Road Case Labeling and Identification

[Baumlighting]

So it has come to my attention in talking with people that there is a problem on show site where lights are being placed in similar, but not the proper cases at strikes or mistaking one case for another containing the lights you really want. For instance VL 5's being placed in VL 6 cases and vise versa. The cases are very similar and both lights can fit inside each case. Another instance is the Coemar PAR and Atomic Strobes, same exact cases from the outside yet contain totally different fixtures. The VL3000 spots and washes as well as the VL3500 spots and washes are other lights commonly mixed up. Some of this can be attributed to inexperience while some of it even professionals still make on occasion.

My question is, other than colored gaff tape + sharpy from the Prep bay or an over sprayed stencil, what would be a great way to label cases so that they may be recognized from a distance and still keep it looking professional? I am looking preferably for permanent labeling rather than temporary labeling however I will take suggestions on either type of system.

 

[Edrick]

Engraved label?

 

[MNicolai]

Small whiteboards and wet erase markers are good for extended-temporary. Otherwise buy a proper stencil kit. If you don't like a certain attempt trying to stencil text on, then paint it black and try again.

 

[derekleffew]

...The VL3000 spots and washes as well as the VL3500 spots and washes are other lights commonly mixed up. ...

Two fingers of blame to point here:
1. The manufacturer for making fixtures that look identical, as well as using the same model number.
2. The case owner for not properly labeling the cases. If the box says VL3K, I can put any of at least four fixture types in it.

The flip side of this is identical lights in different style cases. "I only ordered ten lights. WHY do I have three different style cases?"

If it's a tour, one must match the fixture numbers, or chaos will ensue at the next stop. If it's during the load-out of a one-off, field labor is so much more expensive than shop labor, screw the shop--just put the lights in any box they'll fit. And don't bother coiling and tying cable--again just throw it in the box as it's going to be machine coiled at the shop anyway. Don't bother using the courtesy tab either. Waste of time. Shop technicians are (under)paid good money to remove gaffers tape from cable. Wouldn't want to take that job away from them.

 

[rochem]

If it's during the load-out of a one-off, field labor is so much more expensive than shop labor, screw the shop--just put the lights in any box they'll fit. And don't bother coiling and tying cable--again just throw it in the box as it's going to be machine coiled at the shop anyway. Don't bother using the courtesy tab either. Waste of time. Shop technicians are (under)paid good money to remove gaffers tape from cable. Wouldn't want to take that job away from them.

It's surprising to me how many orders come back with two dozen empty VL3K cases, and all the fixtures have just been tossed into one of the unit crates all on top of eachother. Cable too - if you haven't used it and it's still all nicely coiled, it'd be nice to leave it like that. But otherwise, 95% of the time, the coil is going to get recoiled to match a particular size and/or tying method that the shop wants to use. Forget courtesy tabs, even just using gaff instead of writing all over the connector/rack/opto/fixture/road case with paint pen is a nice change.

Not that I'd encourage everyone to do this, as the size and frequency of your orders will dictate how much crap the shop is willing to put up with. If you're a big Broadway show and you come back a few hundred feet short on mult, you'll never hear about it. If you're a high school that haggled over the price for a weekend order, you'll pay dearly for that one missing twofer.

 

[len]

It's surprising to me how many orders come back with two dozen empty VL3K cases, and all the fixtures have just been tossed into one of the unit crates all on top of eachother. Cable too - if you haven't used it and it's still all nicely coiled, it'd be nice to leave it like that.

People who are that sloppy deserve a beating. And the crew chief deserves a bullet. It shows a lack of regard for others, and I won't stand for it. I don't normally rent out stuff over the counter, but occasionally. Once some cables came back covered with tape residue, knots, you name it. I billed the renter for full replacement of all of it, like it said on his contract. Want to use my stuff? Better treat it BETTER than your stuff.

As for case identification, each fixture should have a unit # for the show/tour, and the case should have a corresponding number on it. You can buy adhesive backed laminates for that. Write on them with a sharpy and remove with that graffiti blaster spray. There's several places that sell laminates. Most case mfg. will embed a laminate into the case. The fixture laminates I've seen have a large space for fixture #, and a smaller space for dmx address, etc.

As for other markings, like upstage, downstage, etc. most tours I've been connected to we took different colored gaff and wrapped it around the case handles and maybe covered some of the metal frames. Then we'd hang a few signs around the venue with the key so the locals would know where to push a case without having to ask.

 

[rochem]

People who are that sloppy deserve a beating. And the crew chief deserves a bullet. It shows a lack of regard for others, and I won't stand for it. I don't normally rent out stuff over the counter, but occasionally. Once some cables came back covered with tape residue, knots, you name it. I billed the renter for full replacement of all of it, like it said on his contract. Want to use my stuff? Better treat it BETTER than your stuff.

I think it depends on the size of your shop and the level of show. When you're paying two dozen guys $45/hour to get gear out of the theatre and back to the shop, it's simply not cost-effective to make everything as pretty as it was on the day you got it. Load-out schedules in particular are very tight, and the last thing you want to do is keep a bunch of guys waiting with VL3Ks in hand while the cases are brought up from the basement. Normal signs of use are expected on rental gear, and in these markets, "normal signs of use" includes writing on instruments with paint pen, applying paper labels directly to connectors, fixtures not in correct cases, and so on.

Also, consider what would happen if a shop suddenly billed a guy like Jimmy Maloney or Jimmy Fedigan thousands of dollars for damaged gear. Sure, they'd probably pay it eventually, but you can be sure that none of those guys would ever pull their shows from that shop again.

 

[len]

I've seen stuff come off tours from the likes of Upstaging, Bandit, etc., and it's all as good as they way it went out. Yeah, labor costs are a big consideration, but $450 an hour for 30 extra minutes versus a fixture or three which requires repairs and parts and is effectively lost for a show or two seems pretty much a wash. What, they can't bring the cases up from the basement while the deck is being cleared? Last couple tours I was on, we had to wait for all the audio and set pieces to clear the deck before we could even touch a lighting truss.

And the other thing that REALLY pisses me off about that (and I'm not assuming you have this attitude, Michael) is the attitude. Whatever happened to the pride of doing a good job, even when no one was looking?

Further, union labor has been under attack lately. Maybe those hands haven't been hearing what's been happening in Wisconsin, and other places around the country where civil employees (fire, police, teachers, etc.) are being laid off, losing benefits, etc. Now is NOT the time to be some half-assed jerk who doesn't give a sh!t about his job because he "can't" be fired. Maybe I'm too sensitive about this issue because my father was a manager who got screwed because he stood up with his union employees (the people who ACTUALLY made the motors, the forklifts, the toasters, etc.). Because I grew up in Pullman, where some union people were murdered because they fought for unions. Because every time I'm in the city I pass by Haymarket Square and think about the people who fought for their rights. Freedom comes with responsibility.

 

[soundman]

If you have the cases for the fixtures by not putting the fixtures in the case you are wasting truck space by sending an empty box and a fixture placed somewhere else. As a one off there isn't much you can do to get the 3K line in the right box, not worth the time or material cost to mark up the gear. Showing my age - most of the fixture that travel in cases are for the floor package these days. It usually isn't as critical that the box matches the fixture number. Most of the time by location is good enough. On the 3K line the wash and spot boxes might have different foam to support the lens so I will mark the bottom of the base with a red or blue triangle or square. Red or blue for which side of stage and triangles are spots squares are washes. Same with the road cases. Then just match them up.

I'll try not to send back gear like an ******* but I wont cut up my looms unless I need to keep something out on the road. I try not to send back gear outside of its case but if something was mounted in a truss or set piece and it gets cut and no one wants to pay to ship out an empty case I will do the best I can to pad it but my hands are tied.

 

[porkchop]

To answer the OP's question about more professional looking labeling, on one show I was on we taped off all of the metal edging on the sides of the lids of the case and panted them a solid color. Blue for floor lights, yellow for set, orange for spots, green for washes. All cases where identical and most lights would have fit in any foam insert we had very few problems with mixed up cases. It's a bit time consuming to tape it off and make it look sharp, but if you take the time it looks pretty good, and you can tell from across the room what lights go in what case. Because this was a show with a set lighting rig we also printed put a bunch of copies of the plot, circled which lights where in the case, laminated them, and stuck them on the top of the case. This also works great, but you didn't really say anything about if this was for a rental house or a specific tour.

 

[ProgrammerInTraining]

VL5s and 6s use series 300 which means you are getting the gear from PRG, and if you've been in as many prg load outs as I have you'll know that it doesn't matter what case you place them in even less for VL3ks and 3500s, the guys at the shop handle the sorting since prg doesn't count or check for gear when they load their trucks. If you're renting from another shop its good to have your case identifying tricks.

 

[rochem]

VL5s and 6s use series 300 which means you are getting the gear from PRG, and if you've been in as many prg load outs as I have you'll know that it doesn't matter what case you place them in even less for VL3ks and 3500s, the guys at the shop handle the sorting since prg doesn't count or check for gear when they load their trucks. If you're renting from another shop its good to have your case identifying tricks.

Few things. First, that's incorrect. PRG does absolutely count in the vast majority of their equipment, and definitely every moving light. In fact, the system won't even allow you to send out gear for a new order unless it's been checked in from the previous order. And second, I seem to recall that your first load-out was only a year and a half ago, so I suspect that many of us have worked quite a few more PRG load outs than you have.

 

[cmckeeman]

if you have some white gaff put the number on both the light and the box, then most stage hands (or at least the ones you want to work with) will put the right light in the right box. even new guys can match light 205 to box 205, but once you start talking in make and model only people who are familiar to lights will understand you.

 

[Footer]

Few things. First, that's incorrect. PRG does absolutely count in the vast majority of their equipment, and definitely every moving light. In fact, the system won't even allow you to send out gear for a new order unless it's been checked in from the previous order. And second, I seem to recall that your first load-out was only a year and a half ago, so I suspect that many of us have worked quite a few more PRG load outs than you have.

Keep in mind the OP is working in the "wild west". What is common place on the east coast usually is not on the west. There is a reason the term west coasting exists.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[derekleffew]

... since [during a load-out] PRG doesn't count or check for gear when they load their trucks. ...

In ProgrammerIT's defense, I think the bolded portion is the operative phrase (/dependent clause). Quantities are not verified until the gear actually returns to the shop, not at the jobsite. Hence all the nifty barcodes. It would not be uncommon for the renter or end-user to see or even know about inventory check-out/check-in procedures.

However, one should probably avoid using the phrase

... if you've been in as many PRG load outs as I have ...

when speaking to one current and at least two former interns, as well as to others who have been using rental gear since long before PRG, and in fact he himself, ever existed.

Keep in mind the OP is working in the "wild west". What is common place on the east coast usually is not on the west. There is a reason the term west coasting exists.

Actually, I highly doubt there are many if any operational differences between the various PRG locations.

 

[soundman]

Actually, I highly doubt there are many if any operational differences between the various PRG locations.

There are enough to be frustrating. Getting established shops that have been purchases and re-branded up to speed takes some time. The biggest two issues are if the shop is IA or not and if they tech gear before it goes on the self or when it is pulled to get shipped.

Both things matter when its 4:45PM your trucks need to leave by 6:00PM and you get a plot update with significant changes. Out of all the depos I have been to the roach coach in Vegas is the best.

 

[iLightTheStage]

So it has come to my attention in talking with people that there is a problem on show site where lights are being placed in similar, but not the proper cases at strikes or mistaking one case for another containing the lights you really want. For instance VL 5's being placed in VL 6 cases and vise versa. The cases are very similar and both lights can fit inside each case. Another instance is the Coemar PAR and Atomic Strobes, same exact cases from the outside yet contain totally different fixtures. The VL3000 spots and washes as well as the VL3500 spots and washes are other lights commonly mixed up. Some of this can be attributed to inexperience while some of it even professionals still make on occasion.

My question is, other than colored gaff tape + sharpy from the Prep bay or an over sprayed stencil, what would be a great way to label cases so that they may be recognized from a distance and still keep it looking professional? I am looking preferably for permanent labeling rather than temporary labeling however I will take suggestions on either type of system.

I like the idea of painting the metal edges that someone else suggested.
Otherwise, I would say simply a colored stencil for each type, but you then must paint the underside of the bases of the movers to match.

Only thing I don't get is that if you're doing this for PRG LA, doesn't your gear get swapped with other locations too much to have a shop-specific case design?

And I totally agree that 3000s and 3500s should show more of a difference than a tiny little sticker.

 

[JD]

Nobody uses "Color, Shape, Number" anymore? Used to do that back in the 70s. Stencil a shape on the yoke.

Color = Type of fixture
Shape = Approximate stage location for load in.
Number = Fixture number in that location sequence.

So, a downstage PAR bar might have an orange triangle stenciled on it, with the number 6 sharpied in the center of the triangle. Same with the cases, except for the number. Seamed to always work fine.