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 5020645; Tue, 16 Nov 2004 03:01:39 -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 #197 Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 03:01:16 -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 #197 1. Re: Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) by "Hall, Delbert L." 2. Re: USITT Toronto: Where to stay.... by "Stephen E. Rees" 3. Re: Theatrical Architecture by "James Niesel" 4. Re: Flame Proof Carpet? by Loren Schreiber 5. RP Screen and motor question by "Immel,Patrick" 6. Re: Fine arts center management by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 7. Re: Fine arts center management by Steve Larson 8. OTR by 9. Audio operation in the audience space (was 10 biggest mistakes) by 10. The magic by 11. OTR by 12. Re: Sound workshop by 13. ttest by "holyoak1" 14. Re: Fine arts center management by 15. six degrees of theatre separation by 16. Re: Fine arts center management by 17. Re: staples: med 7/16" crown by Chuck Mitchell 18. Re: channels at full by "Karl G. Ruling" 19. Alternate careers by "Eric McAfee" 20. Re: channels at full by "Steven J. Backus" 21. Re: Flame Proof by Nathan Kahn/Look Solutions 22. Re: staples: med 7/16" crown by Steve Larson 23. Re: channels at full by "Moore, Martin W." 24. Assistant Professor/Scene Designer by Emily Ciampa 25. Re: Alternate careers by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 26. Re[2]: Historical trivia about theatre by "Frank E. Merrill" 27. Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by "Frank E. Merrill" 28. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by Steve Larson 29. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by IAEG [at] aol.com 30. SCRs by "Steve B." 31. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by "Steve B." 32. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by IAEG [at] aol.com 33. Re: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) by "will kent" 34. Re: Audio operation in the audience space (was 10 biggest mistakes) by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 35. Re: Alternate careers by MissWisc [at] aol.com 36. Re: Sound workshop by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 37. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by LITETROL [at] aol.com 38. Re: Fine arts center management by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 39. Re: channels at full by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 40. Re: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 41. Re: Flame Proof by Patrick McCreary 42. Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 43. Re: Getting Spray paint off road cases by "James, Brian" 44. Surtitles,,, again by Mark O'Brien 45. Toolbox: ATA vs. Pelican by "Andy Leviss" 46. Re: Surtitles,,, again by Boyd Ostroff 47. Question about off-off-Broadway NY house. by David Carrico 48. Re: Surtitles,,, again by "Tom Heemskerk" 49. Re: Surtitles,,, again by IAEG [at] aol.com *** 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: RE: Thank you! (Re: Theatrical architecture & 10 biggest mistakes) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:58:38 -0500 Message-ID: From: "Hall, Delbert L." I have not objection. -Delbert Delbert L. Hall, President Hall Associates, Inc. Phone: 423-773-HALL Web: www.flyingfx.com -----Original Message----- I'd like to share your many comments with the students. I can strip off = the=20 email addresses and your names, or I can pass them along verbatim ... = does=20 anyone here object? Thank you again for all the time you put into this for us. -Kate =20 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.786 / Virus Database: 532 - Release Date: 10/29/2004 =20 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <4198B302.4020905 [at] fredonia.edu> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 08:45:38 -0500 From: "Stephen E. Rees" Reply-To: Rees [at] fredonia.edu Subject: Re: USITT Toronto: Where to stay.... References: The conference hotel is the Fairmont Royal York. There are lots of other hotels in the area however. Check out the Toronto tourism website for more possibilities Steve Scott Parker wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > So, where's the party?!? Where are people staying? > I'm looking at the hotels for March and the price range for the USITT > hotels run from around $150 for the Holiday Inn to around $250 for the > Intercontinental. The third falls in between. Amounts are in Canadian. > ------------------------------ Subject: RE: RE: Theatrical Architecture Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:53:23 -0500 Message-ID: From: "James Niesel" Thanks, I will pass it on. Kodak was a Theatre Project Consultants job and was a result of having an adequate budget, a very strong, vocal and supportive client(the Academy), and an architect that was willing to listen. As you can imagine the Academy had very specific needs and was very good about making them known. PDO out of Brooklyn did the rigging installation and Gala did the lift. Engineering Harmonics did the SVC design. It was designed before my time here, but I was lucky enough to do a bit of the commissioning on it. Jim Niesel Theatre Projects Consultants >I have the good fortune to be working in new theatre (Kodak Theatre,=20 >Hollywood, 3 yrs old) that looks, acts, and feels like a theatre that=20 >was actually purpose built!! Lots of little touches, like independent=20 >power tie lines (w/or w/o Camlock tails) SR and SL for electrics, USR=20 >for audio (isolated), a tie in for mobile/broadcast trucks, multiple=20 >camera positions, a real "Media Pit" for FOH, that is recessed from the >main seating banks, all backstage hallways are lined to about 4' high=20 >with painted plywood with reinforced corners (anyone played 'roadbox=20 >shuffleboard'?). Giant hydraulic doors that open the backwal/loading=20 >dock, the secondary back wall, as well as an additional 4 covered=20 >truck docks. a freight elevator with double-wide doors that will fit=20 >almost any roadbox. And that's just backstage/stage production issues=20 >that normally hose you on load-in. Kudos to the companies that did=20 >this place! > >Cheers, >Sunil Rajan >Freelance Audio Mercenary ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.1.1.2.20041115070217.0317b008 [at] mail.sdsu.edu> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:03:22 -0800 From: Loren Schreiber Subject: Re:Flame Proof Carpet? In-Reply-To: References: Hey Moe, Trying to prevent rug burns? >Hey, Anybody got a recipe for flame retardant for carpet? < Loren Schreiber, Director of Technology and Production School of Theatre, Television and Film, San Diego State University http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/schreibr/index.html ------------------------------ Message-ID: <147CF8DFB9C5D41187300001FA7EE390237E2DCA [at] mail.nwmissouri.edu> From: "Immel,Patrick" Subject: RP Screen and motor question Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:17:00 -0600 Hello All, I am looking for some info on shop built RP screens. I remember somebody talking a while back about using visqueen plastic and bed sheets. I cannot access the list archives. If anybody has had some success with this, please let me know! Ok, so I have a show coming up where I would like to have a 4x8 platform track (straight) onstage, but without any visible means of propulsion. The weight of the platform and its contents would probably not be greater than 1000lbs. I would like to use a motor / cable / pulley system to move it on and off stage. Some of my questions: How large of a motor would I need (hp)? What type of start/stop switch would I need? I am assuming I would need some sort of reversing switch for this...any suggestions? I know some of your are WAY into this stuff. I would like to get into this sort of stuff!!! If a sketch would help, let me know and I'll send you one off list! Thanks loads(safely suspended, of course!), Pat ******************************************************** Patrick Immel Lighting & Scenic Designer Northwest Missouri State University ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:41:19 EST Subject: Re: Fine arts center management In a message dated 14/11/04 20:25:37 GMT Standard Time, tiptd [at] theatreinthepark.com writes: > What's the background of the theatre manager? School > trained, OJT? A good theatre manager should have > broad training, especially in your power structure. Very various indeed. The best one was an Electrical Engineer, who was also an excellent pianist and who wrote music. The worst an Irishman who was very fond of a glass or three. > > It might be time that a paid TD be put in place. The lighting and sound departments have been saying this since 1968, to my knowledge. As we are now going for a proper public licence, the penny has finally dropped. Hitherto, I and two of my friends, all electrical engineers, have tried to do the job. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:02:03 -0500 Subject: Re: Fine arts center management From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Good luck. Steve on 11/15/04 10:41 AM, FrankWood95 [at] aol.com at FrankWood95 [at] aol.com wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > In a message dated 14/11/04 20:25:37 GMT Standard Time, > tiptd [at] theatreinthepark.com writes: > >> What's the background of the theatre manager? School >> trained, OJT? A good theatre manager should have >> broad training, especially in your power structure. > > Very various indeed. The best one was an Electrical Engineer, who was also an > excellent pianist and who wrote music. The worst an Irishman who was very > fond of a glass or three. >> >> It might be time that a paid TD be put in place. > > The lighting and sound departments have been saying this since 1968, to my > knowledge. As we are now going for a proper public licence, the penny has > finally dropped. Hitherto, I and two of my friends, all electrical engineers, > have > tried to do the job. > > > Frank Wood > > ------------------------------ From: Subject: OTR Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:30:26 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173026.XBLF10733.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> Hey, I'm on my way back to Tucson via Albuquerque, and hoping that I-25 doesn't get snow tomorrow, and just got the first access to internet in days. My replies will be many, out of order (in more ways than one) and somewhat stale in some cases. My apologies if anyone gets miffed. Hold on, here they come! Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: Subject: Audio operation in the audience space (was 10 biggest mistakes) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:32:46 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173246.XCNO10733.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> >Well, it depends on what you think theatre sound design is about.Mikeing up >shows is one side of the coin. Creating a believable sound environment for >the >audience is another.I belong to the latter school. You must remember that Frank's experience with sound dates back to bear skins and stone knives, and the sound ops he gets to play with tend towards the button pusher types. Those of us that like to transport an audience by massaging their brains by tweaking their acoustic perceptions while amking sure that they are able to hear everything that happens in the script, will tend to do things remarkably different from Frank's methods. Every once in a while I feel it is necessary to point out Frank's limited exposure to 'real' audio', and its applications to today's theatrical experience, so as the noob's know to take his advice with as many grains of salt as they need. Oh, and he gigs in a perfect house and has an unlimited budget, as well. OTOH, I like to have options in the space. I've mixed from booths that gave me the opportunity to open the windows, and after a while of mixing from that position, I get a real good idea of what the hosue sounds like compared to what I hear in the booth. Sorta like mixing a VERY loud rock group with earplugs in. First, get a mix. Then, put in earplugs. Don't touch the mix for five minutes (unless something REALLY wrong is happening) til your ears adjust. Finally, mix as normal. Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: Subject: The magic Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:33:56 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173356.YGJW9263.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> I laughed, I cried, it changed my life (again). It was better than 'Cats'. I'ddo it again and again. Thanks, Kristi. Now when people ask why I do what I do with the hours, the pay, and the mis-treatment, I'll just show them your post. Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: Subject: OTR Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:35:35 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173536.BSFS5007.fed1rmmtao04.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> Hey, I'm on my way back to Tucson via Albuquerque, and hoping that I-25 doesn't get snow tomorrow, and just got the first access to internet in days. My replies will be many, out of order (in more ways than one) and somewhat stale in some cases. My apologies if anyone gets miffed. Hold on, here they come! Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: Subject: RE: Sound workshop Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:36:22 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173622.WANW16919.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> >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. Depends on the mic. The best way to teach dynamic mic placement is to have them listen. Their ear will closely imitate the signal the mic will pick up. Teaching them to listen is the real trick... Gain structure should be STRONGLY re-inforced. Nearly anyone can get a usable mix on a console that has been properly adjusted gain-wise. Almost no-one will get good sound out of a console if the gain structure is out of whack. Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: "holyoak1" Subject: ttest Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:36:52 -0500 Message-ID: ------------------------------ From: Subject: Re: Fine arts center management Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:37:05 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173703.WVDS28622.fed1rmmtao06.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> >> 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? I dunno, Mark, but I hear your voice teaching it! : > ------------------------------ From: Subject: six degrees of theatre separation Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:37:46 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173746.BTDC5007.fed1rmmtao04.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> >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! Yeah, well, I think the armament is probably covered! Oh, "solve the problems of the world". I thought you said "take over the world". Nevermind. Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ From: Subject: Re: Fine arts center management Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:38:41 -0500 Message-Id: <20041115173841.XFOH10733.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net [at] smtp.west.cox.net> > 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. Very sneaky tactic, that! I work for a number of people that make a point of asking me to do things, as opposed to telling me what to do. They are my 'bosses', they write my checks, but they respect me as a person and as a designer, technician, whatever. When I have people working for me, I use the same method, and get better results for it. If I *HAVE* to tell someone what to do, more often than not, I tend to get them replaced. Chris Babbie FMAO Location Sound ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:37:42 -0600 From: Chuck Mitchell Subject: RE: staples: med 7/16" crown In-reply-to: Cc: scparker [at] gmail.com ('Scott Parker') Message-id: <000501c4cb42$31247750$20e25c90 [at] Chuck> Scott, Try Linc Systems, 800-330-5481. I used to order from them until I found a local distributor. You are referring to the 7600 series, so that 1" would be 7632, 3/4' 7624 and 1-1/2' 7648. Chuck Chuck Mitchell Scene Studio Supervisor University Theatre-University of Wisconsin Madison 608-263-3330 FAX 608-265-4075 Greetings all, I'm looking for a supplier for my duo-fast gun. Porter Cable staples will work as well. I need 7/16" wide crown staples from 3/4 to 1 1/2" Scott C. Parker ------------------------------ From: "Karl G. Ruling" Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 13:49:42 -0500 Subject: Re: channels at full Reply-to: kruling [at] esta.org Message-ID: <4198B3F6.28066.105D684 [at] localhost> In-reply-to: > > The problem I have got at the mo, tho, is that a couple of channels > got shorted out at one point during a fault, and now they're sitting > at full power - I'd have expected the trips to protect the circuits, > and even if not, I'd have expected a dead channel rather than one at > 100%, though I suppose it could have somehow welded a short somewhere > in the circuitry - nothing obvious, however. I'm going to be getting > ETC in soon to check these out, as they're apparently on a 2-year > warranty, so we'll see. Usually when SCR power modules fail, they fail on. Rarely do they fail off. Dead shorts will often take out an SCR power module before the breaker or fuse can trip. If the breaker goes first, you're lucky. When I was an undergraduate we had one guy take out a whole row of dimmers with one instrument that had a dead short. He plugged it into the first dimmer, and the dimmer didn't work. So, he plugged it into the second dimmer, and that one didn't work either. So he tried a third dimmer.... ------------------------------ Subject: Alternate careers Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 13:55:04 -0500 Message-ID: <2D0EA5709783D24C994AF2C8D017A2AC6108DC [at] jrcsvr1.jrdomain.local> From: "Eric McAfee" Is anyone aware of a University level theatre program that=20 deals with alternate careers in the theatre industry? I've had a few conversations with folks about what their programs were like where they went to school and haven't=20 heard of any programs that might enlighten their students much beyond the standard production oriented careers. I've heard a lot of folks bemoan the lack of "qualified"=20 theatre oriented people available to hire even for entry level type positions. Most people in the various industries and companies that I've spoken to agree that it is much easier to try and teach the business end of the industry to a theatre person than it is to teach theatre to a person from=20 outside the profession. I know as a college student that it would have been interesting to have a few more options to consider rather than the typical TD, LD, ME type work that I was gearing for. Eric McAfee J. R. Clancy, Inc. =20 7041 Interstate Island Road =20 Syracuse, New York 13209 =20 =20 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:56:30 -0700 (MST) From: "Steven J. Backus" Subject: Re: channels at full In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 15 Nov 2004 13:49:42 -0500 Message-ID: "Karl G. Ruling" writes: > Dead shorts will often take out an SCR power module before the > breaker or fuse can trip. If the breaker goes first, you're lucky. My junior high school had one of the earlier Century boards with SCR dimmers which was built in 1962 and had silver sand fuses. Although expensive, these fuses would go long before the SCRs. What ever happened to this idea? Steve ------------------------------ Message-Id: <5.0.0.25.2.20041115140228.01925e80 [at] 212.86.129.164> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:04:56 -0500 From: Nathan Kahn/Look Solutions Subject: Re: Flame Proof In-Reply-To: It depends on what the carpet is made of. Most synthetics are going to melt from heat no matter what retardant you try. Maybe you can cover the particular portion of the carpet you're concerned about with a piece of FR fabric, like Commando? Nathan >Hey, >Anybody got a recipe for flame retardant for carpet? > >ping me off or on list >thanks >Moe > >Maurice "Moe" Conn >Designer/Technical Director >Kohn Theatre >Cumberland College >606-539-4520 >mconn [at] cumberlandcollege.edu > >Thank You Everyone for Supporting the Long Beach Long Riders efforts to Raise >money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. >Check Out: www.sapsis-rigging.com/LBLR.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Look Solutions USA, Ltd. 114 W. Third St. Waynesboro, PA 17268 Toll-Free: 1-800-426-4189 Phone: 1-717-762-7490 Fax: 1-717-762-7366 Company Email: usa [at] looksolutions.com Personal Email: nk [at] looksolutions.com Web: www.looksolutions.com and www.fogspecs.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:21:41 -0500 Subject: Re: staples: med 7/16" crown From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: You can go to this site and find a distributor in your state: http://www.duo-fast.com/wherebuy/ Steve on 11/15/04 1:37 PM, Chuck Mitchell at chmitche [at] wisc.edu wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > Scott, > > Try Linc Systems, 800-330-5481. I used to order from them until I found > a local distributor. You are referring to the 7600 series, so that 1" > would be 7632, 3/4' 7624 and 1-1/2' 7648. > > Chuck > > Chuck Mitchell > Scene Studio Supervisor > University Theatre-University of Wisconsin Madison > 608-263-3330 > FAX 608-265-4075 > > > Greetings all, > I'm looking for a supplier for my duo-fast gun. Porter Cable staples > will work as well. > I need 7/16" wide crown staples from 3/4 to 1 1/2" > > > > Scott C. Parker > > > ------------------------------ Subject: RE: channels at full Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:31:11 -0500 Message-ID: From: "Moore, Martin W." Yes, HRC fuses would protect SCRs and Triacs, as would fast circuit breakers, provided the SCRs or Triacs were chosen with I-squared-t ratings that matched those of the protecting fuses or circuit breakers. But marketing pressures overrode engineering requirements, so the result was less than ideal, but it gave the self same dimmer manufacturers who skimped on quality the opportunity to sell spare SCRs or Triacs at exorbitant prices -- a double whammy on the poor punter. Martin -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Steven J. Backus Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:57 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: channels at full For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- "Karl G. Ruling" writes: > Dead shorts will often take out an SCR power module before the > breaker or fuse can trip. If the breaker goes first, you're lucky.=20 My junior high school had one of the earlier Century boards with SCR dimmers which was built in 1962 and had silver sand fuses. Although expensive, these fuses would go long before the SCRs. What ever happened to this idea? Steve ------------------------------ Message-ID: <63D883CB0A1B204EB053673DD882CB53C99ACE [at] email.albany.edu> From: Emily Ciampa Subject: Assistant Professor/Scene Designer Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:41:41 -0500 Assistant Professor/Scene Designer Department seeks full-time faculty member to teach two courses per semester in scene design and related areas of expertise. Design scenery and/or supervise student designers, as well as supervise student paint and prop crews, for 3-4 University Theatre productions per academic year. Our Department is committed to the continued success of its design and technology sequence, within the context of a strong liberal arts program and a research university. Qualifications: MFA and proven ability in scene design are required; teaching experience is preferred. Demonstrated experience working with culturally diverse groups of people is required. Finalists will be asked teach a class and present a portfolio. Position begins Fall, 2005. Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Position contingent on final budget approval. Send letter of application, vita, description of teaching philosophy, and contact information for three references. The University at Albany is an EO/AA/IRCA/ADA employer. Applications due by January 30, 2005. Send applications to Andi Lyons, Chair of Scene Designer Search Committee, Department of Theatre, PAC 262, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222. Emily R. Ciampa Secretary 1 Theatre Department PAC 262 Phone: (518) 442-4200 Fax: (518) 442-4206 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0A4A3C8D [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Alternate careers Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:11:13 -0500 Many of our students end up programming light boards; scenic artists; props artisans; wardrobe personnel on and off Broadway; stitchers,cutter/drappers; working for rental houses. A doctor; graduate study in nursing; police work; accounting; and a few other misc careers in addition to the old standards. Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati -----Original Message----- From: Eric McAfee [mailto:ericmcafee [at] jrclancy.com] Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:55 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Alternate careers For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Is anyone aware of a University level theatre program that deals with alternate careers in the theatre industry? I've had a few conversations with folks about what their programs were like where they went to school and haven't heard of any programs that might enlighten their students much beyond the standard production oriented careers. I've heard a lot of folks bemoan the lack of "qualified" theatre oriented people available to hire even for entry level type positions. Most people in the various industries and companies that I've spoken to agree that it is much easier to try and teach the business end of the industry to a theatre person than it is to teach theatre to a person from outside the profession. I know as a college student that it would have been interesting to have a few more options to consider rather than the typical TD, LD, ME type work that I was gearing for. Eric McAfee J. R. Clancy, Inc. 7041 Interstate Island Road Syracuse, New York 13209 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:29:45 -0500 From: "Frank E. Merrill" Reply-To: "Frank E. Merrill" Message-ID: <853025172.20041115152945 [at] TCON.net> Subject: Re[2]: Historical trivia about theatre In-Reply-To: References:

Howdy! Friday, November 12, 2004, Eddie Kramer wrote: EK> For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see EK> EK> --------------------------------------------------- EK> On 11/12/04 Frank E. Merrill sent: >>To enable young'uns to visualize an Olivette, EK> <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>> >>Father Roscoe Major presided over the unveiling of that new instrument >>in the early 1950's EK> On page 69 of _Theater Lighting; A Manual of the Stage EK> Switchbord_ is a Light Plot (called a light diagram) for act I of EK> _The Rose of the Rancho_, (Produced and Written by David Belasco EK> the show opened on 12/30/1907 at the Academy of Music on 14th St.) EK> that shows 4 Olivettes up stage of the set. A list of equipment EK> used in act I of this show is on page 68 and lists; "Back of wall EK> Right two olivettes to light drop." and "Back of wall Left two EK> olivettes to light drop.". Gack! My credibility is dropping faster than Kerry-Edwards campaign signs! Best regards, Frank E. Merrill MERRILL STAGE EQUIPMENT Eastablished 1946 Indianapolis 317: 255 4666 Running The Bat! Natural e-mail system v3.0 mailto:Lamplighter [at] TCON.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:48:19 -0500 From: "Frank E. Merrill" Reply-To: "Frank E. Merrill" Message-ID: <1016645409.20041115154819 [at] TCON.net> Cc: Lamplighter [at] TCON.net (Frank E. Merrill) Subject: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre In-Reply-To: References:

Howdy! Friday, November 12, 2004, Keith Arsenault wrote: Iac>> an OLIVETTE was a large, usually floor stand mounted rectangular Iac>> shaped light, took about a full sheet of gel, , with straight Iac>> sloping sides (not curvilinear) of a non or barely reflective Iac>> material, with a usually clear, un frosted mogul screw base lamp. After admitting my error to God and the world on Friday I enjoyed a pleasant visit with Mother and Dad over the weekend. I asked Dad about the Olivette story and he confirmed that Keith's description of the shape is correct. Dad told another story that I like, where Major was buying ellipsoidals from Century in the early days, and then affixing a metal Major identification plate over the Century nameplate before shipping the doctored units out to their customers. Dad said that one of his customers complained about such ellipodidals, saying that they could not obtain a sharply focused beam edge. He investigated and discovered that every instrument had a mismatched pair of plano convex lenses, such as one 6x9 lens and one 6x12 lens in a 12" lens tube. He got the problem solved by replacing or swapping lenses and sent a bill to Major for the work. Major protested, saying that the lenses were installed by Century and had not been modified. Dad urged them to check the other instruments then in stock and check randomly among those customers that had received such instruments, and Major found that every instrument checked had been fitted with improper lenses by Century! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during Frank Major's call to Century THAT afternoon! Best regards, Frank E. Merrill MERRILL STAGE EQUIPMENT Eastablished 1946 Indianapolis 317: 255 4666 Running The Bat! Natural e-mail system v3.0 mailto:Lamplighter [at] TCON.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 16:17:50 -0500 Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: I had a half dozen olivettes in stock when I was at Mary Washington College in the late 70's. Bet they are still there. Yep, Keith's description matches what I had. We also had a number of Major and Capitol lights. P.U. Steve on 11/15/04 3:48 PM, Frank E. Merrill at Lamplighter [at] TCON.net wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > Howdy! > > Friday, November 12, 2004, Keith Arsenault wrote: > > Iac>> an OLIVETTE was a large, usually floor stand mounted rectangular > Iac>> shaped light, took about a full sheet of gel, , with straight > Iac>> sloping sides (not curvilinear) of a non or barely reflective > Iac>> material, with a usually clear, un frosted mogul screw base lamp. > > After admitting my error to God and the world on Friday I enjoyed a > pleasant visit with Mother and Dad over the weekend. I asked Dad > about the Olivette story and he confirmed that Keith's description of > the shape is correct. > > Dad told another story that I like, where Major was buying > ellipsoidals from Century in the early days, and then affixing a metal > Major identification plate over the Century nameplate before shipping > the doctored units out to their customers. Dad said that one of his > customers complained about such ellipodidals, saying that they could > not obtain a sharply focused beam edge. He investigated and > discovered that every instrument had a mismatched pair of plano convex > lenses, such as one 6x9 lens and one 6x12 lens in a 12" lens tube. He > got the problem solved by replacing or swapping lenses and sent a bill > to Major for the work. Major protested, saying that the lenses were > installed by Century and had not been modified. Dad urged them to > check the other instruments then in stock and check randomly among > those customers that had received such instruments, and Major found > that every instrument checked had been fitted with improper lenses by > Century! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during Frank Major's call > to Century THAT afternoon! > > Best regards, > Frank E. Merrill > MERRILL STAGE EQUIPMENT > Eastablished 1946 > Indianapolis > 317: 255 4666 > > Running The Bat! Natural e-mail system v3.0 > mailto:Lamplighter [at] TCON.net > > > > ------------------------------ From: IAEG [at] aol.com Message-ID: <90.50ddcbfc.2eca88b1 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:33:21 EST Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre In a message dated 11/15/04 4:19:59 PM, tiptd [at] theatreinthepark.com writes: << --------------------------------------------------- > > Howdy! > > Friday, November 12, 2004, Keith Arsenault wrote: > > Iac>> an OLIVETTE was a large, usually floor stand mounted rectangular > Iac>> shaped light, took about a full sheet of gel, , with straight > Iac>> sloping sides (not curvilinear) of a non or barely reflective > Iac>> material, with a usually clear, un frosted mogul screw base lamp. > > After admitting my error to God and the world on Friday I enjoyed a > pleasant visit with Mother and Dad over the weekend. I asked Dad > about the Olivette story and he confirmed that Keith's description of > the shape is correct. > > Dad told another story that I like, where Major was buying > ellipsoidals from Century in the early days, and then affixing a metal > Major identification plate over the Century nameplate before shipping > the doctored units out to their customers. Dad said that one of his > customers complained about such ellipodidals, saying that they could > not obtain a sharply focused beam edge. He investigated and > discovered that every instrument had a mismatched pair of plano convex > lenses, such as one 6x9 lens and one 6x12 lens in a 12" lens tube. He > got the problem solved by replacing or swapping lenses and sent a bill > to Major for the work. Major protested, saying that the lenses were > installed by Century and had not been modified. Dad urged them to > check the other instruments then in stock and check randomly among > those customers that had received such instruments, and Major found > that every instrument checked had been fitted with improper lenses by > Century! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during Frank Major's call > to Century THAT afternoon! >> Remember when half of the BERKEY COLOTRAN theatrical lighting catalog was ALTMAN painted blue ? very best, Keith Arsenault International Arts & Entertainment Group Tampa, FL ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:48:26 -0500 From: "Steve B." Subject: SCRs Message-id: <002f01c4cb65$3862f000$6401a8c0 [at] SBFF> References: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven J. Backus" > My junior high school had one of the earlier Century boards with > SCR dimmers which was built in 1962 and had silver sand fuses. > Although expensive, these fuses would go long before the SCRs. > What ever happened to this idea? I recall the early Kliegl SCR's (early 70's) that were essentially rated at the dimmer capacity, thus making them very sensitive to dead shorts, hell they were sensitive to hot patching (anyone else remember Kliegl patch panels ?. With the integral circuit breaker at each patch receptacle ?. Safti-Patch or some such). I also recall the blue TTI packs that had KA fuses, that would catch a dead short (some of the time). They were almost as big a pain to change out as the SCR, or at least just as tough to get at and not found at your corner hardware. Then some manufacturers got smart and put in hugely overrated SCR's, mostly as the damned things were so expensive at the time. Thus the fuse would go first. Now days, the SCR's are relatively cheap and easy to replace. Relatively being relative (are you listening Yogi ?). Steve Bailey Brooklyn College ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:56:45 -0500 From: "Steve B." Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre Message-id: <004d01c4cb66$61c464a0$6401a8c0 [at] SBFF> References: ----- Original Message ----- From: > Remember when half of the BERKEY COLOTRAN theatrical lighting catalog was > ALTMAN painted blue ? So was the ETC catalog for a while, though not with units painted blue !. I also remember when the 4 theater complex at SUNY Purchase was supposed to have gone Kliegl. Theater D got a whole bunch of Altman 360Q fixtures that were sheet metal, not their usual cast alu. All because Kleigl made sheet metal units and to meet spec's..... Fortunately the KliegMan's (sounds better then Altiegls) had PC lenses, not the typical stepped as found on the Kliegls. Theater D also got a Ward Leonard copy of a Kliegl/Thorn Q-File. That was an interesting unit !. Steve Bailey Brooklyn College ------------------------------ From: IAEG [at] aol.com Message-ID: <1e2.2f23f4db.2eca9818 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:39:04 EST Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre In a message dated 11/15/04 5:57:46 PM, sbmtbike [at] optonline.net writes: << Theater D got a whole bunch of Altman 360Q fixtures that were sheet metal, not their usual cast alu. All because Kleigl made sheet metal units and to meet spec's..... Fortunately the KliegMan's (sounds better then Altiegls) had PC lenses, not the typical stepped as found on the Kliegls. Theater D also got a Ward Leonard copy of a Kliegl/Thorn Q-File. That was an interesting unit !. >> weren't lateR Kleigl's from CCT ? very best, Keith Arsenault International Arts & Entertainment Group Tampa, FL ------------------------------ From: "will kent" Subject: RE: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:57:18 +0000 Message-ID: Frank looks kinda scary... > Will Kent Owner/Operator/LD Kent Production Services www.kentlighting.cjb.net ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:19:06 EST Subject: Re: Audio operation in the audience space (was 10 biggest mistakes) In a message dated 15/11/04 17:33:30 GMT Standard Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > You must remember that Frank's experience with sound dates back to bear skins > and stone knives, and the sound ops he gets to play with tend towards the > button pusher types. > Those of us that like to transport an audience by massaging their brains by > tweaking their acoustic perceptions while amking sure that they are able to > hear everything that happens in the script, will tend to do things remarkably > different from Frank's methods. Every once in a while I feel it is necessary > to point out Frank's limited exposure to 'real' audio', and its applications > to today's theatrical experience, so as the noob's know to take his advice > with as many grains of salt as they need. Oh, and he gigs in a perfect house > and has an unlimited budget, as well. In those days, the tape recorders on which we used to play our effects were big, heavy, clunky devices which made far too much noise for them to be in the auditorium. Hence the control room, with the window shut, was the only place for them during a performance. Also, there were fewer of them, so a smaller control system would cope. As I have said before, to do a live, PA mix, you need to be in the auditorium. This is quite hard to do in our theatre, which is basically circular, and adaptable. Easy for an end stage or pros production; much less so on the big thrust or arena stage; almost impossible for in-the-round. We have one guy who specialises in this sort of thing, who gets called in by companies who hire the theatre, who are usually the people who want this facility. We tend not to do musicals, due to a shortage of adequate singers. I used to belong to a company who visited the theatre once a year, or so, and which did some good work, because they had good singers, and never a microphone. "Man of La Mancha", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Pickwick", a few G&S, and many others. When the company finally folded, it gave all its surplus funds to the theatre bar, which says something about the character of the company. For all that, they did good work, because they only cast principals who could sing, and picked a repertoire that they could cast. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: MissWisc [at] aol.com Message-ID: <158.43d2b8e1.2ecaa3a2 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:28:18 EST Subject: Re: Alternate careers Cc: ericmcafee [at] jrclancy.com In a message dated 11/15/4 12:52:12 PM, ericmcafee [at] jrclancy.com wrote: <> Could you tell more about what you mean by "alternative careers"? Things change so fast these days that, IMHO, it's more important to get a good knowledge of the basics than to train for a specific career. As has been discussed here before, that includes: math (arithmetic, geometry and trig... calc helps too) formal and informal written communications, verbal communications, history, art history/art creation (both additive and subtractive color theory!!), music history (ability to read score and/or play an instrument is a plus!), psychology (to learn how to get along with other personality types) aesthetics (Why is something beautiful?) chemistry (to avoid killing themselves) physics (including electricity and acoustics) and computer skills. Y'all will think of others to add, I'm certain. My hubby has a Bachelors in Music Education with an instrumental emphasis. He hated teaching and switched to stagecraft. It's not the degree per se... it's the ability to adapt to the situation. My suggestion to your students would be to get a "traditional" course of study (or even do a student designed one assuming your college permits) and to intern - apprentice - job shadow in other areas. There are many great 2-3-7 day workshops for specialized knowledge (e.g. Delbert's and Unkle Bill's rigging seminars, Dr Doom's liability class, USITT seminars). Every person I've ever met who loves their job also loves to tell students about it and give them a chance to job shadow. Kristi ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:34:21 EST Subject: Re: Sound workshop In a message dated 15/11/04 17:37:16 GMT Standard Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > Gain structure should be STRONGLY re-inforced. Nearly anyone can get a > usable mix on a console that has been properly adjusted gain-wise. Almost no- > one will get good sound out of a console if the gain structure is out of > whack. I'll say! When we built the BBC's Birmingham studios, at Pebble Mill, the sound "engineer" would persist in lining up the desk backwards. When I did it, it was fine: when he did it, the signal-to-noise ratio was catastrophic. Even worse was a dubbing suite designed by one of my colleagues. He wasn't a very good sound engineer, and he used standard amplifier modules. These had 70dB of gain. So, you came in from a line level source, knocked it down to -70dB, put it through an amplifier, knocked it down to -70dB again at the group bus, brought it up again to meet the main mix bus, which knocked it back again to -70dB, and finally emitted it to the recorders. Of course, even with well-designed amplifiers, the signal-to-noise ratio was dreadful, with 210dB of gain, zero in to zero out. Eventually, someone changed the gain structure to something more sensible. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: LITETROL [at] aol.com Message-ID: <53.1aa6fb9b.2ecaa789 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:44:57 EST Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre In a message dated 11/15/2004 5:57:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, sbmtbike [at] optonline.net writes: Theater D also got a Ward Leonard copy of a Kliegl/Thorn Q-File. That was an interesting unit !. Called the "Black Rose". That'll give you nightmares! (brought to you from Ward Leonard, Toronto) steve [at] litetrol.com ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <59.1aa642e4.2ecaa827 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:47:35 EST Subject: Re: Fine arts center management In a message dated 15/11/04 17:39:34 GMT Standard Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > > 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. > > Very sneaky tactic, that! I work for a number of people that make a point > of asking me to do things, as opposed to telling me what to do. They are my ' > bosses', they write my checks, but they respect me as a person and as a > designer, technician, whatever. When I have people working for me, I use the > same method, and get better results for it. If I *HAVE* to tell someone what > to do, more often than not, I tend to get them replaced. It's more difficult in a voluntary 'organisation'. People get the 'hump' more easily. I have done it, and will do it again if I have to, but you run the danger of putting someone off, when there is a useful role available for them. I had to fire one LX OP, because the 'script' he produced was illegible, and not readily comprehensible to me, and I was the LD! One page of scrawled pencil notes. The finished script that I produced was six pages worth, and would have enabled a competent operator, who had never seen the show, to walk in off the street and run it, even bearing in mind my dislike of having the show cued by the SM. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:57:22 EST Subject: Re: channels at full In a message dated 15/11/04 18:50:14 GMT Standard Time, kruling [at] esta.org writes: > > The problem I have got at the mo, tho, is that a couple of channels > > got shorted out at one point during a fault, and now they're sitting > > at full power - I'd have expected the trips to protect the circuits, > > and even if not, I'd have expected a dead channel rather than one at > > 100%, though I suppose it could have somehow welded a short somewhere > > in the circuitry - nothing obvious, however. I'm going to be getting > > ETC in soon to check these out, as they're apparently on a 2-year > > warranty, so we'll see. > > Usually when SCR power modules fail, they fail on. Rarely do they > fail off. This depends on the protection (fuse, breaker, or whatever). This is a complicated subject, little studied. Duration, prospective fault currents, all need to be carefully studied. The let-through I*t^2 is an important criterion. You can get this from the fuse or breaker manufacturers. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <25.5285e324.2ecaabd8 [at] aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:03:20 EST Subject: Re: Update to the Stagecraft Gallery (was Re: Frank in London) In a message dated 15/11/04 23:58:54 GMT Standard Time, etcs4 [at] hotmail.com writes: > Frank looks kinda scary... I didn't do it myself, apart from the whiskers! Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.1.20041115202543.019caf10 [at] incoming.verizon.net> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:32:05 -0500 From: Patrick McCreary Subject: Re: Flame Proof In-Reply-To: References: At 08:53 PM 11/14/2004, you wrote: >For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see >--------------------------------------------------- > >Hey, >Anybody got a recipe for flame retardant for carpet? > >ping me off or on list >thanks >Moe If this is carpet that's being installed on a normal architectural floor, it probably doesn't have to be flame retarded. Very few floors do, since it's so hard for them to get oxygen to burn. You should check with your local AHJ. If it's synthetic fiber carpet, which most are these days, it is probably inherently flame retardant - check the MSDS on the root material the fibers are made of (i.e., Olefin, Rayon ,or whatever.) If it's natural fiber carpet, the same formulas that worhk on drapery should work on the carpet. I have a formula somewhere, and I believe Rosco still makes their stuff. (Flamex?) 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: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0A4A3E43 [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 21:35:30 -0500 We had the Kleigl 10 scene preset board with 60 dimmers and of course the safety patch system. I bet we were one of only a few theaters to have two Q-File boards. Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati -----Original Message----- From: IAEG [at] aol.com [mailto:IAEG [at] aol.com] Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 6:39 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Re[3]: Historical trivia about theatre For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 11/15/04 5:57:46 PM, sbmtbike [at] optonline.net writes: << Theater D got a whole bunch of Altman 360Q fixtures that were sheet metal, not their usual cast alu. All because Kleigl made sheet metal units and to meet spec's..... Fortunately the KliegMan's (sounds better then Altiegls) had PC lenses, not the typical stepped as found on the Kliegls. Theater D also got a Ward Leonard copy of a Kliegl/Thorn Q-File. That was an interesting unit !. >> weren't lateR Kleigl's from CCT ? very best, Keith Arsenault International Arts & Entertainment Group Tampa, FL ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Getting Spray paint off road cases Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:07:35 -0500 Message-ID: <89DE71075FCD6E44A4D117FBFBBD801C04D3ECAD [at] fangorn.cc.vt.edu> From: "James, Brian" Actually, this is a great idea...... I guess I missed the obvious again. The case itself is a standard wood road case, with a red color and the = finishing. I not sure enough about road case construction enough to know = if they are painted or laminated, but it does appear to be more of a = laminate. -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net]On Behalf Of Paul Guncheon Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 12:39 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Getting Spray paint off road cases For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- <> You want to do this the hard way or the easy way? You didn't mention what the base finish of the cases is. If it's a = paint finish, paint over the labels as any kind of remover will probably not = stop at the label. I wouldn't consider sanding... sanding is genrally what you do when something is rough. If it's a plastic or other "impervious", you can try some of the various solvents on the market: "Goof Off", "Goo Gone", etc., or any other = graffiti remover. I imagine it will be rather difficult to remove all traces of = the label and have a pristine surface remain. Personally, I think I would paint them out. Perhaps with a contrasting color to make a block for a new label? Laters, Paul "Who commanded the confederate army?" Tom asked generally. ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References: Message-Id: Cc: marko [at] email.arizona.edu (Mark O'Brien) From: Mark O'Brien Subject: Surtitles,,, again Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:14:47 -0700 So I inherited an Opera. I was told that all of the equipment for the surtitles was here, and all we had to do was hang the screen. When presented with the screen, it is a 8' X 3' flat covered in Duvetene. When the Power-point is projected upon it, it looks like butt. My question is, can this screen be a black hard covered flat, hung in front of a flat sewn black velour border? Finish on the flat to be "eggshell"? How else have people done this? Boyd? Mark O'Brien Opera Technical Director University of Arizona, School of Music Tucson, AZ 520/621-7025 520/591-1803 Mobile ------------------------------ From: "Andy Leviss" Subject: Toolbox: ATA vs. Pelican Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:03:19 -0500 Organization: Duck's Echo Sound Message-ID: <004001c4cb88$d4812240$a19afea9 [at] AndyLeviss> Hey gang, I've finally grown tired of carefully arranging all the loose gack (aka tools and toys) stuffed into the Anvil ATA-style briefcase I've been using as a toolbox, so I'm looking to upgrade to a slightly larger box. I'm torn between sticking with an ATA-style (what Anvil calls a "technician's case", a slightly larger briefcase with the removable tool insert in the top, although I may go with another company, perhaps Olympic), or going for a Pelican case with one of their lid inserts. Any thoughts on one versus the other? I should add that, as many of you know, I'm a sound engineer, so it's not a hammer and saw toolbox. Typical contents include a small multimeter, wire cutters/strippers, coupla different pliers, two soldering irons and other soldering goodies, cable tester, that sort of thing. Basically, a briefcase crammed to it's brim holds almost everything (albeit only when placed "just right" and it's a tight squeeze), although I'd love to have room to fit a pair of Sony 7506 headphones in if I move up to a larger case (one argument for going with an Olympic is that, while potentially a lot pricier, I can get a compartment to hold the headphones, a compartment for the soldering iron, and all sorts of other custom dividers in addition to the lid organizer, although the one piece beefiness of the Pelican is appealing, too). Any thoughts, be they from personal experience of just thinking out loud would be appreciated, 'cuz I can't decide! Best, Andy Leviss Sound Engineer, Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Coloring Book This week: DeKalb, IL and Green Bay, WI Next week: Dubuque, IA and Milwaukee, WI --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.786 / Virus Database: 532 - Release Date: 10/29/2004 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:21:16 -0500 (EST) From: Boyd Ostroff Subject: Re: Surtitles,,, again In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References:

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004, Mark O'Brien wrote: > When presented with the screen, it is a 8' X 3' flat covered in > Duvetene. Obviously there is something different about our scale... and screen aspect ratio. Our screen is 3' high x 24' wide and we generally only have two lines of text on it max. With our old ektagraphic system we painted the screen white for maximum contrast with the dim projections. When we upgraded to 3,000 lumen LCD projectors that seemed too bright, so we painted it medium gray. But in the meantime everyone had gotten used to the bright titles, so we went back to a white screen. Our screen has been around since before my time (1993), and is just a simple lauan covered flat with a painted surface. It looks like hell up close too. But we never cease to be amazed at how all the imperfections seem to vanish when it's hung in the theatre. Now we trim the top of the screen 30' off the floor and are playing in a 2,800 seat theatre however. > My question is, can this screen be a black hard covered flat I guess it depends on the relative brightness of your projector, and how far away the audience is from your small screen. All I can say is that projecting on a black surface would never fly here. The surtitles are a favorite thing for our crankier audience members to complain about. But if you can get away with it then more power to ya!... I would love to make the title projections less obtrusive during dark scenes myself. Boyd Ostroff ooo Opera Company of Philadelphia Director of Design & Technology ooooooo 1420 Locust St, Suite 210 ostroff [at] operaphilly.com ooooooo Philadelphia, PA 19102 http://tech.operaphilly.com ooo (215) 893-3600 x225 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20041116045749.38243.qmail [at] web14621.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:57:49 -0800 (PST) From: David Carrico Subject: Question about off-off-Broadway NY house. In-Reply-To: A friend is loading in a show at Theatre for a New City on 1st Avenue in NYC in February and has some rigging/load-in questions. Is there anyone on the list that has worked in that theatre or knows someone who has? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks Dave Carrico __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <60777.142.179.101.174.1100586029.squirrel [at] 142.179.101.174> Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:20:29 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Surtitles,,, again From: "Tom Heemskerk" References:

In-Reply-To: Ditto for everything Boyd said about title screens. Our screen is also a luan flat (8:1), and is currently an unfortunate shade of deep, textured grey. It's been black, it's been covered with unbleached muslin, it's been eggshell beige.... but somehow it always forgives the people who abuse it so. I think the colour of the set and the theatre's architecture should factor in, too... th ------------------------------ From: IAEG [at] aol.com Message-ID: <67.38022b87.2ecb2ac7 [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 05:04:55 EST Subject: Re: Surtitles,,, again In a message dated 11/15/04 11:19:46 PM, ostroff [at] operaphilly.com writes: > I would love to make >the title projections less obtrusive during dark scenes myself. Boyd, , if you're using an LCD projector, , couldn't you program the images "down" during dim scenes?, , I would imagine someone ( not me that's for certain! ) could figure out how to place a light meter in the theatre, measure the reflected brightness from the stage and come up with a program to automatically adjust the relative brightness of the projector? Just a thought, , something for tech heads FAR more enlightened than I to figure out, , , very best, Keith Arsenault ------------------------------ End of Stagecraft Digest #197 *****************************