Favorite type of show

What type of show is your favorite to design and rin lights for?


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Radman

Well-Known Member
Vote on your favorite kind of show to design and run lights for!

Mine is easily talent show. Especially if a lot of it is done manually on the spur of the moment. It gets really fun pushing all the buttons and programming cool chases on the fly and moving faders to the beat!
If I had ever done a concert that more of a rock concert and less of a band concert I would've been able to say that.
 
I can pull off some of my smoothest moves in concerts. comming from a background in Djing i can hit beats really well =)

But i agree, I love doing stuff on the spur of the moment... makes life more interesting lol
 
One of my favorite shows is coming up - a battle of the bands at Lake Park H.S. in Roselle. First band is on a 2PM, last band is off at 10 PM. 14 bands total, on two portable stages, side-by-side. I've heard of maybe two of the bands if I'm lucky, and for most of them, it's the first time they've ever had a PA with monitors. I run sound and lights for both stages. No sound checks, not even a line check. While band 1 is playing on stage 1, band 2 is setting up on stage 2. As soon as band 1 finishes, band 2 starts. While they're playing, band 1 clears the stage and band 3 sets up - back and forth with no let-up. Hard? Yes... but fun - it gives me a chance to really shine.

John

P.S. - this will be my fifth consecutive year for this particular show...
 
In my opinion, lighting by design is so much more satisfying than lighting by the magic of the moment, or what I can come up with to suit the need at the very last moment. Does not matter the type of show, but more dramatic ones at least for me are easier to vision a picture to. Than to see what I studied, drew out and designed before they ever hit the stage, if even for those solitary moments when image and reality were exact and sparkled, much less the audience also got that image, that’s magic and a warm squishy moment that any little part of “yea we got this show done as best we could, and even made it shine” can’t possibly compare to. One actor finding his light that is designated for him, than playing to it that makes the entire scene and show. As opposed to them stumbling upon their lights and lots of tinkering that makes you look good that you can overcome but your design is not more than spur of the moment. Sorry, but my opinion. Spur of the moment shining up a turd so at times it looks as best you hoped is far different than something looking good by design and a question of a good or bad night of the talent hitting their mark.
 
That sound like one hell of a battle of the bands. i wish my school did somthing like that. sound like you had some fun, tell me did you mic any of the amps, or drum kit?
 
Fair-sized room, 24 channel board and sufficient mics - 4 on each drum kit, 2 for guitar cabs, a DI for bass and 2 wired vocal mics per stage = 9 mics dedicated to each stage, plus 2 wireless vocal mics, 3 wireless horn mics and another DI for keys that can be moved from stage to stage quickly. Board has 6 aux sends, 4 pre-fader, so each stage gets 2 monitor mixes (wedges and drums) and I still have 2 post-fader sends for FX.

Mics are relatively cheap, but pretty good bang for the buck. Shure Beta 52 for kick, Audio-technica PRO-25 for floor tom, Audix D2 for ride tom, Oktava C012 with -10dB pad for snare, Peavey 45i for guitar cabs, SM58's for wired vocals, Samson Stage55 wireless vocals and Samson Airline-series horns.

John
 
You're making me jelous!
 
I love syncronizing the lights to the music, etc... but its nice having plans and guidelines for yourself. I don't like to completely improv, because trial and error is most effective during a tech rehearsal. We have at my school what is called "Fillies Follies". The Fillies are our drill team, and Fillies Follies is their spring show. Its a really great show to run lights for because the captains each have their own song and dance routine with their squads. Usually they know loosely what they want, and always ask whether the effect or look is feasible. They like silhouettes in front of the cyc, and things like that. Its nice because they also give me my own creative liscence in 'doing what I think looks cool'. It keeps me on my toes, because its all manually run on submasters, is always high energy, and the light design itself takes weeks to create.
 
In my case, the show is often the first time I get to meet the band. Doesn't mean I go in completely unprepared - I have chases and scenes generically programmed for different moods and tempos, and if the band has a CD out, I'll try to get a copy and listen to it before the show to get some sort of feel for their style... but there's usually 5 bands in each show.

I'd love to get into a position where I could work with one band, spend a week or two going over their setlist with them and build a lighting design for their show, rehearse lighting cues, then take it on tour with them. I don't expect it to happen in the forseeable future, so I do the best I can under the circumstances.
 
Bless you for it, that ability to be flexible and cover the stage for all instances is much more a challenge than fore knowledge. There is lots of talent and fun in doing this. Hope you did not take offense from my post. It was in answer to the question as my favorite type of show to design for. I have also done a few pre-prepped shows and fly by seat ones, in addition to lack of production meating and single rehearsal attending designs. Can be fun but not my style personally.

PS. was in a music store today, Bless your hart also for dealing with modern music I expect much of what you light for is. Definately an assult on my ears and tastes.
 
When im doing sound its musicals preferblie ones I enjoy or ones that are ment to be loud. When im doing lights anything where I get to make effects hang outlandished plots. When building the set the ones with odd set peices or two story ones. I think LSOH was my favorite so far but this years talent show might top it.
 
I like the way you think soundman! I love doing things that people look at like I'm crazy for even attempting. (in a safe way, of course)
 
I wish I was a set designer. I always have elaborate ideas, like rotating stages and ways to fly in a no fly zone. But then again, that may be why they don't led me do set designs! Too afraid!!
 
DMXtools said:
In my case, the show is often the first time I get to meet the band. Doesn't mean I go in completely unprepared - I have chases and scenes generically programmed for different moods and tempos, and if the band has a CD out, I'll try to get a copy and listen to it before the show to get some sort of feel for their style... but there's usually 5 bands in each show.

I'd love to get into a position where I could work with one band, spend a week or two going over their setlist with them and build a lighting design for their show, rehearse lighting cues, then take it on tour with them. I don't expect it to happen in the forseeable future, so I do the best I can under the circumstances.

Yep - I'm with DMXtools on this one. Mobile work and often in venues that have a lot of windows in them or even outdoor gigs, so focussing is great when you can't dim the sun!

But at least I cannot say it is dull :wink:
 
... and our amps go up to eleven... :D

John
 
Good 'ol tap, most the time for the talent shows the amps go to 11 when the drummer can only go to 4 and the bass rig 8 while the singer hold the mic as far away as possible.
 
dj_illusions said:
was the pun intended or purely accidental :p

Do I actually need to answer that one?

soundman said:
the sun is channel 513 on universe one. carefull because it is a HTP channel and a few other lds around the world are useing it.

Ahh – it’s all so clear to me know. You won’t believe the number of times that I have gone a found the house light controls and dropped the lights over the dance floor only to bang my head against the wall as it has made zero difference! We have now coined a windows expression for these situations – Plug ‘n’ Pray !

DMXtools said:
... and our amps go up to eleven... :D

John

What? Can’t quite hear you John!

soundman said:
Good 'ol tap, most the time for the talent shows the amps go to 11 when the drummer can only go to 4 and the bass rig 8 while the singer hold the mic as far away as possible.

Cool – so we have mixed for the same bands I see.
 

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