Return-Path: X-Processed-By: Virex 7 on prxy.net X-Real-To: stagecraftlist [at] theatrical.net Received: by prxy.net (CommuniGate Pro PIPE 4.2.6) with PIPE id 5003727; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 03:00:16 -0800 X-ListServer: CommuniGate Pro LIST 4.2.6 List-Unsubscribe: List-ID: Message-ID: From: "Stagecraft" Sender: "Stagecraft" To: "Stagecraft" Precedence: list Subject: Stagecraft Digest #195 Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 03:00:04 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Disposition: inline X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.1 (2004-10-22) on prxy.net X-Spam-Status: No, score=-5.0 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.1 X-Spam-Level: X-TFF-CGPSA-Version: 1.4f2 X-prxy-Spam-Filter: Scanned For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Stagecraft Digest, Issue #195 1. Re: Magic of Light by "Paul Guncheon" 2. Re: Fine arts center management by Steve Larson 3. Re: Fine arts center management by Kevin Lee Allen 4. Re: zooms (was Re: What's that light?) by "Jonathan S. Deull" 5. Re: Rigging System Standards by FREDERICK W FISHER 6. Re: Sound workshop by "Jonathan S. Deull" 7. Major equipment continued by Tom Grabowski 8. Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) by "K. Daly" 9. Re: Magic Followup by Scott Spidell 10. Movin' Out Tour at the National Theatre by Mike Benonis 11. Re: What's that Light / Major Corporation - Corrections by Mitch Hefter 12. Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) by Noah Price 13. Re: Sound workshop by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 14. Re: Rigging System Standards by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 15. Re: Fine arts center management by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 16. Re: Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 17. Re: Fine arts center management by Mark O'Brien 18. Re: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) by Bill Sapsis 19. Re: Fine arts center management by David Marks 20. Re: Rigging System Standards by "James, Brian" 21. Re: Black Box Seating by Patrick McCreary 22. Re: What's that Light / Major Corporation - Corrections by "Jon Ares" 23. six degrees of theatre separation by MissWisc [at] aol.com 24. Re: Zooms by June Abernathy 25. Getting Spray paint off road cases by "James, Brian" *** Please update the subject line of your reply to use the subject *** line of the message you are replying to! Please only reply to *** one message subject in each reply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <002801c4c97c$19a6dc70$0202a8c0 [at] MyLastPC> From: "Paul Guncheon" References: Subject: Re: Magic of Light Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 02:27:10 -1000 > Is this a bad time to mention that I purchased my (very > good condition) first edition of this book for 12.50 plus > book-rate shipping just a few years ago? > It is a book well worth the 100+ that it commands now. > Mike Those who find are generally those who look. When I go to a used book store, there are several books that I look for immediately... "Magic of Light", "Doctors of Infamy", "Dune Encyclopedia", "Gnomes", "The Bible" - 1st Edition only (haven't found that one yet), and, of course, any Tom Swift book (I need only around 3 more to complete my set). I also look for any books on technical theatre. In a seemingly previous life, I was an antique dealer in the Chicago area, and learned to be a fairly good "picker"(one who finds diamonds in doo-doo). Laters, Paul "All that's left are the front and back," Tom said decidedly. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 09:28:30 -0500 Subject: Re: Fine arts center management From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: You might check in with the folks at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. I was in on that renovation at the beginning. The CAC contains a theatre area, but mostly is a large art gallery. It's an interesting venue. Steve ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 09:44:45 -0500 From: Kevin Lee Allen Subject: Re: Fine arts center management In-reply-to: Message-id: <8FACE373-3582-11D9-BB1E-003065D2C502 [at] klad.com> References: This is a whole profession. Here are some links. http://www.artspresenters.org/ http://www.ispa.org/ http://www.musicalonline.com/ http://performingarts.net/ Although performance focused, most have a fine arts component You might also contact the George Mason University Center for the Arts,=20= I did some consulting for them before they opened (and discovered thay=20= had 30 toilets for 3,000 audience members) and designed their opening=20 night gala. Also, at the University of Alabama http://www.alysstephens.org On Nov 13, 2004, at 1:29 AM, James, Brian wrote: > The university I work for is in the process of determining a=20 > management structure for a new proposed fine arts center on campus.=20 > Currently we know there is a proscenium theatre and some art=20 > galleries, and not sure what else (often times the wish list is bigger=20= > than the budget). > > Does any one on this list happen to work for a university (or=20 > non-profit organizations) with a fine arts center that may be able to=20= > provide some insight about how your venue is managed, what works, what=20= > doesn't etc? > > I deal strictly with production issues on campus, however I have been=20= > asked to look into the entire structure and make recommendations about=20= > the booking of the venue, as well as the more day to day operational=20= > issues associated with the venue. ----- Kevin Lee Allen Production Designer http://www.klad.com 973.744.6352.voice 201.280.3841.cell klad [at] klad.com =F0 ------------------------------ From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Subject: RE: zooms (was Re: What's that light?) Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 10:41:00 -0500 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: In the spirit of "keep it simple" we decided to trade optical purity for ease and convenience a few years ago when refitting our high school performing space (50'x50' or so). We bought Source 4 Jr Zooms and Parnels, both running 575watts. The Source 4 Jr. zooms are small, easy to handle, and put out decent light. The combination has worked very well, supplemented by our old Altmans and Fresnels. Jonathan Deull Edmund Burke School ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 09:59:56 -0600 From: FREDERICK W FISHER Subject: Re: Rigging System Standards Message-id: <15302b156da3.156da315302b [at] wiscmail.wisc.edu> ----- Original Message ----- From: "James, Brian" Date: Saturday, November 13, 2004 0:18 am Subject: Re: Rigging System Standards > > That's the approach I am hoping to take. Just have to figure out > which red tape to cut to get where we need. > > Should be amusing for whoever gets the bid, and hopefully > educational for me! >> It will be very educational. From my experience, I have found that standards for what constitutes acceptable work and work methods varies in different parts of the country. Sadly, some of the worst contractors I've worked with have been in our industry. I don't know the reason. Whether its because theater attracts shifty people or they just aren't as professional as they should be business wise or in engineering or what have you. I've always gotten far better service from local companies who are vested in the community. Make sure the specifications on the bids are complete. You are going to forget something that needs to be done as part of the project and add ons are always expensive. Make sure that the different trades work together (a general contractor comes in handy here). We wrote experience requirements for the labor crew into our rigging bid request, in effect forcing the bidders to use members of our IATSE local (which we wanted) to do the work. List member Marty Petlock suggested to me that any consultants hired work for you and not the architect. Consultants also should not be allowed to bid on the job or to receive fees based on the cost of the project. You can get approximate costs of various systems before you begin to help set a budget. I try to set my budgets high so that we have headroom for changes, for inflation, etc. It also allows me to bring the project in under budget which is good at performance review time. Someone recently offered to donate some money to renovate our small theater or another unrelated space in the building. We were asked how much it would cost. We laughed and said they had to be more specific. We could spend $10,000 for some minor cosmetic changes (which is what the donor would want of course) or a half million dollars for a complete make over that would include the equipment to make the space more user friendly. We suggested that the donor be asked for a specific dollar amount they want to donate and what they expect for that money. Yes, projects are a lot of fun and very educational. Fred ------------------------------ From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Subject: RE: Sound workshop Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 11:11:55 -0500 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Intelligibility in reinforcement, basics of mixing music and vocals. In addition: basic electricity, balanced/unbalanced, line and mic levels, kinds of cable. Jonathan -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of MissWisc [at] aol.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 6:01 PM To: Stagecraft Cc: jason [at] cd-romney.com Subject: Re: Sound workshop For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 11/12/4 2:10:49 PM, jason [at] cd-romney.com wrote: <> If you're talking to HS teachers, I'd start very simple. Basics of acoustics... i.e., how the sound path happens from your mouth to my ear from your mouth through the PA to my ear from your mouth to the tape then from the tape to my ear. Microphone type/selection (how to make sense of the data from manufacturers re: direction and response. wired vs. wireless... commonly used mics) Mic placement (e.g. by the mouthpiece rather than the far end of the flute) Care of cables/plugs, how to coil correctly, storage, common connector names Care of equpment (when to turn on what and why) Speaker placement, delays, feedback, what an "audio standing wave" is Board operation... pan, echo, running playback while doing PA, etc. Stick to options common to all sound boards. Define all terms. Demo both right and wrong so they can hear the differences. I'd also suggest some print info on copyrights/securing grand rights for play back. Total time: 4 days - Monday through Thursday with an optional workshop on Friday for the software editing. (Add $100 for Friday AM editing software tutorial with the lab open Friday afternoon for people to play). Cost would depend on undergrad/graduate credit (please DO offer it if you can!) and room/board/etc. I'd expect it to run $250 workshop fee plus $100-300 per credit for 2-3 credits plus $150-250 room & board. Could do 1 credit - work shop only, 2 credit workshop plus Friday lab, 3 credit workshop, lab, and independent project. So, with 3 graduate credits and the lab, total cost would be around $1,500. Might be able to get the software manufacturer to sponsor part of the cost - or give a copy of the software to attendees. Your non-profit theatre folks can get the knoweldge for about $100 a day ($250 fee, plus room/board) and that's CHEAP for a seminar like this. HTH Kristi ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 13:03:25 -0600 From: Tom Grabowski Subject: Major equipment continued Message-id: <005701c4c9b3$7462d6a0$423c7181 [at] TGRABOWSKI> More on the fun of using Major equipment I have a newsletter with pictures of the happy workers assembling the gear. As to the fresnels: They used a screw knob for the focus but it was a fine thread so it took about 30 full turns from flood to spot. If you want to retrofit them with non asbestos wire be careful with the screws on the sockets. They are captive and if they are taken out completely (as the asbestos abatement crew did for us) you need to replace the socket also. When you factor in the time that it took to completely disassemble the body of the unit to get to the socket in the first place, you may as well buy a new fixture. If you want more fun Major stories, I can give you the tale of the last digital dimming system (the Magnus system) they installed before they went out of business completely that I had to suffer with for ten years before it was replace with ETC. ************ Tom Grabowski University of Texas-Pan American Designer/Technical Director Communication Department Tomgrab [at] panam.edu Edinburg, Texas 78539 956/381-3588 FAX 956/318-2187 ---------------------------------------- My Inbox is protected by SPAMfighter 1445 spam mails have been blocked so far. Download free www.spamfighter.com today! ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.2.20041113143831.01c6ea38 [at] mail.comcast.net> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 14:43:27 -0500 From: "K. Daly" Subject: Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) In-Reply-To: References:

You all have provided some fantastic suggestions and input for m y student friend. He's a 2nd year student at NJIT, and apparently his faculty advisor is also very interested in his project. They might enlarge it into a competition among several students, and involve my theater int he final decision of the winner. Along the way, all the students involved will pay many visits to my theater to ask questions and study how we use the space now as well as how we want to be able to use it in the future. I'd like to share your many comments with the students. I can strip off the email addresses and your names, or I can pass them along verbatim ... does anyone here object? Thank you again for all the time you put into this for us. -Kate ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.0.20041113150427.01b13220 [at] watarts.uwaterloo.ca> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:11:06 -0500 From: Scott Spidell Subject: RE: Magic Followup In-Reply-To: References: At 06:01 AM 11/13/2004, Chip Wood wrote: >There is a difference between Elementary and High School audiences >however. We gave up on high school matinees a few years ago because of >their disruptive and often out-spoken behavior. While maybe 75% said >"Ssshh" to the disruptive 25%, it just was not happening. We discovered a way to keep our high school audiences controlled a couple of years ago and it also kept the teachers happy. We hold a seminar session about an hour long that ends just over an hour an a bit before curtain. The up to four speakers are a mix of designers, directors, and English or history academics. After an hour of hearing why they're there, it appears as if they have some ownership to the performance. Our audiences have never been better. Scott Scott Spidell Technical Director University of Waterloo Department of Drama and Speech Communications drama.uwaterloo.ca ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:22:17 -0500 Subject: Movin' Out Tour at the National Theatre From: Mike Benonis Message-ID: [My email client is acting up, so please ignore this message if the original did indeed send] Is anyone involved with, or does anyone know someone involved with the Movin' Out tour that will be at the National Theatre this November/December (specifically the sound folks)? I will be going to the December 5th matinee show with our school drama department and would be interested in meeting the sound crew if possible. Thanks, -Mike Benonis Senior and Sound Designer/Technician Stone Bridge High School 43100 Hay Road Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 779-8900 ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.0.6.2.20041113102613.01f2e3a8 [at] mail.DesignRelief.com> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 17:58:11 -0600 From: Mitch Hefter Subject: Re: What's that Light / Major Corporation - Corrections In-Reply-To: References: I worked at Major in 1979 and 1980. A little bit of correction on the history of Major Corporation. As was pointed out, Major Equipment Company as it was originally known actually formed in 1916 before the original Strand Electric in the UK and long before Century Lighting in 1929 in the U.S. Later known as Major Corporation, it is/was not related at all to Electro Controls. Major Corporation had a division known as Major West that was based in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the 1970's, Major decided to close down that operation, but some of the key players didn't want to leave Salt Lake City and thus formed Control Devices. Control Devices marketed their own products and OEM'd dimmers and controls to Major. Control Devices developed a plug-in illuminated slider pot and a slider patch panel which were in many respects quite different than the counterparts made by Electro Controls. So, the only relationship between Major and Electro Controls is the Salt Lake City tie, and if you want to stretch it, that I worked for Major and then Strand, and was at Strand during Strand's acquisition of Electro Controls in the mid-1980's. In addition to making dimming systems, Major also had an architectural fixture division and a reflector division which made reflectors for both architectural and theatrical fixtures - including IIRC for Kliegl, Berkey Colortran, Strand, and Altman. These were located on the north side of Chicago. Major's dimming and controls division was located in Crystal Lake, Illinois (northwest of Chicago) in the 1960's and 1970's. All divisions moved to Northbrook, Illinois (a northern suburb of Chicago) in 1976. As we all know, such a move can be a traumatic operation for any company. It was doubly hard on Major, as the chemical tanks used for the Alzak process on reflectors and for anodizing did not make the transition well. It took a very long time (more than a year) to get those processes working. These events took an extremely hard financial toll on the company. In 1980 (about a month after I left Major to join Strand Century), Major Corporation went into Chapter 11. Major sold off the architectural fixture division to one company, and the dimming and controls division to Vince Boyer and Dan Aberson. They renamed the now independent division Major Controls Products, and moved to a new location in Carey, Illinois (next to Crystal Lake). The operation continued through the late 1980s before finally closing down. The reflector division was sold to Lithonia in January of 1981and operated out of the same building in Northbrook until being moved to Indiana in 2003. Lithonia's Major Reflector division still makes reflectors for our industry. I joined Entertainment Technology (Genlyte Controls) in 1995. Dan Aberson joined ET in 2003 (it's really a small industry) and provided most of the information in this posting. . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mitch Hefter mitch.hefter [at] DesignRelief.com Office: Entertainment Technology / a Division of the Genlyte Group mhefter [at] genlyte.com +1-214/ 647-7880 x 7967 (Direct Line 214/ 647-7967) +1-214/ 647-4738 Fax http://www.etdimming.com http://www.lolcontrols.com http://www.vari-lite.com http://www.genlyte.com ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References:

Message-Id: From: Noah Price Subject: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 16:47:27 -0800 On Jun 17, 2004, at 5:39 PM, Noah Price wrote: > On Jun 17, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Bsapsis [at] aol.com wrote: > >> OK. I've done my duty. I've met Frank once agaion and I have a >> picture to prove it. Somebody should tell me where it should go. >> The picture, that is! > > I'm happy to add any pictures to the Stagecraft site with the last one > :-) > > After a bit of delay, I've added the pictures Bill sent me in June to the new gallery :-) I'll be moving the entire gallery over after I have a chance to integrate the new gallery with the Stagecraft site. I welcome contributions of production or portfolio pictures (especially those which can start or continue interesting Stagecraft discussions), pictures of members at events (USITT, LDI, ABTT, etc!) or events members are involved in. You can send me your contributions, or with the new gallery I can give you access to upload and caption pictures yourself, too. Thanks, Noah -- | Noah Price | http://stagecraft.theprices.net/ | | Stagecraft Mailing List | stagecraft-web [at] theprices.net | ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 19:56:19 EST Subject: Re: Sound workshop In a message dated 12/11/04 23:02:02 GMT Standard Time, MissWisc [at] aol.com writes: > Microphone type/selection (how to make sense of the data from manufacturers > re: direction and response. wired vs. wireless... commonly used mics) > Mic placement (e.g. by the mouthpiece rather than the far end of the flute) I remember reading, in a textbook, that the right way to mike up a flute was from behind, over the player's right shoulder. From in front, you get a rather breathy sound. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 20:04:07 EST Subject: Re: Rigging System Standards In a message dated 13/11/04 06:20:03 GMT Standard Time, bej [at] vt.edu writes: > That's the approach I am hoping to take. Just have to figure out which red > tape to cut to get where we need. > > Should be amusing for whoever gets the bid, and hopefully educational for me! > It's a steep learning curve. You learn the most from the ones that went wrong. The trouble is that you then have to live with them! Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <9f.51f7605e.2ec80d87 [at] aol.com> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 20:23:19 EST Subject: Re: Fine arts center management In a message dated 13/11/04 08:15:48 GMT Standard Time, bearz2 [at] cox.net writes: > > Does any one on this list happen to work for a university (or non-profit > > organizations) with a fine arts center that may be able to provide some > > insight about how your venue is managed, what works, what doesn't etc? The trouble with such organisations is chain-of-command. As, I think, with all voluntary 'organisations'. Nobody can TELL anybody what to do: all they can do is to ask. The only constraints are financial. If the guy with his hands on the money says "No", it will not happen. Apart from that, it's a question of mutual goodwill. We have a TD whom I do not respect. I just ignore his all too frequent pronunciamentos. What can you do? If he tells me do something, and I tell him to take a running poke at a rolling doughnut, he has little recourse. By the time he has gone to the management, the show has come down. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 20:27:41 EST Subject: Re: Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) In a message dated 13/11/04 19:41:30 GMT Standard Time, KDaly973 [at] comcast.net writes: > I'd like to share your many comments with the students. I can strip off the > email addresses and your names, or I can pass them along verbatim ... does > anyone here object? Not I. What I have said, I will stand by. Frank Wood ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References: Message-Id: <3CFFBB97-35DC-11D9-9B8C-000393897332 [at] email.arizona.edu> Cc: marko [at] email.arizona.edu (Mark O'Brien) From: Mark O'Brien Subject: Re: Fine arts center management Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 18:26:41 -0700 On Nov 13, 2004, at 6:23 PM, FrankWood95 [at] aol.com wrote: > If he tells me do something, and I tell him to > take a running poke at a rolling doughnut, What school of management does that come from? Mark O'Brien Opera Technical Director University of Arizona, School of Music Tucson, AZ 520/621-7025 520/591-1803 Mobile ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:10:56 -0500 Subject: Re: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) From: Bill Sapsis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Gee. Can you tell I'd been up all night? Ah well. www.sapsis-rigging.com 800.727.7471 800.292.3851 fax 267.278.4561 mobile We stand behind, and under, our work. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <4196C1AB.4070103 [at] davidmarks.cc> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:23:39 -0500 From: David Marks Subject: Re: Fine arts center management References:

> On Nov 13, 2004, at 6:23 PM, FrankWood95 [at] aol.com wrote: > >> If he tells me do something, and I tell him to >> take a running poke at a rolling doughnut, > > Mark O'Brien wrote: > > What school of management does that come from? > Krispy Kreme dave marks ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Rigging System Standards Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:42:32 -0500 Message-ID: <89DE71075FCD6E44A4D117FBFBBD801C04D3EC9C [at] fangorn.cc.vt.edu> From: "James, Brian" So true. I have been fortunate, but realize much is left to learn, and = luck does run out on things I may be doing wrong but am unaware of. -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net]On Behalf Of FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 8:04 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Rigging System Standards For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 13/11/04 06:20:03 GMT Standard Time, bej [at] vt.edu = writes: > That's the approach I am hoping to take. Just have to figure out which = red=20 > tape to cut to get where we need. > =20 > Should be amusing for whoever gets the bid, and hopefully educational = for=20 me! >=20 It's a steep learning curve. You learn the most from the ones that went=20 wrong. The trouble is that you then have to live with them! Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.1.20041113215015.019d1a50 [at] incoming.verizon.net> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:56:40 -0500 From: Patrick McCreary Subject: Re: Black Box Seating In-Reply-To: References:

At 12:58 PM 11/11/2004, you wrote: >For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see >--------------------------------------------------- > >I'm looking to replace our black box chairs. My only requirements at this >point are that they be stackable, lock together, and are comfortable. Cost >will come into the equation a little later. Any suggestions would be >appreciated. > >thanks > >____________________________________ >Mark Engler >Technical Director >Department of Theatre >University of Minnesota Duluth >218-726-8774 Our chairs are from Blockhouse Contract Furniture Company - http://www.blockhouse.com/flash_content/main.html look for "side chairs", then "stack chairs", then image number 2. They are quite durable, and VERY comfortable. The company rarely sells more than a dozan or two at a time, and discounted us A LOT when we bought 500 of them ($250/ea. list, $125/ea. delivered, with additonal modifications I had requested, in 1989 dollars). They stack about five or six high, and lean a bit forward when stacked. We have the fortunate ability to leave them out most of the time. Patrick G. Patrick McCreary Ass't. Professor - Technical Director Department of Theater and Dance Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA 15701 (Office) 724-357-2644 (Home) 724-349-4309 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <001c01c4c9fa$37052eb0$0600000a [at] BRUTUS> From: "Jon Ares" References:

Subject: Re: What's that Light / Major Corporation - Corrections Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 19:29:57 -0800 > So, the only relationship between Major and Electro Controls is > the Salt Lake City tie, and if you want to stretch it, that I worked for > Major and then Strand, and was at Strand during Strand's acquisition of > Electro Controls in the mid-1980's. Ooh, a new game: Six Degrees of Mitch Hefter! :) -- Jon Ares Program Director, West Linn HS Theatre Arts www.hevanet.com/acreative http://www.wlhs.wlwv.k12.or.us/aresj/theatre/index.htm ------------------------------ From: MissWisc [at] aol.com Message-ID: <1f9.257adf8.2ec83011 [at] aol.com> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 22:50:41 EST Subject: six degrees of theatre separation In a message dated 11/13/4 9:30:42 PM, jonares [at] hevanet.com wrote: <> I doubt we'd need to go that far out! Remember my asking late Wednesday night that if anyone knows someone on tour with Big River to please pass along my email? I received 3 emails from list members letting me know that they passed it along. (THANK YOU!!!) Yesterday, I had a delightful conversation via IM with Gene Lauze, Big River's assistant wardrobe supervisor, who told me he was going to print it out and post it on the call board - all in less than 48 hours! I'd say 3 degrees would cover most any theatre separation you could come up with. Often two, as this list covers everything from schools to Broadway to manufacturers to vendors and back again. My personal opinion is that if we could pool the collective knowledge of this list, we could solve all the problems of the world... assuming adequate funding! Kristi ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20041114050724.14046.qmail [at] web14122.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:07:24 -0800 (PST) From: June Abernathy Subject: Re: Zooms I know that zoom ("varifocal"?) units are popular in England. There are places here where they gain popularity, though I see them less and less. I think they are easy to sell to administrators who don't actually know anything about lighting but are in the food chain that pays for it, because, on paper, they are much more versatile, one unit can take the place of several, etc. In reality, they are often big and heavy, they take a learning curve to learn to focus, and it can be difficult if not impossible to get a true hard edge - particularly if you want a true hard edge at a specific size. What I discovered in one hall I work in a lot that had a bunch of zooms was that they were hung as part of the house plot, and didn't change positions very often. So, we rarely changed their focus. So, most of their functionality was wasted. When we did decide to adjust, they were often a complete bear to move, having frozen in place. Consider too, Frank, that your venue is very small by the standards of some of the places that others of us work in, and zoom units for longer throws and higher wattages are correspondingly larger. The added weight and size are just not worth the benefit of the zoom, in the minds of many designers. Speaking of designers, since many (most?) American designers are unfamiliar with zooms and their uses, they don't work them into their designs as optimally as they might. And, they aren't too swift at calling their focus. And, as someone else mentioned, many stagehands are not familiar with them either, which can make focus time all that much more frustrating and annoying. And long. And expensive. Of course, this all could and probably would change if there were more zoom type units in use in the US, but I doubt that there will be a big movement to embrace them, when moving lights, which can change not only focus, but a myriad of other options, are becoming more and more affordable and available. June Abernathy IATSE #321 FOH Electrician The Lion King National Tour (Gazelle) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. www.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Subject: Getting Spray paint off road cases Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 00:37:54 -0500 Message-ID: <89DE71075FCD6E44A4D117FBFBBD801C04D3EC9E [at] fangorn.cc.vt.edu> From: "James, Brian" I have a new questions, sorry about all of the questions lately, and I = do appreciate all of the input I have received on and off the list. = Hopefully one of these days I may actually be able to contribute as = opposed to always asking. I have a few road cases that are many years old, and the person that had = my job prior to me used spray paint to label the contents/purpose of = each case (some were also bought used with labels on them). Inevitably = all the cases have changed function. Strictly for aesthetic reasons, I = would like to remove the spray paint labels (some labels are pretty huge = and covering with the new labels or gaff tape looks even worse). I am concerned if I sand them, I will damage the original case too much, = and further concerned about using to strong a chemical and what that = will do to the original case. It is beginning to look like all I can do = is deal with it, or spray paint over the labels in a color closely = matching the original case color. Unless some one else has some ideas? Please let me know if some one has a solution to this one. I appreciate it! ------------------------------ End of Stagecraft Digest #195 *****************************