# Figured I'd make a quick intro...



## chrispo86 (Mar 22, 2008)

Hi all!
I stumbled upon this forum while searching through google for who knows what about two months ago and never actually took the time to say hello! I've been reading through a lot of the posts and I've been finding so many interesting topics it never really crossed my mind.

I'm mainly a lighting guy, though I've been moving into more of a "let's get my hands in everything" kind of position recently. I'm 21, just graduated college in December with a degree in electrical and computer engineering (yeah, didn't do technical theater, though it is a consideration in the back of my mind to go back for that).

I'm not really on a crew, I help out at my high school as much as possible. They started bringing me back as a contractor after I was still helping out for a full year after I graduated (what can I say, I enjoyed it!). I'm more of like a stage crew advisor without the salary and without having to teach at the school full time. I enjoy what I do and like having a challenge, and helping out with the high school crew fits both bills.

I worked with a few people who really knew what they were doing while I was in the school, so I picked up a lot, and now I'm trying to share that knowledge with the current students, because there really isn't anyone like that left. Though my predecessor as LD just came back with a teaching position this year...

Our auditorium is falling to pieces, like many other high schools, and I've been trying to help them figure out how to make the most out of what we have, which isn't much. But for what we've got, I think we do an excellent job. I help out at Commack High School in New York btw.

So yeah, I think I'll let that wrap it up.
Happy to be here, looking forward to finding lots of interesting things!


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## porkchop (Mar 22, 2008)

Hey what do you know I'm an ECE major too. I actually find that it really helps in understanding some of the stuff I work on. Basic hello shpeal goes about like this, post, post, POST. If you have a question, ask, if you have an answer, tell it. You might get hackled in jest if your wrong (I get a lot of that) but we really aren't all that mean. Use the search function there's a lot of info in this place, if you find something and it's been covered before, but you need/want more info on or or thought something new has come up feel free to bring it back to life. Just look at dates, it's a little annoying when someone posts "yah, me too" on a thread that hasn't been posted on since 2006 (story of my first post here BTW). Have fun and enjoy....and watch out for the Aussies.


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## Van (Mar 22, 2008)

Welcome Aboard! What a great background for someone interested in Technical theatre. As we mive further and further into the 21st century, as in all aspect of life, theater is becoming more elctronic and more computerized. If you stay involved.. who knows? you might just invent the next great control protocol. Anyway, ask what you want answer what you can. There are no stupid questions, except the ones unasked. < and the ones answered 14 times already, use the search.>


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 22, 2008)

I'll toss my howdy do's into the pot as well. We can always use young blood in the theater...hmmm, that sounds like I'm setting someone up as a sacrifice. It's great to ahve you on board and there's nothing wrong with wanted to be involved in everything. I think it rounds you out and makes you a more important employee.

Have fun, join into the frey and remember, if you can't be good, be careful. And if you can't be careful, take lots of pictures!

Charlie


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## Hughesie (Mar 23, 2008)

Welcome to Controlbooth

Learn Heaps and use the search function


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## chrispo86 (Mar 23, 2008)

Thank you for all the warm welcomes! It seems like such a knowledgable bunch here and I think I'm going to learn a lot.

I have to agree that I've found my engineering knowledge has helped to give me a better grasp as to what is going on in the theater. It helps you to get a more intimate knowledge of the equipment you're working with.

I would love to get into designing circuitry for theater related equipment, especially lights as they grow ever more complex. If anyone has a job hookup, I'm in the market...


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 23, 2008)

chrispo86 said:


> Thank you for all the warm welcomes! It seems like such a knowledgable bunch here and I think I'm going to learn a lot.
> I have to agree that I've found my engineering knowledge has helped to give me a better grasp as to what is going on in the theater. It helps you to get a more intimate knowledge of the equipment you're working with.
> I would love to get into designing circuitry for theater related equipment, especially lights as they grow ever more complex. If anyone has a job hookup, I'm in the market...



No, but I have a lot of cable up in the booth that needs wrapping...

Seriously, I worked a theater that had moving lights and it was always amazing to me how much time they spent being repaired. if I was going to do it over again, I'd definitely go into that line. The Cyberlights were ALWAYS broken - we had six just to be able to run three or four, usually two. We had one that would reprogram itself at the end of the show, so we had to feed cue back into it just prior to the show (hassle much?). I'm actually happy to be with a theater now that doesn't have robotics. It takes just hours to hang and focus a plot as opposed to days...progress isn't all that its cracked up to be at times. 

Charlie


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## derekleffew (Mar 23, 2008)

chrispo86 said:


> ...I would love to get into designing circuitry for theater related equipment, especially lights as they grow ever more complex. If anyone has a job hookup, I'm in the market...


Chris, Welcome to CB! Regularly visit the websites of the major players: ETC, Strand, High End, Vari-Lite, Martin, MA Lighting, even Elation. Many post job openings. Of course you'd need to relocate, but Middleton, WI is beautiful!

Spikesgirl, you've given more ammunition to my belief that, in many (most) cases, it's better to *rent* moving lights than to *own* them.


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 23, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> Spikesgirl, you've given more ammunition to my belief that, in many (most) cases, it's better to *rent* moving lights than to *own* them.



Renting is the way to go with robotics, especially the Cybers. However, I never had a Studio or a Vari go down on me during a show, it was just the stupid Cybers that made my life hell. 

Charlie


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## gafftaper (Mar 25, 2008)

Did someone mention a sacrifice? I'm working on a new garlic ginger and green onion marinade...


Welcome to the booth Chrispo! There are so many applications of your specialty in theater. I'm beginning to feel like I need a networking degree to just get run the lights! I like Derek's Idea of watching the job postings. You never know what you'll find.


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## Hughesie (Mar 25, 2008)

gafftaper said:


> Did someone mention a sacrifice?.



well we did have baked logos on the menu last week. but no more

how about some nice jump steak (kangaroo)


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 25, 2008)

Hughesie89 said:


> well we did have baked logos on the menu last week. but no more
> how about some nice jump steak (kangaroo)



Not to be confused with skirt steak, I suppose...

We're having a massive mailing tomorrow and I'm making brownies - does that count? I put ginger in them...but only because they don't let me put other 'stuff' - we'd never get the labels on straight...

Charlie


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## Hughesie (Mar 25, 2008)

Spikesgirl said:


> they don't let me put other 'stuff'


if you put arsenic in them you would just have kids laughing at the name.

poor humour eh,

well its 12:49pm here.


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 25, 2008)

Hughesie89 said:


> if you put arsenic in them you would just have kids laughing at the name.
> poor humour eh,
> well its 12:49pm here.



Actually, I was thinking of something a little more organic than arsenic. Besides, it can be so bitter. Curare is a much better choice, tastewise, but that has to be introduced topically, not ingested, so that's a no go.

Charlie


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## Hughesie (Mar 25, 2008)

oh i see, 

spikesgirl, we're not in the 70's anymore

nothing is groovy anymore, k


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 25, 2008)

Hughesie89 said:


> oh i see,
> spikesgirl, we're not in the 70's anymore
> nothing is groovy anymore, k



Heck, even back in the 70's, I wasn't 'in' the 70's. That had to wait until the 90's. You have to remember I hail from the Land of Fruits, Flakes, and Nuts. 

Here, anything is possible.

So, Chrispo, what do you have coming up next?

Charlie


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## chrispo86 (Mar 25, 2008)

Not too much. Actually, that's totally a lie, Jekyll & Hyde next weekend, so we're just getting into hell about now lol!

Other than that little thing, nothing really...


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 25, 2008)

Are you the one working on the lab? Yes, I am too lazy to go back and check. Just wondered if there were two production going or not. I'm on a two week 'down' period until we start installing the set for "Charley's Aunt" and the auditions for "Full Monty" - when it rains, we all get wet.

So, what's your favorite show to date? Most stessful? Most 'I can't believe it's finally over' show? 

Charlie


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## chrispo86 (Mar 25, 2008)

Yeah, that's me with the lab. That would be tomorrow's project actually lol.

Favorite show, this one is definately up there on the list. Never done anything on this scale before, we're pulling out all the stops. But probably Les Mis tops the list. It was the last show I did as a student in the high school I'm still helping out at. It was not even a year after it went off Broadway and it was just a phenominal show. I've done a lot that I've enjoyed, Fiddler, Arsenic and Old Lace was a great show, The Princess Bride was another hysterical one, and we did Clue back in November which was great.

This Jekyll and Hyde is definately turning out the most stressfull. I think it's because we have a lot of things hinging on other people, the carpenter who's been helping with the set keeps disappearing, our electrician who was supposed to be fixing things we discovered yesterday royally screwed up and tapped into some wires he wasn't supposed to touch, so now tomorrow me and him have to sit and figure out how to fix it. He's a great guy and helps us out with sooo many things (he's great for special effects, I mean, he works for Grucci (the fireworks company) when he's not playing school district electrician). There's just so much stuff going on all at once, it's hard to keep a grasp on everything.

Can't believe it's finally over, Oklahoma. I couldn't stand that show haha.


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## gafftaper (Mar 26, 2008)

Spikesgirl said:


> Actually, I was thinking of something a little more organic than arsenic. Besides, it can be so bitter. Curare is a much better choice, tastewise, but that has to be introduced topically, not ingested, so that's a no go.
> Charlie



I'm a big fan of Iocane powder. It's colorless, odorless, and kills almost instantly!


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

gafftaper said:


> I'm a big fan of Iocane powder. It's colorless, odorless, and kills almost instantly!



I'll add that to my repertoire - never know when you need to drop an annoying TD or frustrating director in their tracks...Thank you!!

Charlie


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## Logos (Mar 26, 2008)

gafftaper said:


> I'm a big fan of Iocane powder. It's colorless, odorless, and kills almost instantly!



And as we all know comes from Australia.

Although how a very short Sicilian living in the late feudal period managed to get a supply I will never know.
Dread Pirate Roberts was of course a sailor and we all know about sailors.


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## gafftaper (Mar 27, 2008)

Thanks Logos! I was hoping if I served that up someone would be there to hit it out for me.


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