In Part I of this article (PLSN, April 2008, page 50) I presented an argument for console agnosticism. Hopefully, by now you’ve had some time to think about the merits of being familiar with a wide range of consoles. These might include application specific virtues, cost factors and even political or historical reasons. So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’m going to tell you why you should forget everything I’ve said and spend your every waking moment learning one console.
We work in a highly competitive marketplace. While there is a lot of work out there, you strive day in and day out to climb the ladder and it’s important to differentiate yourself from the next person in line. By learning at least one console from top to bottom, you can give yourself some significant advantages:
• Become better and more efficient at your daily programming duties
• Exceed expectations of designers and clients
• Increase your chances of becoming a go-to programmer
But why is this so important?
The more you work on one platform, the faster you get at the repetitive tasks. Patching, selecting fixtures, recording palettes and storing cues become something that you could truly do with your eyes closed (though I don’t recommend it).
[Two of the best programmers in the industry, Christian Choi and Arnold Serame, used to practice speed drills on their console while blindfolded. It earned them the chops and the reputation of being among the best in the biz. – ed.]
While some designers are more collaborative than others, it never hurts to have some tricks up your sleeve. Because you’re not having to waste time remembering how this week’s console clones fixtures, you can spend more time focusing on the design, giving the designer/client quicker feedback and playing off their ideas more readily.
When last minute shows or console-specific problems come up, there is often a small community of gurus that is called upon to fly across the country or around the world at the drop of a hat. By consistently showing your mettle on a specific platform, you can eventually become one of these hired guns. It just may be your ticket to the next Academy Awards.
Of course, becoming a guru on any console takes time. While loading up the off-line editor is a great way to become acquainted with a platform, it doesn’t come close to serving the needs of a true expert. Mastering a console is not dissimilar to learning improvisation on an instrument. Some of the most important concepts include:
• Pattern recognition
• Sense memory
• Working with the quirks
Like a professional musician, these are some of the tools that will allow you to complete some tasks at a sub-conscious level.
Many of the tasks we do on consoles are repetitive operations. The first time you copy a cue you have to think about the syntax. The second time you copy a cue, you try to recall how you did it properly the first time. After you repeat a task hundreds or thousands of times, you stop having to think about the exact syntax, which leads to the next point…
If we do the same thing enough times, it can become sense memory. I can work quickly on a Wholehog II that has all the numbers rubbed off of the keypad. This is because I’ve used the console so much that my fingers “know” where the numbers should be, even if my eyes can’t see them. On the other hand, I have to think about where an ‘A’ is found on a piano. [Some console designers call this “muscle memory.” – ed.]
I’m not here to defend the developers of any console. The truth of the matter is that they all have their own quirks, eccentricities, and…yes…bugs. But by learning a console backwards and forwards, you will begin to know where these gremlins exist, and how to work around them where necessary.
The paragraphs above are by no means exhaustive, but they should give you a feel for the benefits of having a strong relationship with one console. While this can be a very solitary and sometimes daunting task, I would encourage you to lean on your peers and mentors as you discover your new monotheism.
Join the online communities and beta test groups for your console of choice. These offer a great way to learn from other users and possibly give back a little to what is, obviously, the best console around. And don’t forget to keep your PLSN subscription up-to-date. How else are you going to find out about the newest religions…er, consoles in town?
