So in other news, when did this get here?

[DarSax]

So here I am, having posted around for the past few days and not even noticing this forum existed.

ANNYYWAYS, hallo. I'm a junior (senior soon, summer's just around the corner) in High School, and I'm the schools Lighting Director.

Bio (if you're bored): So far I've been LD for 3 shows--West Side Story (pretty simple wash rig, couple specials, cyc, sillhouettes galore), Talent Show 2k6:Class Dismissed! (11 Mac 700's, 17 Studio Colors, 5 Technobeams, controlled by a Martin Maxxyz), and most currently The Miracle Worker (a lot more complex, cues out the wazoo, bumps fades etc.). All in all I still consider myself pretty much a learning amateur; I've never receieved any real training, from a student or professional, so basically anything I know is from my own learning-on-the-fly experience or finding stuff online. Our school's equipment is basically all over 25+ years old, so I've never gotten to work with any S4's, and so on. Which explains why I'm very knowledgeable in a couple areas, but completely inept at others.


At any rate, this board seems extremely friendly and helpful, and glad I found you guys and you've been so welcoming!

 

[Peter]

Hey Welcome to controlbooth.com!

I'm glad to see that you've already been posting! Stick arround here and you'll learn alot. It may not be the same as practical "teacher looking over your shoulder" learning, but keep reading and you'll be sure to pick up alot of very useful stuff!

Welcome to controlbooth.com!
--The Official Welcome Wagon (part 2)

 

[kingfisher1]

welcome, welcome. West side stoiry was my first shaow too! (acting...)

 

[koncept]

welcome, i enjoyed our production of west side story....all the bump in the build included. I must say i am jealous of the quantity of intels your high school has. my community college doesnt have that many. we have 6 studio colors (CYM) 2 studio spot (CYM) and 4 t beams controlled by a hog 500

 

[DarSax]

oh, koncept.....how sad you have just made me

We don't own ANY intels. In fact, our entire line of fixtures is over 25 years old, controlled by a long since discontinued Strand. So the fact that YOU have all that HE stuff makes ME jealous! We just rented all that stuff (with a budget larger than anything I will be given again...alas )

By the way Peter, so far I've learned tons from this board, and considering I have no teacher experience to compare this to, I'd have to say this board has been EXTREMELY helpful already!

 

[koncept]

i wouldnt be two sad my one high school was nice, the district redid the theatre three years before i graduated to we got new sl's and a strand 300, but i moved senior yr to another school where we had a strand matix/mx (i think) with 12 total dimmers and lights that were 25 yrs old as well, but it gives you a little experience with limiting your designs so that they are managealbe. i wish we had intels in high school....*dreams....*

 

[DarSax]

Haha, seriously. Though with my new director, and the "crazy light shows" he apparently has planned, it looks like we're going to be renting a LOT in the future.

Though the limiting design is true, it's a good tool. BUT tell my director that, he doesn't seem to understand this concept . (Hopefully he's gotten better.)

 

[koncept]

if i had the oportunity to use that much equipment in high school i would be asking when can we use it next...

 

[DarSax]

Haha. Our auditorium and everything in it is horrendously outdated and bad, yet somehow we continually get money to rent stuff. D: It just happens to be our luck that previous TD's have created a Talent Show each year, which is characterized, among other things, with awesome lighting. Our Musicals (We go Musical - Play - Talent Show now), like West Side Story, have usually been fairly simple, using just conventionals. Now it seems however, that our director (new this year) wants to go into the modern "spectacle" musicals, so....we'll see.

 

[kingfisher1]

i shall now proceed to wallow in self pity for my theater is actually a gym. i really can't complain though, we have awesome stuff. its good that you got to play with the ml's, i'd presume that'd really get you ahead in the feild today. wouldn't it be nice if teh intel lighting companies held massive scale ml totorials for high school techies, just to goive us the experiece

 

[Peter]

I'm glad to hear that DarSax!

 

[DarSax]

Actually that'd be a great idea, especially since we'd be the people who would be buying their stuff. Hook em' while they're young, get some good PR, and educate in the process.

Actually hell, the rental companies should do the same, the ones I've worked with are pretty nice but kind of uptight...come out and teach high schoolers how to use their stuff, and chances are they'd be getting some more business...

 

[dwt1]

The rental companies will in fact come and do demonstrations and training. Two good examples in our region are Vincent Lighting Systems and On Location Lighting Systems. Both are out of Erlanger, KY but Vincent also has offices in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit.

In January, both companies jumped in on our USITT Chapter's Automated Lighting Seminar and spent two days teaching console programming. Forty three participants recieved training on ETC's Congo, Obsession II and Express consoles. Training was also offred on Grand MA, Hog IPC and Strand 300 and 500 Series consoles.

ETC also came on board, bringing in Spencer Lyons and Sarah Clausen to introduce the Congo and to provide some Revolutions while
the companies above provided a mixtures of High End, Martin and Varilite fixtures.

For the most part, all you need to do is ask for assistance. In the case of Vincent Lighting, if I ask for a demonstration fixture, they will send one
free of charge. This may have something to do with being a good customer but is also a component of their dedication to the education of the end user.

 

[koncept]

I would have to agree as well, Vincent is a wonderful company to work with. We have had issues durring load in and if we called they could usualy work something out for us.