Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Stagecraft/Archive 5

members template
just joined here, looks like the template for new members is either incorrect, not being used correctly, or both. i fixed what i could, should be an easy clean for someone who ranks a bit higher than i do, any seconds to change/fix the template? thanks, and hello all. i look forward to working with you --drmartini 22:19, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

LED fittings
Does anyone think a article on LED stage fittings is needed? I am working on a show at the moment and we are using some Martin Stagebar LED fittings (I will try and get a picture taken of them). Leaderofearth 11:40, 27 October 2007 (UTC)
 * LED Stage Lighting Instruments could definitly use an article. The show I'm currently working on at Concordia College, Moorhead is using quite a few, the school I work for just bought some, and the Concordia Christmas Concert later this year is using even more, so I would definitly be able to help with the article.  Right now I'm too busy to start one, but I can definitly try to answer any questions and provide some sources if needed. -JWGreen 17:22, 27 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Just got the LED's in today- We got 12 City Theatrical Color Blast-12's. We are using them as a groundrow for a backdrop and cyclorama, with cyc lights from the top.  The beam spread wasn't quite what we needed, but a little R-104 Tough Silk took care of that.  I'll be sure to get pictures once I have some more time, but for now most of my time will be spent focusing all the conventionals. -JWGreen 22:32, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I had my brother take pictures of the Martins last night, I just have to wait for him to get home and upload them. I will get him to take some pics of the pacifics we have have up as well. Leaderofearth 22:58, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I have just uploaded A front veiw of a Martin Stagebar photo.

I will try and get onto starting an artical after this show. Leaderofearth 08:16, 14 November 2007 (UTC)


 * Finaly got the article started. LED Stage Lights.

Leaderofearth 09:42, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

I have photos on my flickr of the Concordia Christmas Concert, which used an LED groundrow as well as 60 other LED fixtures. There are also some good photos of Gobos in use and general stage lighting. If any of the photos look like they would be good to use on Wikipedia, I'd gladly change the license on a few to Creative Commons so they can be used on Wikipedia. I also will have a few photos of the actual LED's once I get my memory card back from the lighting designer. -JWGreen (talk) 18:30, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

2007 Broadway Stagehand Strike
Hello everyone, as all of you are most likely aware, currently all productions in theaters run by the Shurbert, Jujamcyn, and Nederlander organizations are not running due to a strike during contract negotiations between Theatrical Protective Union Number One (Local One) and the League of American Theaters (The League). I ask that everyone please refrain from any nonobjective edits in regards to this strike. I do have some information about this strike and the contracts in question and the strike. If anyone has any questions feel free to post them here or on my talk page and I will do my best to answer them. I also plan to update the article page for the strike with what I know tonight. So yeah any questions? --Lekogm 23:39, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

I changed the importance rating to a mid class. As it is a current event we don't know what the long term effects will be, and at the moment I didn't think it met the requirements of a high importance class. On the other hand, I hope it gets resolved soon. Leaderofearth 11:11, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

Useful Website

 * Glossary of terms A - D
 * Glossary of terms E - O
 * Glossary of terms P - Z

Sad News
I just recieved news of the tradgedy at Yale University where a student was fatally injured durring load-in for an upcoming show. Please keep him, his family, and fellow students in your prayers. -JWGreen (talk) 00:52, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Happy Belated Birthday! Do you know what your gift is? It's roll call!
So uh...... yeah. Apparently back on September 5th we turned 1. The only reason I know this is because I was just thinking, "When did this project start?" I want to thank all of you for the hard work that you do and for all the little things you do. Moving right along, we have 49 active members of this project listed. Somehow I'm not seeing that much editing going on from a majority of this list, myself included. Let's see who is still around and working. And while you're at it, tell us what you're holiday plans are for this group. If you guys don't answer by the middle of December, you're inactive --Lekogm (talk) 06:25, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Lekogm
Well, it seems like I've been neglecting a lot of stuff on here. I'm going to spend the next month cleaning up the project's pages, figure out how to update the templates we have and maybe make them better, and keep on top of the Broadway Strike. Which reminds me, a common trend I'm seeing now that this strike is out there is that no one knows what IATSE really does so I'm going to try and work on the IATSE article page and make it spiffy. As always if you have any questions leave a message. That's pretty much it for me so now it's your turn! --Lekogm (talk) 06:25, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Leaderofearth
I am out of shows until next year, other than a paid event and some matinence tasks. Wikiwise I have started a article on Led fixtures and am watching other project articles. Leaderofearth (talk) 06:38, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

48v
I was bogged down too much for any real editing for quite a while, but I've been trying to keep up lately. Lately I'm mostly into starting brief articles, largely stubs from the requests page or redlinks. Let me know if you can think of other ideas for me, and I'll do the best I can. I'm a high school senior, so i've been spending a lot of time applying to colleges, but judging by the deadlines, that should slow down pretty soon. :) At any rate, I'm still around and as active as time permits. 48v (talk) 06:48, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

JWGreen
Just got done with the fall musical at Concordia, Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical), and have started on the Concordia Christmas Concerts. Just got the murals today as well as the fiber optic curtain and a few other rented lights. So far we're ahead of schedule (knock on wood) despite late shipments. I am planning on expanding the LED fixture article as I am working with 80 plus of three differnt kinds of LED fixtures on the Christmas Concerts, I am also watching my watchlist and reverting vandalism and whatnot. I probably won't do many edits in the next three weeks as I work over 40 hours in addition to classes the week after Thanksgiving, and then run the concerts, and then its finals... Wish me luck! JWGreen (talk) 07:01, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
 * UPDATE: Well, as of now, I have finished the most of the projects untill February. I just found out my college is buying a Flying Pig Systems Whole Hog iPC, so I have that to look forward to.  I noticed that there were no articles about High End Systems, Flying Pig Systems or the Whole Hog consoles, so I may write one of those in the future.  I will be getting photos of some LED fixtures at some point, but they ended up on my boss's computer and not mine somehow, so I'll have to wait to get those from him.  I will also be working load in and out for a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert this friday, a 13 truck show... but that will be the largest rig I've ever seen so its worth it (they pay doesn't hurt either). -JWGreen (talk) 20:23, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

KeepOnTruckin
Im here. I just designed an interesting light project. I had 5 mins of music and I had to design a light show to it for a black box theater, which has 25 channels. Moving lights were not available for use. So that took some time due to the channel constraints, I had to decide what to twofer and such. The next thing i am doing is working on a so-called tech one-act, with no actors. I hope to base it off of one of Ray Bradbury's short stories. it involves an automated house which continues to function after a nuclear blast annihilates the US. Also we just got an ETC Insight light board with 10,000 cues. I dont know how I will mangage to fill them all. KeepOnTruckin Complain to me 22:04, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Sounds a lot like my final for my Intro to Lighting Design class. We had a fixed light plot (all we could change was color or gobos) with the exception of any three conventional fixtures we could hang anywhere.  I've used an Insight once, wonderful thing to work with, especially since I learned on an Expression 3 and Express 196.  The one act project sounds interesting... telling an entire story with lighting sounds like a challenge. -JWGreen (talk) 22:44, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
 * The house also has to burn down and collapse, and there are loads of small robotic cleaning things. Still working on the house burning down, but we might use a couple video projectors. And we have a cool fire gobo to put in a gobo rotator, which will look good. And then of course we can use the MACs to project their fire stuff. But it still wont look real. Oh and we will have a little narration to explain some stuff. But not too much. KeepOnTruckin Complain to me 18:35, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

Kmccoy
I'm still here. Touring whenever I can, but unemployed at the moment. I don't write much, but I do try to make occasional copyedits. And if anyone needs an admin for any issues, I'm happy to help. kmccoy (talk) 07:05, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Moojoe
I'm here. I keep planning on added a major addition to the rigging page, but due to work and life, havent had the time to finish writing up everything. Started an article on Luc Lafortune though, which Im hoping to expand soon. ---Zachary Cohen (talk) 07:59, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

DJSparky
Here. Busy, busy... 'Tis the season for fireworks/ pyro prep for the New Year. If someone has some free time, could they look over the article on theatrical smoke and fog and see if I've managed to restore / maintain an adequate NPOV?? Thanks. DJSparky (talk) 04:13, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

Binksternet
Usually I'm screaming busy gigging up to Thanksgiving and then things ease off somewhat for the holidays. This year the busy-ness extended to mid-December but here I am finally with two moments in a row to catch my breath. Me and the wife will soon be driving 755 miles (1215 km) from Oakland, CA to Prescott, AZ to see her folks for Xmas and we'll check out some roadside America along the way. Yes, the Grand Canyon in snow is a must-see. Won't be seeing Yosemite in snow this year but it's highly recommended. Marvelously awe-inspiring vistas and the crowds stay away in droves. Binksternet (talk) 04:54, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

Help with image
I'm sure someone here knows what these poles at stage right of the Moore Theatre are for. Could you please recaption on Wikimedia Commons (and maybe categorize) accordingly? - Jmabel | Talk 20:58, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Those aren't poles, those are jacks used to keep flats up. --Lekogm (talk) 22:22, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Aha! Makes sense. Shows which side of the fourth wall I'm usually on. - Jmabel | Talk 21:11, 19 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Proper name is Stage Brace according to 'Backstage Handbook' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 160.79.104.100 (talk) 20:01, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

2007 Energy Bill
Any idea how the 2007 Energy Bill will effect theatrical lighting? If all incandecent lamps are phased out, I'm sure there will be a large impact. Does the ban also apply to halogen lamps? Without halogen or tungston lamps, we pretty much have no light source which can be sharply focused. LED's cannot be focused, flourecents cannot be dimmed, HID's put off too much heat for many applications, and would ultimatly draw more electricity than incandecents. Anyone else have any thoughts? -JWGreen (talk) 07:22, 19 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Our government down here in New Zealand is looking at a similar scheme. Hopefully common sense would prevail and we would be allowed to keep using Halogens in theatre lamps. Otherwise the entire lighting industry would disapear overnight (I have never had and probably never will have a budget to light a show using just LED's and HID movers). And unless the government is going to pay to replace all the lights that are in service that are effectivly rendered useless by not being able to replace the lamps. Also new technology means we can get more light out of 1200W Pacific now than a older style 'Zoom Spot' with a 2K lamp in. So that is a increase in efficiency in itself still using effectivly the same type of lamp.

Rant end. Leaderofearth (talk) 09:31, 19 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Not that it would provide a solution if such a bill passes, but cant flourescents be dimmed with a special dimming ballast, but not to low levels? KeepOnTruckin Complain to me 21:43, 19 December 2007 (UTC) Oh and on a side note, which really belogns under my roll call, I met a guy today who goes to NC school of arts and he has actually worked on a show with John McKernon! (made Lightwright). Evidently Mr. McKernon is very short.
 * Fluorescent lights burn differently than incandescent lights and would have an adverse effect on what we are trying to accomplish with light. --Lekogm (talk) 18:17, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Fluros can be dimmed, but not to nothing. And in my opinion there is nothing worse than seeing lights snap on then fade up on stage (I saw some nasty looking LED parcans do that in a show a while ago).Leaderofearth (talk) 22:05, 19 December 2007 (UTC)


 * A friend of mine just wasted two weeks installing compact flourescent's into all the chair and step lights in their theatres (4-5 in a University setting), and then promptly taking them all back out again because the internal ballasts were crating too much ambient noise. The buzz on the audio system was unbearable. DJSparky (talk) 16:32, 22 December 2007 (UTC)


 * I only found that the bill (in the official summary, anyways) requires that government buildings use flourescents for all general-purposes. Theatrical lighting would certainly be exempt, and even if it was phased off of the market I doubt theatrical suppliers would be affected at all. Also, Australia's ban has a provision for halogens, and I believe these acts are modeled off of one another. Hotshot977 (talk) 21:16, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

I use CFL's in my house wherever convinient, but they certainly aren't always appropriate. http://sound.whsites.net/articles/incandescent.htm has a great article about many of the drawbacks relating to the ban in Australia. Certainly they are not a viable option in theater. Also, he cautions strongly against using conventional dimmers on fluorescents. I have done so successfully before, only using the dimmer as an on off switch (dimming profile had 0 and 255 only.) Even for this, he had to add some incandescent clamp lamps offstage to keep the fluorescents from spontaneously flickering while "off." 48v (talk) 08:44, 24 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Some CFLs can be dimmed successfully on a standard household dimmer but most of the ones we get over here are designed to work in places with a dodgy power supply. So when you try and dim them by reducing the voltage they pull more current to compensate, and pulling more current out of a small dimmer tends to kill them. Easy money charging the customer to bypass there dimmer because they tried to dim a CFL.