Tips & Tricks

Our industry is growing at an exciting pace. It seems like just the other day when we were all excited by color-mixing fixtures. Now we… Read More »Pushing Buttons

Sooner or later, most of us get tired of living like a gypsy. But we have been doing this for so long, making a comfortable… Read More »Life Off the Road

One thing to consider when programming for a permanent installation is the perspective of the audience.  First, there are the multiple viewing angles.  Rarely does… Read More »Audience Perspective

"In this industry where the show must go on, it's easy to work too many hours and neglect your health and your family, and that's… Read More »Take Care of Yourself

"I hope that our readers will follow Richard's [Cadena] example and make plans to become certified as well.  Being ETCP certified is now the mark… Read More »Get Certified

The user manual for any lighting console is a must-read for every programmer.  I guarantee that even ifyou have been using a console for years,… Read More »Restating the Obvious

I use Vectorworks for drawings, and I use Microsoft Vizio to draw a lot of my data diagrams. I use Excel, Visual Basic and Microsoft… Read More »Label It

With permanent installations, early planning may begin as far out as several years.  Of course, programming will not occur at this time, but an LD… Read More »Early Planning

"The problem with smaller units is that they're harder to cool off.  The brighter the light, the more air it needs to cool.  If you… Read More »Keep It Cool

One thing to consider when programming for a permanent installation is the perspective of the audience. First, there are the multiple viewing angles. Rarely does… Read More »It’s All in the Angles

Things do go wrong from time to time, so it is always important to back up your show file often. I follow this rule of… Read More »Back Up Those Files!

"Our experience is that you can and should plan everything possible, and then leave extra time and extra budget for a custom job.  If you… Read More »Plan, Plan & Change