Im seeing 3d printing used more and more, and im wondering is theres something obvious ive missed.

Ive printed project boxes, hooks, props, tool holders. What else could I do?

In my local theatres production of Matilda, we used a Shadow scrim for the escapologist and acrobat scenes. I haven't seen that done before for this show. I think it's super cool, and makes those scenes a whole lot more interesting. What do y'all think? I'm the escapologist btw.

https://youtube.com/shorts/6DSwdcZsu6c?is=qVIk24O1tgqve5PS

I tried a different method where I zip tied the zipcord in a coil that would uncoil as it flew in, but the chandelier wasn’t heavy enough and was waving too much. This is the scenic solution when the cable is small enough which I like and wanted to share.

Hi! I'm a new TD learning everything the hard way. We have a system of little 4-circuit dimmer boxes hung in the grid. Every time a lamp blows, I replace the lamp and the blown fuse in the pack, and the dinner spot still won't send power to an instrument. This has happened to about 4 of our dimmer boxes in the last 6 months. We use Elation Cyber Paks that are only 2 years old. I don't know what the previous TD was doing differently.

Am I using the wrong replacement fuses? Is the surge busting something internally?

When I reached out to the manufacturer a couple of months ago, they sent us a bunch of replacements but I feel like there must be a fix to this, we can't keep blowing through dimmer packs every time a lamp blows.

Hi folks,

I’m directing a production that requires a few pistol shots going off. We do not have the budget or parameters within our performance space to fire blanks, so instead of trying to lean into half-baked realism (an mp3 file)…we’re looking into some different ways to make this happen.

I think we’re going to lean into a bit of a brechtian flare and fill this play up with music/percussion. I was wondering if anyone could suggest some ideas on how to get a nice, loud, shocking *Bang*

Hi yall!

My goal one day is to join an international touring or show because unfortunately I won’t have an opportunity to leave America easily without that. Because of this, I’ve been thinking about picking up another language to look better on resumes.

I’ve seen a lot of jobs posted for Hong Kong so I was debating about learning Mandarin but wanted to see if there were any opinions. For reference I am primarily wardrobe/costume focused and my second language I currently am proficient in is American Sign Language.

Thanks!

Hey all, I'm pretty sure this kind of post is within the sub rules, but please let me know if not.

I have a few days to design and programme lighting for a production of George Orwell's Animal Farm for the theatre I work at. I don't do a whole lot of design, I'm a much more hands on, on the floor, live events person, so I'd really appreciate any help.

We have 15 LED pars in total, and then Hot PARs, Fresnels, profiles, zoomspots, PC Spots, etc. But the majority of the fixtures are 40 year old Strand/Selecon dimmers. Don't get me wrong, they can be fantastic, but sometimes it is difficult to work around their limits. It's a smallish black box venue, there will be scaffolding and various similar things for set, which I'll be rigging lights on, as well as the overhead bars, tank traps, and floor lights.

I really just want to make the most out of what fixtures we have, to be able to put on a great show. Would anyone have any insight into what kind of looks I should be aiming for, color and focus, things like that.

I know it's a bit of a long shot, but again, I do appreciate the help. Thanks :)

TL;DR - looming for advice as to how best to light an Animal Farm production with a smaller limited rig

Throw away for privacy.

TLDR: I'm tired of being a PM (and a little fed up with theater) and want to progress to something else.

I've been doing theater and entertainment since I was a teenager. Mostly SM/PM, at the professional level. I've built, for all intents and purposes, a good career.

I'm a full time Production Manager in the for-profit space. Good salary, benefits etc. About 30-40 percent travel / onsite work, and the rest of the time WFH.

It's difficult because on paper it sounds solid. But I have young children at home. When I'm home it's great, but when I'm traveling it's incredibly hard on all of us. Doesn't really fit with the lifestyle we want any more, and I feel like I am missing my kids grow up.

Some weeks are 40hrs, some are double that. Just depends on where we are in the season. Expected to always be on call. Vacation, weekends, doesn't matter.

I also, for the first time, actually love where I live. I want to be home and do more to support the community / our own projects.

In addition Ive started getting a bit burnt out on theater. The drama (off stage), interpersonal issues, absurd budgets, no thought to work/life balance etc. Folks walk around like we're putting a man on the moon. It's just theater, not rocket science.

All that said, we're a single income household. Need to earn. My career and salary has built a cool life. And the kids always having a dedicated parent is non negotiable for us. Taking a big pay cut isn't in the cards, at least not for a few more years. Im fine to still travel, but needs to be more like a few weeks a year not a few months. After being WFH for years (pre pandemic), I don't see my self going back, and we aren't relocating again. I know this criteria is challenging.

Maybe I'm chasing a unicorn here. I don't know. But I can't do this for another twenty five years.

I'm curious what other PMs have moved on to. Doesn't have to be theater, if fact, ideally not. Or at least, theater adjacent. IE I've had friends transition to entertainment logistics, etc. Looking into that for sure. Project Management, Music industry (possibly worse?), Ops Management, Events? I'm open to any industry. Would love to hear stories.

At this point though, I know I don't have it bad. Trying to keep it in perspective. We have a wonderful life, but I can't help but feel there is something better suited for me. I just turned 40 and it's got me thinking about how I want to spend the rest of my career.

Edited for spelling

I found these in a “junk drawer” at my space and can’t figure out what they’re called or where to get more. Most of my lights are frequently moved along the same pipes and since we do a new show every week, this could make life so much easier.

Does anyone know?

Hi guys!
I'll just get to the point - I've come off the back of a 3 year degree in Music Technology, and since a kid have adored theatre. I (unexpectedly) landed a dream interview as a 'Venue Theatre Technician' at a local theatre. However, the reason why it was unexpected, was because I have no experience with the equipment (and this was highlighted and explicitly mentioned on my Cover Letter). I presume they hope to train me and have confidence based on my CV and portfolio, but I really want to go there and impress/have some kind of technical knowledge so I don't look like a complete gimp. Here's part of the description:

• Provide technical support for visiting productions, rehearsals and creative projects, with a focus on sound and lighting.
• Act as the primary technician for productions, operating and programming lighting (ETC) and sound systems (Behringer X32).
• Prepare, rig, programme and operate technical equipment for performances and events.
• Supervise get-ins, get-outs, rehearsals and performances as the Duty Technician, ensuring safe and efficient working practices.

Obviously this is quite advanced and I'm sure I won't be expected to do everything from the offset but I was hoping for some advice with the second point in particular. Essentially I'm asking 2 things:

1 - Does anyone have any good resources/crash courses they can recommend for me that cover this sort of area? This could include actually being a technician, but it needs to include some overview of that equipment. Ideally free, but apart from that I have no preference I'm just desperate to learn what I can before the interview.

2 - Honestly for some words of encouragement! I'm terrified to be honest and quite scared of how much might be expected of me - has anyone else here been in a similar position? And what advice can they give me?

Thank you so much, I'm sorry for the yapfest but I'm super nervous and excited and feeling a lot! So if anyone can help with anything, please let me know! Thank you again!!!

I am rebuilding our plot and have run out of stage pin two-fers. I have a bunch of male ends but no female ends, and I am thinking of cannibalizing some of our stage pins to make more. However, I have never made two-fers before. Am I correct to think that I just need two lines feeding into one male end to make a proper two-fer?

Hi, im a beginner filmmaker and im making a bohemian rhapsody parody music video. I really want to make it look accurate but have no idea how to highlight the faces right. any suggestions are appreciated (+ any good budget lights you would recommend)

I'm an undergrad student studying lighting design and am graduating in the spring. I am starting the process of looking at grad schools, but I wanted advice on whether I should go straight into grad school or if I should work for a couple of years beforehand.

One thing to note is that I am disabled and am struggling to work as an electrician due to the fact that I have seizures and have a heart condition that causes me to pass out occasionally.

Originally, I had planned on working a few years before going to grad school, but now I am considering just going straight into grad school. I was wondering if anyone had any advice.

I do have multiple shows I've lighting designed at my uni in my portfolio. I've also done several summers of summer stock, worked in the scene shop all (soon to be) 4 years at my uni, worked several gigs at my uni, and done some design work with a local dance studio.

UPDATE: Thank you all for your very helpful explanations and recommendations. I have a much clearer idea of what the recommended course of action is and will be investigating an analog mixer and better microphones.

Fairly clueless newbie here.

Is it possible to use a laptop with free, open source software as a digital mixer for live theatre? What hardware would be necessary to connect wireless mics as input and powered speakers as output.

We have managed to run our lights with QLC+ and an eDMX2 Max (usb to dmx connection). Looking for something similar for sound.

We are currently researching costs for two 15" powered speakers and stands. We have 2 Rockville RWM-4Z Wireless Quad Microphone systems:

Features

• Quad UHF system with 20 adjustable frequencies per microphone
• Includes two handheld mics, two bodypacks, and two headsets
• Metal rack mount receiver with LCD display for easy monitoring
• Individual XLR outputs for each microphone and mix output
• Operating range up to 400 feet indoors for flexible setups

So, we have the above x 2 and can mic 4 actors with headsets.

When budget permits, we will probably be looking for less visible headset mics.

We will ultimately want to mic 8 actors.

I guess we could purchase additional Rockville headset mics. Or, go with another manufacturer and purchase mics and receivers (as I'm told it's not possible to mix and match mics and receivers from different manufacturers -- is that correct?)

Right now, it seems like it might be less expensive to spend money on speakers and whatever the hardware is called that would connect the laptop to the mics and speakers. If such a thing exists?

Thank you!

Forgive me if this isn't the place to be posting this, but I'm reaching out to a couple communities on Reddit to see what their "life-saver", "must-have", and "under appreciated" scenic tools, supplies, and PPE are?

To give some context, I have a love of construction, hands on work, and taking mundane materials and making them into something completely different. With folks knowing this, I'm finding myself in the midst of potentially falling into a scenic roll for a potential show I'm working on. Although its not going to completely change my career (or not planning it to) the items will more than likely overlap with hobbies and other projects I work on outside of the "9-to-5".

I could ask google or ChatGPT what are the top things I should get and use, but I'd much rather talk to folks in the industry and see what real working professionals think, recommend, and do's and don'ts =)

Some other context that may be important is that I'm in Texas, USA. I currently have a decent amount of DeWalt XR 20v hand tools (if that shapes battery-powered tool recommendations) and I'm a big "cry once" proponent, so I'm willing to spend more if it means whatever is being recommended will last 30 years and I never have to buy another one, or if it means saving me time, so I can spend more time at home with my family, or can help me come home with all my fingers, toes, and eyes. haha

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for any help, guidance, and wisdom y'all can provide =)

So, I’m starting a new job where I am (in part) taking over management of a prop shop. I have been a scenic carpenter off and on for a long time, and spent some time as an electrician, but whenever I’ve worked in prop shops in the past I’ve mostly been put on larger scenic-adjacent projects like furniture building or larger dressing pieces.

Any good resources out there to get me thinking about some of the go-to techniques and materials specific to prop shops? (Alternatively, I’m also going to have the chance to play with a CNC router, 3D printer, and potentially a vacuum table.)

The title is pretty self explanatory, I love both. I now have a professional credit in sound design though, which means that is the path I am looking into at the moment. I love writing and have written a few plays now, which I have not yet really put out there, but before sound design came into my life I was mostly successful as a writer in different mediums.

The problem is that I know both of them are quite hard to get into, let alone maintaining a career in. I am doing both at the moment little by little, in my early 20s at the moment, but recently put together a sound design portfolio and that completely put me off of writing a play I was working on because “what’s the point?” Is it possible to exist as both? Do you know anyone who has done both?

I think my problem is that I have experienced being pigeonholed by producers in the film sector, where if they knew you as a sound designer, they wouldn’t think to look at your scripts or even get into “sophisticated” story-telling conversations with you, the way they do with other producers, directors or writers. If this is the same in the industry I am going into, maybe it’s just best to give up on one. I don’t really want to hold out hope or put any more effort into learning to write for the industry, and would rather save myself the time and money of sending scripts to festivals or polishing them to make them “industry ready.” I would still keep writing as a hobby, but obviously there’s a difference.

What do you think?

I’m planning a design that includes a significant amount of 80s/90s/00s office supplies like CRT computers, big printers, photo copier, etc. Any suggestions where y’all might start looking? This stuff should be free, but I fear the era we want might be too long ago/ who wants this outdated junk? Throw it away.

I’m planning a design that includes a significant amount of 80s/90s/00s office supplies like CRT computers, big printers, photo copier, etc. Any suggestions where y’all might start looking? This stuff should be free, but I fear the era we want might be too long ago/ who wants this outdated junk? Throw it away.