A true professional must be prepared and know how to make the best of situations where there is little or no programming time before an event. For starters, you must ensure that the lights are properly hung, cabled, addressed and powered. For any automated lighting console, you’ll also need to patch the fixtures so that you can select and communicate commands to them. This means that you will need to enter in the fixtures’ DMX start addresses and designate the proper DMX lines to the proper fixtures, and to assign user/channel/fixture numbers to the fixtures, and you’ll need five minutes to ensure that all fixtures are working from their individual controls. After that, if you have any time at all, you should create some basic groups and build six to 10 position palette/presets with all fixtures pointing at the stage, audience, backdrop, drums, singer or podium. Once the doors are open, hopefully you have a few minutes to continue working in blind mode to build palette/presets and throw together some essential playbacks. It is amazing what can be achieved with no pre-programming and just good timing and skills. Above all else, have fun and keep it simple.
—From “Feeding the Machines,” PLSN, Feb. 2013
