What is this page for?
When a technically inclined individual enters the proscenium arch of a theatre or into a concert hall and sees the endless amount of work ahead of himself, it can be discouraging to know that the only help you will have is the six pack of Surge that is in your backpack. It has been my experience that people can be taught the simple things that can help you, the technically inclined individual, in a dramatic way. You just might be able to get that little amount of sleep that will allow you to go that extra mile the next day. This page will aid you in the teaching of the not so inclined, while offering a more technical look at the equipment you are using.
Who is this page for?
This page is intended to make the lives of everyone on crew just a little easier. It will give the beginner to the field enough experience so if you said, "hang up that 36 degree Source Four in the center of batten 4 and Gel it with a Rosco 26," he/she would know exactly what to do.
There will also be a lot for the experienced techie. lighting, sound, projection, rigging, and pyrotechnics will all be covered in this project. This is intended to be used for undergraduate students attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute who are active in the theatre program. It will be geared to gain knowledge on setting up equipment used by Lens and Lights, the Lighting, Sound, and Projection organization on campus. The equipment that is covered belongs to that organization. Though topics will be generalized, in the end it is their gear.
How do I use this page?
This project can be read cover to cover like a book, or read for specific knowledge on a certain topic. It is up to the reader what he would like to do. The project is generalized for a setup in any venue, but specific examples come from WPI's gear. The search engine will aid you in your search for a specific topic if desired. I do have some tips on how to find what you are looking for though.
First have an idea what you want to learn about. Then you must know how much you want to learn about that subject. It isn't a good idea to just jump into lighting design until you have been a Master Electrician for a few shows to gain that perspective of the job in respects to the theatre application. Most pages are ordered so you can read for basic knowledge on the opening page of the subject, or link to other pages for more information.
Navigation
On the top and bottom of every page, you will see the following:
All pages are in a particular order, which is outlined in the table of contents. The first arrow will take you back to the previous page that would appear in the table of contents. The next squiggly arrow will take you to the top of the section you are on. So if you are looking at page about fresnels, it will take you to the first page of the section which would be lighting instruments. The next arrow will take you to the next page in that section as ordered in the table of contents. Think of it as a forward button for you. The cow you see will take you to the table of contents for that whole topic of discussion (Lighting, Sound, or Projection, etc). The Deer will jump you to the search engine.