Timecoding shows can be fun, but good, in-depth knowledge of how your lighting console interacts with these signals, and experience in troubleshooting, are must-haves when… Read More »Timecoding is fun – when it works
A lighting designer should really have a good electrician with them for foreign shows. It should be someone they’ve worked with before. Third world countries… Read More »Have Electrician, Will Travel
Successfully lighting a musical may require an aptitude for music itself, only so much of which can be taught. “The lighting has got to work… Read More »Successfully Lighting a Broadway Musical
People with “lighting” in the title of their business cards can learn a lot from people with “video” in the title of their business cards.… Read More »Learning from the Video Guys
After timecoding a rock show, the lighting will roll along with the audio track, and it’s amazing to see the final work running on its… Read More »Be Prepared for Timecode Glitches
Many lighting companies all over the world employ someone who can speak English. Once I find out who this person is, I start corresponding. The… Read More »Overseas gigs require planning and patience.
DVI, or Digital Visual Interface, carries an uncompressed digital video signal to a digital display device such as an LCD display or projector. The protocol… Read More »Understanding DVI
Apple will let anyone sell software on the App Store, giving software developers instant access to an international distribution hub. While there are pros and… Read More »Using the iPhone for Stage Lighting
UL or ETL compliance stickers don’t add to the wow factor of your show. No one in the audience will oooh and aaah over them,… Read More »Stick with the Stickers
When you are switching to the late night shift, you also need to think about your eating habits. The body must adapt accordingly. I usually… Read More »Becoming a Vampire
In the early days of automated lighting, there was no such thing as a quiet moving light. Manufacturers began addressing the issue by using noise… Read More »Stealthy, Silent Programming
When you get tangled up in a live circuit, you can come in series contact with ground or in parallel contact with ground. Grounding can… Read More »Toward a GFCI Standard