I want to hear what other people carry and what backpacks they use. Maybe get some inspiration. I personally always carry:

1. My Macbook Air M4

2. An organizer with chargers, Ethernet adapters, USB adapters and Video Adapters.

3. A script for the current production.

4. Sony 1000XM6's

5. Anker 10.000mAH PB

6. Notebook

7. Headlamp and a Olight flashlight.

8. Leatherman Wave

9. Workphone

I'm interested in what you carry and what you carry it in.

We're flying a 2200+ lb set piece across two arbors. We have attached the batons to each other rigidly, but are still concerned about them moving evenly. We would like to be able to marry the arbors also, just for added security for a single operator.

The caveat is that there is another, unused, lineset in between the two married ones, so we are unable to use a joining plate. Anyone successfully done something like this? I'd love to hear about your approach. Thanks in advance.

Edit: Got the thought train I needed. Thanks all.

hey yall. i’m a grad student in a technical direction program and i’ve started to think about summer stock for this summer. does anyone know/have any leads on theaters in alaska that have summer stock?

I will be running a collection of custom-built pixel tape tubes for an upcoming production. I purchased a Falcon controller to control the 900 or so RGBW pixels (so many addresses . . .) Hopefully someone in here is familiar with this device that can perhaps help me out.

I'm trying to get my controller properly configured to run my pixel tape. I'm using SK6812 RGBW tape from BTF, which I know is GRBW order. I've set up my outputs to GRBW, and have tried both WS2811 and APA109 types, but when I run the test mode the Red, Green and Blue Fade tests just run a washed-out multi-color fade. White works fine.

Is the test mode just not going to send the proper signal for GRBW, am I doing something wrong, or do I need to get different pixel tape?

I will be running the lights over E1.31(Art-Net) from my ION 12k, but I don't have access to it to test at the moment and I'd rather feel confident that things are functioning properly by the time I do.

Thanks!

I'm creating a prop for a community/school production that would be a physical analog clock (probably prebuilt purchased from Target or something). I'm hoping to mod it so that, from my MacBook, sitting in the wings, I can control the movement and speed of the hands of the clock. I don't have too much experience with electronics and the like, so any help would be greatly appreciated! I would prefer not to use a 3d printer, because it's pretty hard for me to access one.

Hello folks, I’m currently an undergrad student and am interested in learning more about lighting design, but feel like my lack of experience (and speed with what all I can actually do) necessitates some sort of precursor before I jump straight in. I do realize I could ask my advisor and peers but in thinking now about it I’m curious about what you practitioners have to say!

It might be worth noting that I’m currently enrolled in a not-so-useful Lighting Sound and Tech class but am also in a very-helpful Lighting Production Lab. While I feel like I’m getting more comfortable with the foundational parts of each phase (hanging, some programming, focus) I do feel like the programming class could give me another semester of just playing around with everything and getting more comfortable and quicker which might better prep me for LDI. I guess if this were condensed into two questions I’d ask you whether you think a)programming is a necessary precursor to LDI and b)would you personally take it specifically for that extra practice and speed or prioritize Production Labs

Thoughts?

I've been working on a CAD tool that's designed for building events and shows. It doesn't make skyscrapers or gardens, it's never going to be subscription only, and it runs fast on laptops that don't cost a kidney. I'm calling it DownStageCentre Drafter. Its tools are open source so anyone can extend it or tweak how things work. Currently it's in open beta.

DSCDrafter.com

DSC Drafter currently has the core CAD workflow->

Import DWG or PDF.

Tools to build your event- trusses snap together, lights rig to lighting bars, ect

Patch fixtures, add labels.

Create paperwork of the design and create reports to patch and get kit lists from.

If you've built events in CAD before, the UI should feel familiar. I've introduced a few new concepts like how departments no longer need to be their own class or layer- they're their own thing! Also, objects can be freely rotated in all dimensions- no more trusses stuck in a top down rotation!

I've been working on this on & off for 8 months between gigs. I've had a few people use it, but I want to open it up to the community. The program is still in Beta, and it's not a commercial product (yet).

The website has a coming next section, but what I'm hoping to get done in the next few weeks are:

Replacing the current generic truss library with actual truss items.

Finishing the speaker & speaker array tools.

Adding a kit summary object for paperwork.

Price- One-off licence, optional paid upgrades, Free during beta & if one day there's a subscription for it, it'll be the Qlab model- renting goes towards paying for a perpetual license.

AI disclaimer- I've used AI significantly to create DSC Drafter (but this post is 100% human written!).

does anyone have any examples of business card design for this industry? especially if you work multiple disciplines. i’m a very jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none technician so i don’t want to get too niche. if anyone has examples they like please send!! (even if it’s just a template you used or mock-up — i don’t want your personal info!

Hi folks- just wondering if anyone had used the Cue Light App and managed to get it to work? Or if anyone had any favourite cheap alternatives to a portable cue light system.
Would just need one control station for the DSM and one cue light for someone else.

Apologies in advance if this is the incorrect subreddit to ask this. I’m cross posting on a few subreddits to try and find what I’m looking for, but I’m unsure as to how to describe it or if it even exists.

So for context I’m currently a part of a small troupe trying to put on their first show with very minimal funding. We don’t think we’re going to be able to stretch our budget for a band, and the songs in the show we’re doing have a lot of moments where pauses between verses can and will vary depending on the night. (IE: script calls for actors to improv, the pause/instrumental loop and dialogue length don’t match up well, etc.)

Usually, this problem would be solved by having a live band and conductor, but we can’t do that. We also have tried rehearsing with the official backing tracks provided and it’s not going great to say the least.

Basically what I’m asking is, does anyone know of a music program we may be able to recreate the backing tracks in that has multiple looping functions? Or even a sound editor we could splice the provided tracks into? That way, we can have a sound guy just hit a button to end a loop with it still sounding clear. I’ve put a short midi into Soundtrap to demonstrate around what I’m thinking, the only issue is that Soundtrap only has one loop available and it seems to “jump” a little whenever I turn the looping function off/on.

TD;DR: Any program with multiple loop feature, preferably one that could be activated automatically and/or with keybinds/outside equipment?

We have a small stage (I think about 20ft wide, electrics are about 15ish feet tall probably?) We are doing a Halloween show and there will be a few numbers where the sets and costumes are painted with paint that'll glow in the blacklight. I am looking for lights that are powerful enough to light the stage, but preferably under $200 for all the lights.

I am thinking I only need about four pars? And the nm from my research needs to be at least 400? Am I correct in those two thought processes? Thank you so much in advanced for helping a kids theater show!

P.S. I know that you "get what you pay for" but this is a small show and it will only be used for two numbers. That is the budget unfortunately.

I'll start:

In general stock for a venue/company. If a cable is long enough that, in common use, you can't see or reach both ends, it should have matching connectors on both ends. Eg, XLR3M-XLR3F, PowerCON grey + blue, etc.

I don't want to get ambushed if replacing a cable or troubleshooting by finding a 20M long cable that's 16A Ceeform on one end and powercon on the other. Adapters should be less than 3m long so it's easy to see what's being adapted to what.

Exceptions for permanent/semi-permanent install and specific cables that live with matching equipment. But even then they should be labeled clearly if both ends can't be seen in typical use.

Hello all !

I recognize this thread probably toes the line of what is acceptable to talk about on this sub, but I think that this goes beyond the "is AI ethical in our line of work." With the conversations right now around AI's use in decompiling software, including what is happening with PS5, Adobe, and Microsoft Office. These are all software packages that used to have a purchase option, but with the change to subscription as a service, no longer offer the option for perpetual ownership of a license. With AI reverse engineering and decompiling, people have started to create free and open source versions of software like Photoshop, Excel, and we are even nearing the completion of a native PC PS5 emulator capable of running online and network services.

We all hate vectorworks, and there is not an alternative that provides the features that VWX does in regards to light plot tools and community standard. How are we feeling about a world where we have the option to create an alternative to VWX? This is purely hypothetical, VWX hardly works and I cannot imagine how to deal with the numerous bugs that would come with it, and with it being coded by whatever your AI agent of choice is, it would require manual code scrubbing and troubleshooting, but in a world where VWX is rinsing us for $1000+ a year for a software that hardly works and is so bloated with unnecessary features at this point.

THIS THREAD IS AN ETHICS CONVERSATION NOT A PRACTICAL CONVERSATION OF THE STEPS ONE WOULD TAKE TO DECOMPILE VECTORWORKS

I'm working on a production of the Little Mermaid in a pretty small theatre (about 140 seating capacity). We've had good luck with practical sound effects before, and I'd really love to do that for the splashing sounds throughout the show. It's a tight space with not much backstage room and a lot of cast buzzing around, though - is there any way I can get that sound without launching water all over the place?

Hello!

I have been doing tech theater for 6 ish years now I have used a adjustable crescent wrench then a husky ratcheting mechanics wrench and crescent for a couple years

I figured i better get proper tools for my job
I havnt asked many people what there tools are but most of who I have asked had a ratcheting wrench recommended the lightspeed wrench

I was looking at:

Barbizon Light speed wrench (ratcheting wrench)

Apollo little focus 6 (focus tool)

Apollo little focus 3 (focus tool)

Matthew’s patriot wrench (focus tool)

Thank you :)

Basically the title. Help

does anyone have or know of anywhere i could get cue list and plots for shows. i have been looking around for cue list for Beetlejuice and Hamilton but haven't been able to find anything

Wanted to pick the communities brains - the theatre I work for is interested in acquiring some low lying fog machines. We’re specifically looking at the Chauvet Cumulus HP and the Cloud 9X, since they don’t require dry ice, an ice bath, or C02.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I’ve heard good things about the original Cumulus secondhand, but since that’s been discontinued, I’m interested in opinions on its successor and on the professional version in the Cloud 9X.

I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but basically I wanted to know if anyone has any advice for me. I recently landed my first dep agreement with a long-running West End show (and a popular one at that - not going to say any more specifics because if my colleagues figured out who I am I’d be so embarrassed). I’m loving the show, and learning my tracks, and I’m really proud of myself because working professionally in technical theatre has been something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now, since I was a kid.

But one thing I can’t seem to shake is how lonely I feel being a dep. I can’t quite explain it, but even though I’m over a month in, and my HOD says I’m part of the team now… I still feel like I’m an outsider. I hear the full-timers in my department talking and hanging out together before/between shows, and while I know I can join them I just feel like I’m an extra person that they don’t really want around and I can’t shake that feeling. How do I make connections and build professional working relationships when I feel like I’m intruding all the time?

I’m hoping to try and get some more dep roles under my belt soon (which is a whole other can of worms because I don’t have any idea how to even start doing that - this one was a pure case of right-time right-place) and maybe that will help? But the constant fear is there that I won’t, and maybe this show will stop offering me shifts and I’ll be stuck with nothing again… or maybe I’ll get more and still feel like this? I’m definitely getting caught in my own head here, so I just want to know if anyone who’s been in my position has any advice for getting out of this cycle of doubt?

EDIT: everyone’s been so lovely in the replies - I’m going to take all your advice and trust that it will feel better the more I calm down and ride it out! Thank you everyone :)