Blogs

What’s inside that coax cable, and what do I need to know about it?  Is it an SDI signal, with ones and zeros heading down… Read More »Welcome to the Cliff

Right now I feel tired, frustrated, and I feel like I have lost all will to care about anything to do with my work here.  I really don’t like how I feel in this moment.  I really don’t want to be involved anymore….. If you are working on a show and find yourself going down a similar path, the first thing you should do is to speak calmly with the production staff.  It is easy to sit around and complain, but this never solves anything.  Call a production meeting and calmly list the problems at hand.  Explain that the production is in trouble and that you have reached the end of your rope.  Ask for help in a calm manner and you will be surprised at the results.  Too often people tend to let their emotions drive them and they begin yelling.  Calmness is key.  In this case, I called a meeting and I explained peacefully exactly what was going on, and we managed to solve many problems.  Other members of the staff were then willing and able to help resolve problems that had existed for days.

—Brad Schiller from Feeding the Machines,  PLSN, April 2009

If you stack 100 footcandles on top of 100 footcandles and you get anything but 200 footcandles, where do the missing footcandles go? …There’s a… Read More »Why Stacked Footcandles Don’t Always Add Up

Having to light an act with a skinny budget and limited physical space is not the ideal gig. But the good news is that lately… Read More »Brighter, Cheaper Lighting Options for Small-Budget Bands

While meeting/event production and staging is a large and vital industry serving all levels of business, the press is often unaware of the value of… Read More »Meetings and Events Give Economy a Boost

When looking at the limitations that can affect how big these next generation high output LED fixtures can get, thermal management is a major factor. … Read More »Heat Issues Hamper High-Power LED Development

Although modern lighting consoles contain many powerful functions and features, it is very important for a programmer to understand the principles and processes to create… Read More »“Old Skool” Chases and Effects

Overlooked amid the meltdowns of the financial industry was the cooling of speculation in metals that had driven prices to record levels. The rising cost… Read More »The Metals Market Roller Coaster

In the 1980s, I was sent out to fix some moving lights on a tour. I had no experience at all. I had a quick… Read More »Thrown Into the Fire

First off, be good at what you’re doing. Learn whatever console makes you comfortable enough to do your job. To me it’s like a guitar… Read More »Advice for Up-and-Coming Programmers

For at least eight days out of the year, ESTA holds to of its four annual meetings in Dallas, and when it does, much of… Read More »A Plug for the RDM Plugfest

Remember that celebrities have many people that want to talk with them. If you are at a show and need to talk with the artist,… Read More »Working with Celebrities