will be doing my first "load out"

[mstaylor]

There's a fine line to walk between "looking to help" and becoming "that guy." You do not want to be "that guy." It is a fine art (that many veteran stagehands have mastered) to be available to help with whatever the next project is but not be in the way of what the road guy is doing at the moment. There will invariably be times during an Out (same goes for the In) where there is a little bit of standing around and waiting. Read the situation and be ready to work, but don't asking for a new job every 5 minutes.

Dillon makes a great point, one of the running jokes is hurry up and wait, it's what a stagehand does. We rush, rush,rush then wait.
Just do what the show guy says, ask if you don't understand and let him know if you are leaving the area.

 

[ProgrammerInTraining]

amazing! What a fun load out! The lighting crew I worked with were all friendly and didn't mind my newbie questions. Going up on the scissor lift to take off the fixture was my favorite part. I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. Fun night, very laboring as well, very fast paced and those 100ft 'soco' cables are no joke, really heavy. Also there was a lot of big names there, I'm not star struck but its nice to see them in person. I had fun, worked hard and learnd some things. Thank you all for the input I read it all before call time

 

[derekleffew]

...I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. ...

Thoughts:
1. Nothing at all stopping you from getting on Local 33's overhire list.
2. If you like coiling cable, get a shop job with a lighting company. I believe we've suggested this to you before as a "way in." Google results for "Los Angeles stage lighting". Also try PRG, Delicate Productions, Epic Productions, Felix Lighting, ELS, 4Wall-LA, VER, and others.
3. Load-out can be fun, but the real money is in the Load-IN, especially with overtime. More skilled/knowledgeable/experienced workers are usually required for those.

 

[LXPlot]

AI've also had to go as far as to physically tape an IATSE stagehand's mouth shut so he could focus on working.

There has got to be some union rule against that.

 

[Footer]

There has got to be some union rule against that.

.....I think he did it as an off the cuff joke.... probably to someone he was getting/giving crap to the entire night. I have seen more stuff done... like shoving the new guy into a cable trunk and not letting them out until it gets to the truck.

 

[mstaylor]

amazing! What a fun load out! The lighting crew I worked with were all friendly and didn't mind my newbie questions. Going up on the scissor lift to take off the fixture was my favorite part. I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. Fun night, very laboring as well, very fast paced and those 100ft 'soco' cables are no joke, really heavy. Also there was a lot of big names there, I'm not star struck but its nice to see them in person. I had fun, worked hard and learnd some things. Thank you all for the input I read it all before call time

Just remember dogging autographs and pictures is a quick way to a short night.