I am fortunate enough to have been held captive in a warehouse fixing moving lights for several years. While working at Vari-Lite Production Services in Las Vegas, my boss, Todd Mertzel would not put me on the road until I graduated college. During these four years, I converted VL6s into VL6Bs and then into VL6Cs, I swapped PTMs on VL5s, and applied grease to the color bulkheads of VL7Bs. These years spent tinkering on moving lights in the shop gave me the insights to be a more effective, streamlined programmer. I came up from moving light tech, to dimmer tech, to crew chief, and finally moved to the front end of the snake when I realized that pushing buttons hurts my knuckles far less than swinging wrenches. Although I enjoy the FOH perspective, I can never forget the hard-learned lessons from the other end of the snake. This came to my realization on my current tour. Charlie Santella, our dimmer tech took a few minutes of his precious time to thank me for putting the fixtures into a pack up cue at the end of the show. The gesture is appreciated, but more importantly, this is just one of the many small things that programmers can do to help their team if they have the necessary background.
Avoiding Busywork
The most efficient way that programmers can support their team is by helping them to avoid busywork. I have seen several programmers send technicians up into the rig to sort out a fixture only to realize that they hadn’t even attempted a soft reset before ringing the alarm bells. Often, a reset or two is all that a fixture needs to straighten up. Similarly, knowing that the control channel can be full of interesting options can be useful in preventing chasing down gremlins. For instance, I recently had a fixture that seemed to douse whenever a pan effect started. Instead of hitting the panic button, I took the time to realize that a move in black option had mysteriously been activated in the control channel. The fixture would dim out every time the pan channel was activated, and it would return to full intensity after it stopped moving. Without knowing that was even a setting, it could have easily been misinterpreted as a fixture failure. Instead of sending anyone up a ladder, we were able to sort out the issue from the ground.
Networking Knowledge
I can’t stress enough how important is to at least have a basic knowledge of networking. The days of hardline DMX are soon to be completely behind us. sACN, Art-Net, and RDM are all here to stay for a long while. All these protocols require IP addresses, subnet masks, and some amount of networking knowledge. Many times, a simple 1 where a zero belongs can stall a production for hours. Knowing the difference between output unicast and output broadcast can make all the difference. An especially embarrassing example comes from Kelowna, BC where I was positive that the house rig was under attack by digital gremlins. Most of the LED fixtures were not from a brand-name company, so I had the house LD sorting these gremlins out. After 30 minutes, I realized that I had not disabled RDM from the console. After switching it off, I apologized and took full responsibility for my lack of awareness.
Client Speak
My good friend Jay LeDane, lighting designer and programmer with an MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduated in the early 2000’s. He was well versed in Source Fours, PAR cans, Fresnels, and a wide range of gel colors. However, he had very little experience with moving lights, LEDs, and programming moving light consoles. Working as a moving light technician for PRG for a few years after college introduced him to all those things. He learned the difference in colors that we can achieve between an LED source, additive mixing, and a conventional fixture with dichroic color wheels, subtractive mixing. He learned the mechanical reasons why some fixtures can achieve a faster strobe than others. Knowing what the fixtures are capable of in the shop helped him specify the proper gear on site. LeDane’s formal education coupled with his grunt work allowed him to translate confusing client requests into real attributes. For example, when a client asks for a winter storm in a ballroom, instead of getting a wind machine, LeDane would know that they are actually asking for a room bathed in Rosco 68 and four Atomic 3000s.
Cutting the Crap
Having been on the sales and the programming side of the business, I know that some people will say anything to get their products on your show. Salespeople will often promise that their products will do anything if they think it will lead to a sale. All too often, a beautiful presentation on the show floor at LDI, NAMM, or the manufacturer’s showroom will fall flat on its face in a real-world environment. Either the fixture isn’t as bright as expected, or it can only achieve certain effects under very controlled circumstances. Ian Hoffer, the President at Aurora Sound & Light who designed the lighting systems at three recently built arenas, puts it best when he says “I don’t think you can design anything in this industry, to the highest possible standard, without having prior hands-on experience. I have seen numerous instances on large well-known projects where a designer specified ‘xyz effect / systems / experience’ only to have it either be a waste of time, money, or that was never used because it failed to accomplish its’ expected mission.” When we physically set up and operate equipment in the shop, we learn what works from a practical side as well as what is technically feasible. We also gain a much more in-depth understanding of the real-world appearance and functionality of the equipment and how it can affect our designs.
Packing Up
The pack up cue that I mentioned earlier has evolved over time. At first, the cue was merely to put the fixtures into the proper orientation so that the locks could be latched quicker. Over time, we realized that if we take most of the fixtures to their full zoom position, the housing provides additional support to prevent rattling in the trucks. This made loading in on cold days that much easier. One of the most apparent situations is when it applies to Claypaky B-Eyes. If the B-Eyes are zoomed out, the truck will rattle the lenses right out of the fixture. If they are zoomed in, they at least have a fighting chance to work for three shows in a row.
If Nothing Else, Empathy
LeDane speaks truth when he says, “working as master electrician and programmer early in my career taught me empathy for the men and women in those positions when I’m the designer.” Knowing what you are asking for when you put a design in place is the best way to motivate technicians to complete a monumental task. Being able to say ‘I know what I’m asking you to do because I have done it myself’ is the quickest way to gain mutual respect from both your crew and your clients.
Reach Chris Lose at close@plsn.com
