.

This seriously concerns me. Maybe I am worrying about it way too much, but I feel like its serious.

Today I was focusing lighting for someone and I asked someone to come and help me with one light, he asked me very quickly what I was doing. I told him I was getting this kid to help me. But I really did not need him. I guess this kid who was calling focus really wanted to hurry up and I was the only one in the catwalk at the time.

Any advice? what do you think? Anyone have the same issue? Thank you all!

 

[chausman]

As long as you have safeties on EVERY fixture, (and attached to the fixtures integral safety point) then it will NOT fall. It's understandable (to me) considering the weight of most fixtures, but just keep reminding yourself, it won't fall. Moving the fixture completely, well that's a different story.

 

[derekleffew]

...Any advice? what do you think? Anyone have the same issue? ...

I'm not sure how one gets over an irrational fear. Can I tell you I've been doing lighting for over 35 years (15 of those before safety cables were common/standard) and not once have I ever had a fixture fall while I was focusing it? Something I learned early on: only loosen nuts/bolts enough to move them; we recently had a heated discussion of whether or not one should even touch the c-clamp's pan screw during focus: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/25411-pan-bolt-discussion.html .

Now I will freely admit to having inadvertently dropped accessories, and more than once had a fixture fall apart on me (Fresnel lens door opening, 360 coming unhinged), but NEVER have I injured someone with anything that's fallen.

I'll add a poll to this thread--perhaps that will help to convince you.

...I ALWAYS fear that I am going to drop it, that its going to fall to the ground and hurt someone..and I could lose my job. ...

Reading your post again, it seems there's actually three different fears here.

1. "...that I am going to drop it." Fear of dropping it is actually a good thing--it means you're conscientious and not reckless. What if you do drop it, so what? I once had a Source Four commit suicide by throwing itself out of a scissor lift at 25' up--it broke into a million pieces. I felt horrible, but the supervisors said, "No big deal; it's rented; we have plenty of others."
2. "...and hurt someone." Yes, this a possibility, however remote and unlikely it may be. Take all adequate care (I believe the legal term is due diligence) to not let that happen. Odds are far greater that you'll have an auto accident on your way to/from work--are you afraid to drive also?
3. "...and I could lose my job." There are by far many more ways to lose your drop than dropping a light. I know someone who was terminated after 17 years of outstanding employment. His "position was eliminated." He was welcome to re-apply for a lesser position at half the salary. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. More often though, good thing happen to bad people, for whatever that's worth.

 

[shiben]

I'm not sure how one gets over an irrational fear. Can I tell you I've been doing lighting for over 35 years (15 of those before safety cables were common/standard) and not once have I ever had a fixture fall while I was focusing it? Something I learned early on: only loosen nuts/bolts enough to move them; we recently had a heated discussion of whether or not one should even touch the c-clamp's pan screw during focus: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/25411-pan-bolt-discussion.html .

Now I will freely admit to having inadvertently dropped accessories, and more than once had a fixture fall apart on me (Fresnel lens door opening, 360 coming unhinged), but NEVER have I injured someone with anything that's fallen.

I'll add a poll to this thread--perhaps that will help to convince you.

Accessories fall out all the time, but yeah, if your focusing a light, no real reason for it to fall...

 

[Thelightinggal]

Thank you - well, I have no idea where this fear comes from. I recently DID see a light fall off the cat walk, that was because the guy moved the light and sit it up right instead of on its side, and then bumped it and it crashed to the ground. I also saw one fall when someone didnt safety and loosened the pipe bolt all the way and then walked away. But I get those are serious examples. I dont know why I fear this. I am also really worried because we were in a focus today, I was the ONLY one focusing and they told me to drop the gel in. I droped the gel in, and we were working with those mini zooms by altmen. And I could not get the dumb gel clamp around the frame...so I did the unthinkable, I just left it without the gel clamp, because I had 2 people yelling at me from the floor to move on. I will go back tomorrow and check on it when no one is watching me...

I am about to lead a focus here in a few weeks. Its going to be a few hundred lights, and I will be in the catwalk with the students...I am so concerned that my fear will take over. I HATE yoking out an instrument with out help, and turning it funky ways...but I guess I could ask for help, and it will be ok. But as far as focusing it, I really want to get over this fear. :'(

 

[derekleffew]

...And I could not get the dumb gel clamp around the frame...so I did the unthinkable, I just left it without the gel clamp, because I had 2 people yelling at me from the floor to move on. I will go back tomorrow and check on it when no one is watching me...

Many of us are old enough to remember, or work with fixtures old enough, that don't have a top clip. It's really only necessary when the unit is pointing straight down, or when the instrument is upside-down, which it should never be in the first place.

...I HATE yoking out an instrument with out help, and turning it funky ways...but I guess I could ask for help, and it will be ok. ...

Again, if the safety cable is properly attached, no chance of it falling. Make sure it's unplugged/off. If it does drop, the worst thing is that you will lose the lamp. A putz wrench/speed wrench may make it easier to loosen/tighten the pipe bolt while holding the unit at an awkward angle.

 

[Esoteric]

Man, it might be better than the alternative.

I had no fear of anything as an undergrad. I remember taking a Cyberlight off a pipe one handed while hanging off a catwalk from the waist with no harness and moving it to another pipe about a foot away. At one point I literally had it by my fingertips.

This is a bad thing. A little fear keeps us from doing stupid things.

Now irrational fear (such as yoking an instrument out while it is saftied) does put off ones employers.

And if you are not fast you are not likely to get hired. But if you are unsafe you are also not likely to get hired.

As far as how to overcome irrational fears, I have no idea. But I do know that me telling you not to be afraid doesn't do any good.

 

[mstaylor]

I voted yes but it was really during hang not focus. I was hanging a trackspot during a time when safeties were unheard of. I was hanging on an EC track system with the god forsaken U clips they used. I thought I had it seated and tight, I let go and 25 ft to the floor it went. I bought that one, not pretty.
As far as modern lights, everything should be safetied and all you need to worry about are assessaries and gel frames. Work on your technics so you gain the confidence to do it without the fear. Never loosen anything more than needed to move it and dropping doesn't become an issue. Never walk away from a light that has parts loose. If you can become more efficient at the bulk of the focus, they will more patient when it comes to that problem gel frame.

 

[sarahsliefie]

I have not, but one of my workers dropped a S4 from 35 feet. it hit the outrigger on the lift and then bounced to the gym floor. Nothing broke! One of the shutters was bent in, and even the lamp was still working. The worker removed the fixture from the beam and put it in the bucket of the lift to bring it down. as the lift started to come down the fixture tipped out of the bucket and fell. He should have used the safety cable (as is our standards) to attach it to the lift but did not. other then that I have never had a fixture fall. I have seen fixtures hanging from safety cables because they were hit with baseballs and the such but never actually fall.

 

[Les]

Are we talking about hanging, focusing, or both? During focuses, I rarely have a need to remove the safety cable, so that's a non-issue. When you hang a fixture, hook it to the pipe and finger-tighten the clamp until the bolt is barely touching the pipe. With most c-clamps, this will leave the fixture loose, but not in immediate danger of falling. Then attach your safety, keeping one hand on the yoke for as much of that time as possible. If the fixture needs to be yoked, now is the time to do it; don't yoke before the safety cable is attached. Now tighten with wrench. I have never lost control of a fixture this way.

Another tip is to try to avoid hanging fixtures when there are people beneath your work area. I know it's not always possible, but try to minimize it as much as you can, even if you have to start at the opposite end of the pipe.

In Genie lifts, safety the instrument to the basket. If you have room, lay it on the floor of the bucket. If not, just make a mental note of its whereabouts so you don't kick it around. Try not to stand a fixture on the floor of the bucket unless it is secured to the bucket.

Derek is right about the fourth clip. Not a problem unless the fixture is in a position where gravity can cause the frame to fall out. Do make certain that the frame doesn't miss any of the runners on the barrel of the instrument -- this seems to be especially true for Altman Shakespeares and 1K fresnels.

 

[rochem]

Now I UNDERSTAND that the industry standard is like a minute and a half or so to fully focus a light. But I am not a union member.

First of all, a minute and a half seems like quite a long time to focus a light, unless you're including time to get to and from the instrument. Once you've figured out the LDs style and you start to figure out how the lights are being focused, it shouldn't take you more than 30 seconds or so for most instruments. And also, I hate the phrase "I'm (not) a union member". I am a union member, but I've met some union electricians who are great at what they do, but I've also met a few union electricians who I'd replace with a random high school techie if given the chance. But I digress.

There's nothing wrong with being safety-conscious and having a healthy fear of your work - it keeps you attentive and helps you realize when you should take a break. I also used to be terrified of dropping a light and hurting someone. These days, I'm pretty comfortable moving a light where I need to remove it from the pipe and take off the safety - but I will still look down and make sure that no one is standing under me, just in case. Actually, now that I think about it, I believe that my fear of dropping lights started to ebb as soon as I started working as an up-rigger.

Biggest thing that helped me was just to practice. When I got a call for my first larger show, I went into the theatre and practiced hanging, striking, and focusing lights at ground level for a few hours each day during the days prior to the call. Practice overhanging and yoking out fixtures and such, and you'll start to develop a technique that makes you comfortable. If you can, find a friend who's willing to act as the LD, and practice focusing to his directions as efficiently and safely as possible.

 

[Esoteric]

Yeah, unless you are doing very specific shutter cuts or things like moving and rotating the instrument in 3 dimensions, a minute and a half is a long time.

 

[shiben]

First of all, a minute and a half seems like quite a long time to focus a light, unless you're including time to get to and from the instrument.

Depends on the LD, I have taken an Hour to focus a light because the LD called it odd. Also if your upside down off a truss 90 feet off the ground, it takes a while longer. As for the union thing, I have seen Union LX people do all kinds of dumb things, if anything it gets worse with the union (not because of poor training or anything, but because of the dudes who have been doing it for 30 years will do it how they wants and not any other way, and since hes the most senior on the call other than the chief and steward, go ahead and tell him off. See how that works out for ya.) Also, it seems to be a standard round here to hang one light every 2 minutes... I could go have lunch before a pipe was hung at that rate, but whatever. No union or group I have ever worked with has a "standard" for how long you have to be able to hang and focus a light, but there are some accepted practices in terms of labor calls and call times... After hanging a very large show once, Im pretty sure I was going thru the motions in my sleep I was so used to it at that point. Only real advice I have for getting over your fear is to just do it a lot. Volunteer with your stage crew at school, or do all the shop hours in LX as you can... I suppose there are other potential ways, hypnosis might be a choice? I kind of have the opposite problem, I have little to no regard for my own life or limb on occasion... Perhaps your issue is a bit more fixable?

 

[Thelightinggal]

Hanging and focusing, hanging is not a huge issue because I usually put the light on the pipe and then safety it and then I tighten the pipe bolt. But focusing it..and yoking it out is where I begin to worry most...and having to twist the light in funky ways..


Well recently we were clearing the catwalk of 300 lights for our past production, the head of lighting design looked at us Grad students VERY VERY FIRMLY right before we went to clear the catwalks and said "Listen, we have 40 students working below us right now! If you drop something IM GOING TO BE PISSED" so I was very concious during that entire unhang period. I have to keep telling myself that its not going to fall..and these old lights, the small zooms, were kind of rusty and hard to move around.

This professor is very nice though generally, and generally very understanding, so he probably would understand if I had a fear of this...I did talk to him a while back about wanting help to hang side arms and he said he understood, he would rather me ask for help than to do it my self and then drop it. He said there was no issue with this at all..

I think im very very concious of everything now because I am a first year grad student in lighting design, and I wish I was perfect lol...

 

[Thelightinggal]

Volunteer with your stage crew at school, or do all the shop hours in LX as you can... I suppose there are other potential ways, hypnosis might be a choice? I kind of have the opposite problem, I have little to no regard for my own life or limb on occasion... Perhaps your issue is a bit more fixable?

You see though, I am the Lx shop supervisor, I run the shop and supervise the students...im pretty much in charge, and have been doing lighting now for 8 years, the problem is that after 8 years...I still fear this. :-( It may also be because, since im such a good board op, im almost always put on the floor to bring up lights during focus, instead of focusing, but this time I was focusing. It was funny today, because I tried to get out of focusing it, but was roped into it because I was the last one at the school today before this shows tech...


I am just afraid this looks TERRIBLE because I am the Lx shop supervisor...

 

[derekleffew]

Purely for purposes of discussion...

...I think im very very concious of everything now because I am a first year grad student in lighting design, ...

I don't think I'd be happy with a graduate design program where I had to hang lights. Probably not even where I oversaw the hanging of lights. Professional designers don't do that. [Flamesuit on.]

EDIT to address post#15: A design student being LX Shop Supervisor? I hope this is a paid/assistantship position, but I still feel it is a disservice to a design student. One who should be calling the focus, not touching the fixtures or running the board.

 

[Thelightinggal]

Purely for purposes of discussion...
I don't think I'd be happy with a graduate design program where I had to hang lights. Probably not even where I oversaw the hanging of lights. Professional designers don't do that. [Flamesuit on.]

I see what you mean...I got the assistantship, which means that I have to work for the school too as, like, a staff member. They pay my tuition and they pay me to go to school too..the catch is the working for the school. It does get experience, but yeah I LOVE design much more...

 

[DrPinto]

When you hang a fixture, hook it to the pipe and finger-tighten the clamp until the bolt is barely touching the pipe. With most c-clamps, this will leave the fixture loose, but not in immediate danger of falling. Then attach your safety, keeping one hand on the yoke for as much of that time as possible. If the fixture needs to be yoked, now is the time to do it; don't yoke before the safety cable is attached. Now tighten with wrench. I have never lost control of a fixture this way.

That is the ONLY way one should ever hang an instrument. NEVER tighten the c-clamp before putting on the safety cable! Here's why...

Yes, I dropped an instrument, but the safety cable saved me.

I was in a Genie lift hanging an Altman Shakespeare S6 ellipsoidal. Of course, I was over the house hanging it from the highest pipe in the place. I hooked the clamp over the pipe, tightened it by hand, and safety cabled it. Then I started tightening the bolt on the c-clamp. Suddenly, the c-clamp snapped in two. It totally caught me off guard. Instead of yelling "HEADS!", I yelled something that rhymed with "Trucker!". The ellipsoidal hit the side of the lift and was hanging by the safety cable. I had dropped my wrench and that was dangling from the lift by its lanyard. And the scariest part was that a 4 inch chunk of the clamp fell into the house and bounced off a seat. Whenever we hang instruments, we ALWAYS have someone on the ground. This person watches over the person in the air and keeps everyone away from the area under where we're hanging. Because of this, nobody was ever in danger.

It's nice to see when all your safety preparations pay off.

I kept the chunk of the clamp that fell (see below-I put it next to a complete clamp for comparison). It looks like the clamp had a bubble in the casting that weakened it at the spot it broke.

I guess the moral of the story is that when you're hanging heavy things from extreme heights, sometimes bad things can happen, but if you're prepared and operate in a safe manner, chances are that you will get through it without a problem.

 

[MPowers]

When I first started in this business, many of the FOH units were made of Steel and Iron and were 2KW 8" and 10" LeKo's. They weighed 35-50 pounds apiece. Roostering or side hanging one of those was a real PITA. Safety cables were still a dream for the future.

A couple of thoughts. I don't mean this in a pejorative way, just trying to get to the heart of the issue. Are you perhaps not as large or strong as some of your fellow technicians? Is your own mental image of self a piece of the puzzle? Over the last 50 years ( my first light hang was about 1961) I have worked with a lot of stage hands, Male/female, high school students to grizzled IA vets. 4'-11" tall to 6'-8" and "BIG". One thing I have found is that Bigger is not necessarily Better, size really doesn't matter!

Maybe a little instrument practice on your own would help. When the stage or light lab is available, set up a tree or bring in a pipe to the floor. Grab a couple instruments and put a chair or box in the way, practice hanging the unit at awkward angles, on you knees or flat on your belly and past or over obstacles. Add accessories while leaning out over the bar. Practice efficient use of tools and steps in focus. If you have to lean out to run the lens train, learn how to get the pan/tilt tight first and learn how not to put weight on the snout while moving the lens. If the LD asks to focus without color or to change the color after focus, practice adding or changing without putting weight on the front of the unit. Get comfortable doing it at floor level and it won't be so intimidating at height.

One little thing. Don't ever let let other people push you to rush. Before every rigging install I have a 1 hour safety meeting/lecture/class, even with crew that have worked with me before. I remind them that the live entertainment industry is the most deadline oriented industry in the entire word, but that doesn't justify rushing or cutting corners. We're always in a hurry.........we're NEVER in a rush. Rushing gets people hurt, skips necessary steps and requires twice the time to fix or correct what could have been done correctly in the first place. Next time tell them to #&%## off and get the gel frame clip fastened before you move on. As others have said, it is a small thing. Units did not have top clips until recently but, now they are there and they are there for a reason, so, just do it. When I grew up cars didn't have seat belts but I always wear one now. Questions??? Wanna Talk? send me a PM.

 

[waynehoskins]

When I was in college, we once had the front of a 360 fall out. The scary thing was it was off our 2nd AP, and it was during strike after a show. The hinge bolt on the thing had come out at some point, who knows when, and it had been over audience members since that point. Scary. Fortunately nobody was under it when it fell apart.

Now, of course, how many other lights went up and came down safely over those years, and in the year before and since? Hundreds, if not thousands, more. It's a reasonably isolated incident.

The only thing that bothers me is sliding-tee sidearms. I don't like them, too many things to go wrong. I lit a couple of shows in a space with those in the box booms for the house hang, and both times if a unit didn't want to cooperate easily at focus I'd just omit it, not worth the trouble.