Whenever I can, I take the time to just play for a bit with the lighting rig before I start programming. I usually do this as I am building my “standard” position palettes/presets. I will put in my headphones and listen to music. Then I program to what I am listening to and create some looks, effects, chases, etc., and get to know the rig. Usually these looks are thrown away and never used in the show, but sometimes elements of my playtime will make it into the production. I find it extremely valuable to take the time to familiarize myself with the layout of fixtures and staging. This is similar to a racecar driver taking a few laps in his car to become familiar with the track. By forcing myself to be creative “on my own dime,” I am able to see what is possible without having to worry about the specific confines of the show. This is the key factor in this technique: spend some time programming the lights simply to acquaint yourself with the rig with no pressure to use the programming later. Just be sure that you leave yourself enough time to program the show and that you are not “playing” for hours on end.
From “Feeding the Machines” by Brad Schiller, PLSN, Oct. 2009
