An automated lighting programmer must always be ready for the unexpected. Not every gig starts off with you preparing the show file, getting the time you need, and having everything run as planned. You must understand the time available and the work that is required…A recent corporate gig serves as a case in point. In that case I was helping a friend with an international gig with a very busy schedule. I looked at the required work and prioritized what needed to be done. This knowledge was only available to me due to my past experience with similar events. I made the choice to concentrate on the scenes and to put off programming all the “other” bits until later. I knew what it would take for me to create the operating layout and what I needed to build to cover anything that happened on stage or in the house. When appropriate, I spent the time to build these elements without jeopardizing the most important scenes. This allowed me to be ready when the client wanted to rehearse and not have them waiting for lighting.
—From “Feeding the Machines” by Brad Schiller, PLSN, Dec. 2013
