A good automated lighting programmer will always prepare for the tasks at hand long before the trucks are loaded. Most lighting companies will prepare the fixtures, cables, truss and more prior to the first load-in. In the same manner, an automated lighting programmer should prepare the show file and console configuration before arriving on site. There are many important procedures and provisions that you should follow when you are beginning a new project. Most designers will hire a programmer based on their skill level and allow the programmer to specify the exact lighting console to be used. The designer will trust the programmer’s choice and rely on the programmer to ensure that all portions of the system are working properly. Before choosing which console you’ll be working with on a specific production, first make sure you know how to use it! This may seem like a “Duh!” statement, but I often hear of programmers who try to learn a console while working on a show.
Next, it is important to specify not only the brand of console you wish to use, but also the specific model and the accessories you’ll be working with, since most consoles come in various models, versions and sizes. Accessories can include monitors, keyboard and/or mouse, UPS, backup consoles, wings, networking equipment and more. Once you are on site, it will be harder to gather these items, so it is important to request them early in the lighting system preparation process.
Once the LD provides a plot, you can usually begin to organize the show file for your console. This can be accomplished in a lighting shop using an actual console or anywhere else by using an offline version of the software for your console. Most consoles provide software that allows you to access all of the console functions from any standard computer. Either way, you will need a console or emulator to prepare the show file.
When preparing a show file, some programmers utilize a “start show” that contains their common preferences, views, palettes/presets, and other important tools. By loading a file like this, you can be assured that all your shows share a universal setup with which you are familiar. Other programmers prefer to start fresh for each show and set up the console according the needs of each production.
The next step is to add the type and number of fixtures you need for your show. You may need to find out from the LD or crew chief which special fixture modes or options will be used to ensure you have the right fixture libraries in place. At this point you will also want to configure views (pre-saved layouts of console windows), define the system architecture such as network nodes or MIDI inputs and arrange system settings to your programming preferences. Most consoles have a preference-setting window where you can modify options to suit your specific programming requirements.
Show file preparation can often require lots of number crunching and communication with others. Depending upon the size of the show, different people often determine the patching and/or user numbering. The DMX512 patch is important to the programmer because it must be entered into the console correctly to match the fixtures in the rig. For this reason, the programmer will often create the patch and provide the information to the lighting crew. However, many shows require complex data distribution and organization. In these cases the lighting crew chief or lighting designer will usually determine the patch and provide the information to the programmer. Either way, it is essential that the patch in the console matches the actual data distribution and DMX512 start addresses of the fixtures.
In addition to DMX512 patch information, the lighting programmer must number the fixtures for use on the console. Typically the DMX512 start addresses are not used for console data entry. Instead, custom user-defined numbers are used. This process provides the LD and programmer with a system to communicate information about the fixtures. For example, the LD can call out “Fixtures 1 through 10 at full in red,” and the programmer can simply enter this information into the console. Most LDs allow the programmer to determine the user numbering because the programmer must use these numbers the most. However, in some instances the LD will provide the user numbering. There are as many different methods of numbering as there are knockoff lighting fixtures coming out of China. Even so, there are a few common schemes in practice. Sequences that start with one (11-12, 101-112, for example) or by fixture type (200s are wash, 300s are spot, for example) are two of the more common numbering practices.
When you are preparing a show file for an upcoming production, it is helpful to create a basic outline of the show elements that will be required. For instance, if you are working on a concert tour, you can easily create pages and name them for songs. You might even start a blank cuelist for each song as well. This way when you arrive on site, you are ready to begin building cues and do not have to waste the LD’s time as you enter in the song names. If you are working in theatre or on a corporate event you can easily find other elements of the show that require segmentation within your show file.
Furthermore, you can also create position and color palettes/presets. When I’m preparing a show, I will create many positions palettes with my fixtures at 50/50, but name them all differently according to how I plan to use them. Then when I arrive on site I can easily update the palettes and remember what positions I had pre-planned to make. The same can be done with color mixing, color scrollers, gobos, lens focus and any other parameter.
Preparing a show file can take time, and time is money. Some programmers will charge clients for prep-time. Others will just include this as part of their job. Either way, it is work that you could do on site, while the meter is running, or on an airplane or at home. Preparing the show file helps you as well as the client. I often find that preparing a show file gets me more mentally involved with the show before I arrive on site. It frees me to work more creatively when the live programming process begins.
When you finish preparing your show file, it is essential to test it. I recently spoke with a friend who spent a few days preparing a show file, with some actual pre-programming as well. He went to load the show into a console only to find the copy he had was corrupt. After a bit of a panic he created another copy from his computer. A quick test proved this copy would work. Had he gone to the gig with the bad version, he would have lost all his prep work. So remember to always make backups and confirm that they are valid before heading to the gig. Spend some time to create a starting point with a show file and ensure that your data is correct. Then with a well-prepared show file you will be ready to program the best show of your life and sure to impress your LD and other lighting crew members.
