Tech Crew Olympics, need some ideas

[draco17315]

Hello, we do a Tech Crew party every summer to show our kids that there hard work is appreciated (as we all know, that most of the people behind the scenes don't get much credit). We always do our own awards called "The Techie Awards" and this year we are adding crew olympics. I was wondering if any of you have done events before that you would not mind sharing or if any of you had any ideas of what we could do. Keep in mind we will be outside more than likely and in the grass. Thanks for any help and ideas

 

[CSCTech]

Who can change a lamp the fastest?

 

[Grog12]

USITT holds these every year (or at least they did). Wiring a connector the fastest, fastest focus of an ERS to an unusal shutter cut, fastest quick change are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, but there's certainly a lot more.

 

[soundlight]

The first thing that I think of for outside is a knot relay. Always fun times if people know their knots.

 

[shiben]

The focus of an ERS is a fairly good one, maybe have a repair competition of some sort, knots sound fun, etc.

 

[MisterTim]

We race our chairs down the hallway outside the booth...

 

[Gretsch]

Nicropress race, Crosby race, cable coiling race...

 

[ruinexplorer]

Unless you have it to spare, I wouldn't have any competition that required consumables. I do like the knot tying (maybe even one handed knot tying?). Troubleshooting is also fun (set up identical systems with identical problems and see who fixes it first).

 

[HSSBO94]

Who can convince the TD fastest?

 

[pmolsonmus]

Because you're outdoors I have an idea I learned from a military sound guy. Set up a fully functional PA. Take away the teams and switch out cables bad for good, change mixer routing, replace good mics with dead ones (an empty 58 is a great trick) etc... Return the teams one at a time.

Which team can find all the problems fastest and run a full sound check?

 

[erosing]

I know the high school festival in Wisconsin has used the following in the past:

*knots (clove hitch onto fixed pipe, sheet bend to a smaller diameter, finish with a one handed bowline and lean back on you work hoping you did it right.
*Set up a small system for an iPod.
*Nicopress race.
*Wiring a stage pin connector (pressure plate).
*Focus a ellipsoidal on a funky shape.
*Costume quick changes.
*Set quick change (dining room table to office desk - props only).
*Folding a drop.
*Crosby rope clips.

 

[dbthetd]

Can I just add to this that although it is often the easy thing to measure "fastest" is not always the best metric for quality.

Maybe try to think of things that are best or most accurate as well as fast.

 

[erosing]

Can I just add to this that although it is often the easy thing to measure "fastest" is not always the best metric for quality.

Maybe try to think of things that are best or most accurate as well as fast.

I should note that there was, generally, a well experienced judge, or two, for each of the things I listed. The goals of the contests were to be the fastest while being correct, otherwise time was added (you had to correct and explain your mistake, if you couldn't they would teach you the correct way), or you were DQ'd if you couldn't.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chris325]

The Illinois High School Theatre Festival includes a Tech Olympics each year. From the 2009 program: "...test your skills in wiring a plug, focusing a light, tying a knot, setting props, nicopress crimping, costume changing, sound set-up, and flat construction." At the 2010 festival Olympics the winning school recieved a Source Four, and all participants got various swag from the companies exhibiting. I was at the festival '09 and '10 and wasn't able to do the Olympics because the school wasn't able to register a group, but by what I heard it was a neat experience. I'm not sure, but I think that the quality of work was a factor in the scoring.

Really, the true speed of Illinois' high school technicians was displayed during the load-in and load-out of each show. There were strict time restrictions, and shows had to be up and down quickly to stay on schedule.

 

[flash1322]

pmolsonmus
http://www.controlbooth.com/members/pmolsonmus.htmlThat sounds really fun

 

[joeb]

They do a lot of these same things at the International Thespian Festival as well. Two other things they do that I haven't seen listed yet are sewing a button and legging a platform (using carriage bolts and predrilled platforms and legs). They have a pretty extensive penalty system involving safety and doing things correctly that seems to be effective.

 

[WooferHound]

Maybe try Bolting & Unbolting truss sections . . .

 

[Steele]

Greenroom Challenge: (10 pts each question; 10 questions total) Two teams of three. Score based on knowledge of tech terms.
Cable Coiling: (10 pts) Individual. Score based on speed and coil uniformity.
Spotlight Challenge: (10 pts) Individual. Score based on speed and accuracy.
Sweeping: (10 pts) Individual. Score based on speed and efficiency.
Knot tying relay
Hope this helps.

 

[shiben]

I like the sweeping challange. Prep people for later in life.

 

[LXQuito]

To the excellent list already growing here, I'd add more complex challenges - ie find the one burnout gel in the hang and replace it as quickly and safely as possible. Scoring on that one would be on speed of finding the burnout, and safety and speed in replacement. I'd also add gelling-up challenges for quick and accurate cutting and framing of colours, and a "sort the gobo" race to put the stock back into order by gobo number. Patching and DMX-control challenges would also be interesting, but I'm not sure how one would set them up.

I also think fast and accurate set and strike of sound instruments is a good idea, especially for techs headed towards live music. Being able to ID the Fender Bassman in the stock, for example, match it to its spike, and place the appropriate Mic, then cable and plug everything in, quickly and accurately, is a great asset to live music stage crews.

And if you've got a fly gallery, a challenge to hang draperies correctly and properly balance a pipe would be a good idea, too, with points going to the team that does this in the correct manner, the fastest and safest.

In a more fun angle, there could be challenges to rig a confetti cannon so that it could be controlled via the lighting board to synch up with an lx cue, or things of that type, with points for the most creative methods within safety regulations.