# Messing with the noobs



## elliot47 (Dec 31, 2011)

What are some creative ways that you guys have tortured your knowledge-lacking light crew noobs? I'm out of ideas and we have a couple of lighting crew noobs coming in this semester. One year we told them that all the gels needed to be washed. Another year we told them to go find us a cord strecher in the shop. Any other ideas?


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## gafftapegreenia (Dec 31, 2011)

Make sure you balance out all the teasing with teaching.


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## shiben (Dec 31, 2011)

Have them call the shop for a couple cans of Light Stop. Call said shop in advance and get them to tell said noob its out of stock, call another shop. See how many you can get in on the joke before they call 4Wall or PRG or something.


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## Call911 (Dec 31, 2011)

Tell them to go refill the strobes with more blinker fluid. Works every time.


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## chausman (Dec 31, 2011)

Are you sure that's how you want to "welcome" new techs? Watch out. Some of them might actually know something when they get there. That could be a great way to be very "disliked", shall we say, by your peers, who you then have to work with later. If you must annoy people, try Derekleffew's approach: 

> Education through fear and intimidation is my most effective tool!


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## Pie4Weebl (Dec 31, 2011)

I once gave a board op crap for powering down the desk with out lamping off my Mac 301s!


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## josh88 (Dec 31, 2011)

We used to have non major techs who had to work in the shop for class lab hours, it's not specifically lighting but when they were in the way the two favorite lines were to get the board stretcher or the henway. 5 minutes later theyd ask someone what's a hen weigh? Standard response was, about 3 pounds


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## ScottT (Dec 31, 2011)

Pie4Weebl said:


> I once gave a board op crap for powering down the desk with out lamping off my Mac 301s!


 
Now that's good!


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## shiben (Dec 31, 2011)

chausman said:


> Are you sure that's how you want to "welcome" new techs? Watch out. Some of them might actually know something when they get there. That could be a great way to be very "disliked", shall we say, by your peers, who you then have to work with later. If you must annoy people, try Derekleffew's approach:


 
Most every place has some sort of light teasing/hazing if you want to call it that going on with the new people. Especially in a high school/college setting, it can be fun if its not very serious, and actually can help build a tighter unit, by creating a common/shared experience. The key is that its silly not dangerous or mean. Asking for the board stretcher, a henway, or light stop cans are silly, not serious, and if you dislike someone because they play a joke on you as the new guy, you need to do a reality check. People will always give the new guy crap and most people accept thats part of it and carry forward the tradition. The ones that dont get disliked. As for the ones that "know something"... Those are the ones I tend to worry about at a college level. Would worry more at a High school level, but have not been there in a while. They are the ones with the egos, and something is about the extent of what they know...


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## gafftaper (Dec 31, 2011)

I would discourage nOOb pranks in high school. A prank in high school can be devastating to the new person who wants to fit in especially freshmen who are often still struggling with their personal identity. So, in high school pranks should really be saved for people who already are part of the group. By college we are more sure of ourselves and willing to laugh at ourselves. 

On the other hand, I've used the old "board stretcher" myself on my college students several times, while I was the teacher. I had one beautiful moment mid load in when things weren't lining up well. I turned to a student who was always a little too sure of himself and whom I knew was often full of crap. I asked if he knew where I keep the board stretcher in the shop and he insisted he did. He disappeared for about 10 minutes as he searched for it. Eventually returning with a set of giant 36" clamps. Good times for all! It was a good unifying moment for the crew. But don't do them in high school, you don't know the person or how fragile they may or may not be. You can really ruin someone with bad timing on a prank in high school.


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## Van (Dec 31, 2011)

I agree with Gaff, Good natured ribbing goes a long way to help camaraderie but it can be devastating to younger folks. That being said, My favorite shop gags were to send someone to the local store to get more spirit level fluid 'cause it was time to change it out and we could get going 'till they came back with some. Along the 'Wood Stretcher" line I'd wait for them to come back with something and I'd say, " No that's the Metric one I want the standard wood stretcher!"


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## zmb (Dec 31, 2011)

Make sure that some instruments are gelled with R00 and then make sure they check that it hasn't burned out.


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## randomtangentsrme (Dec 31, 2011)

I managed to get a crew member to spend 20 minutes looking through a small storage container for multi-hued paint. 
It has to be there- look again.
Bless him. Not until 4 of my other guys were standing with me watching him that he finally looked up and realized we were having him on.

PS. If at first they don't believe, remind them how amazing Live performance technology is.


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## Wood4321 (Dec 31, 2011)

I also agree, don't pick on the noobs...
But....
Back in the day,
Take this gel and wash it....
Stand back and watch the panic


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## jxgriffi (Jan 1, 2012)

Our favorite was sending them to the shop for A) fallopian tube or B) Cervical grease for the winches.


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## jxgriffi (Jan 1, 2012)

Woodj32177 said:


> I also agree, don't pick on the noobs...
> But....
> Back in the day,
> Take this gel and wash it....
> Stand back and watch the panic



Oh how I loved watching that!!!!


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## MPowers (Jan 1, 2012)

A few years back while serving as TD for a very large outdoor summer gig, the ME sent one of the naive young electrics apprentices into town for a sky hook. We're out doors. We're rigging things from and between 40' tall towers. To the young and uninitiated, that sounds like a reasonable request. The first place she stopped at told her they were out but gave her the contact for another company. When she got to the second place, they took pity and decided she had suffered enough. So....they let her in on the gag and sent her back with a 5' tall, 2500# crane hook in the back of the truck and a $3500 "bill" for the ME, plus a $300 loading fee and another $300 fee for off loading on return. That was 30 years ago and I still remember the look on the ME's face when she showed him the hook and the bill. He didn't pay with master card, but it WAS *"PRICELESS"* !!!!


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## dvsDave (Jan 1, 2012)

My 10th grade science teacher sent one of my more air-headed classmates down to the main office to get "fire proof matches". She came back and said that the front office had told her they were out.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## Grog12 (Jan 1, 2012)

I sent a ME of mine to the head of the tech dept during reh once with the message "I know our budget is limited but I need a case of Bend o Ray"

I told a young electrician who needed Edison plugs that we needed to make more and they were downstairs on the plastic press.


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## MPowers (Jan 1, 2012)

Grog12 said:


> ........but I need a case of Bend o Ray......



A beam bender is a real device. see the second item down on the page:

Drop In Iris


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## Nelson (Jan 1, 2012)

MPowers said:


> A few years back while serving as TD for a very large outdoor summer gig, the ME sent one of the naive young electrics apprentices into town for a sky hook.


 
Ask me for a sky hook and I'll come back with an assortment of antennas!  That's one of the nicknames that ham radio operators use for antennas.


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## DrPinto (Jan 1, 2012)

dvsDave said:


> My 10th grade science teacher sent one of my more air-headed classmates down to the main office to get "fire proof matches". She came back and said that the front office had told her they were out.


 
While she's at the office, have her bring back a box of black highlighters.


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## zmb (Jan 1, 2012)

Ask them to go grab the anti-light instrument up in the booth when you need one dark spot on stage. Tell them it uses a solar cell that captures the energy and feeds it back into the building.


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## lighttechie5948 (Jan 1, 2012)

Not related to lighting, but last summer we had a new Production Stage Manager who was a little sure of herself. During the day, the carpenters screwed luon over her stage manager outcove. 

She came in and asked them if they minded if she moved the "set piece" that was in the way of her outcove. They of course said it was no problem. She went to move it only to realize that it wouldn't budge. It took her a good 10 minutes to realize what was going on. 

Being the arrogant SM she was, she went into the shop and got a screw gun to take it off herself, only to find two more layers of luon under it.

She learned very quickly not to mess with the carps.


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## shiben (Jan 1, 2012)

lighttechie5948 said:


> Not related to lighting, but last summer we had a new Production Stage Manager who was a little sure of herself. During the day, the carpenters screwed luon over her stage manager outcove.
> 
> She came in and asked them if they minded if she moved the "set piece" that was in the way of her outcove. They of course said it was no problem. She went to move it only to realize that it wouldn't budge. It took her a good 10 minutes to realize what was going on.
> 
> ...


 
Reminds me of a buddy of mine who was running a pair of GMAs on a set and the props people rigged the table for smoke under the GMAs, and LX rigged a kill switch to the two consoles, which then activated the smoke. Apparently he had a minor heart attack when both his consoles suddenly died and what looked like magic smoke started coming out...


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## gafftaper (Jan 1, 2012)

jxgriffi said:


> Cervical grease for the winches.


 
I can't stop laughing about this one, it's wrong on so many levels.


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## ship (Jan 2, 2012)

Done the who has the fill gas pumps for those lamps low in output - who has it between departments? Obviously - you only want to send them about that are well established if not further in personality which is fair game. Very important not to at any level take advantage of those that are not ready for it.

id10t forms are from the military the best in a getting someone to go for. Spell it out - IDIOT form. But again, not something for armature to go on the hunt for - something to humble on the search for in a go getter that has it but is going a bit far in getting. Concepts in who to do so. Not something to do to others to be taken lightly - metric crescent wrenches and all. You don’t do it when busy or to those that are not ready for such a game in their advancement. Ready for something hard to tell and if in question if help or hurt - don’t do it.


Ok, best I ever did was sending someone to the home center for “Checkerboard Paint.” With any really really good concept for a joke in someone being suspicious of it’s concept - you have to have ready a good explination of how it works. Sure, you can even these days buy some form of board stretcher, but imagine if you have in stock the expiation of how checker board paint works for that joke. You joking with me? No, this is how it works... It’s all about the ionization of particles, think about ionizing sun-glasses. They work due to the amount of light ambient. This paint works in the same way in electrons lining up one way or another. (Distraction in explination is the best way of making one’s case for how something else works.)

Yep, worked well and given recent spray paint developments might not work as well but still as a concept there is no checker board paint available. Not possible, but if you describe the science behind it sufficiently... seems feasable. Just got to confuse with useless unrelated science and leave out the details of how to make like 1.5" squares in detail. Details replaced with say how ions align and separate to the poles in sun glasse aligning as a distraction. Story good, science good = shopped for and one can believe it was probably more than one home center person confused. Confused by the science understood by the shopper fully (possibly some acting training to make it seem real in science and that need for it on a project.) Home center people added fair game in if you make the science real enough to the shopper... they will also fall for it in nope not having it but trying to help the customer find it.

Best level of joke you can go for is in capturing not just a shopper for it - just special order it already... If you have convinced the buyer about the science in ions lining up sufficiently, they will sell your product sufficiently in buyer to sell most sales staff. This sufficient to sent it up to corporate to get by X date from corporate.

That’s a win win situation in if it don’t exist, nobody hurt or perhaps more educated in the end. Done that.


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## Les (Jan 2, 2012)

ship said:


> Ok, best I ever did was sending someone to the home center for “Checkerboard Paint.” With any really really good concept for a joke in someone being suspicious of it’s concept - you have to have ready a good explination of how it works. Sure, you can even these days buy some form of board stretcher, but imagine if you have in stock the expiation of how checker board paint works for that joke. You joking with me? No, this is how it works... It’s all about the ionization of particles, think about ionizing sun-glasses. They work due to the amount of light ambient. This paint works in the same way in electrons lining up one way or another. (Distraction in explination is the best way of making one’s case for how something else works.)
> 
> Yep, worked well and given recent spray paint developments might not work as well but still as a concept there is no checker board paint available. Not possible, but if you describe the science behind it sufficiently... seems feasable. Just got to confuse with useless unrelated science and leave out the details of how to make like 1.5" squares in detail. Details replaced with say how ions align and separate to the poles in sun glasse aligning as a distraction. Story good, science good = shopped for and one can believe it was probably more than one home center person confused. Confused by the science understood by the shopper fully (possibly some acting training to make it seem real in science and that need for it on a project.) Home center people added fair game in if you make the science real enough to the shopper... they will also fall for it in nope not having it but trying to help the customer find it.
> 
> ...



As someone who works in a home center paint department (and has mixed their fair share of 5gal buckets of flat black for high school stages), this is hilarious!!


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## zmb (Jan 2, 2012)

Here's another paint one.
Paint some disgusting color as base on the set and when someone asks why it looks so unpleasant, tell them that it is RGBAW paint and it has be hooked up to the light board before it is usable.


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## chausman (Jan 2, 2012)

zmb said:


> Here's another paint one.
> Paint some disgusting color as base on the set and when someone asks why it looks so unpleasant, tell them that it is RGBAW paint and it has be hooked up to the light board before it is usable.


 
But of course, then they would need to find a cinch-jones connector, because all the DMX paints are CMY now.


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## rochem (Jan 2, 2012)

zmb said:


> Here's another paint one.
> Paint some disgusting color as base on the set and when someone asks why it looks so unpleasant, tell them that it is RGBAW paint and it has be hooked up to the light board before it is usable.


 
Not as much of a myth as it sounds:  

ThinkGeek :: Bare Paint Conductive Paint


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## BobHealey (Jan 2, 2012)

Another fun one, when projecting in black and white or other forms of monochrome, is to send someone out for a bucket of Technicolor. Made more sense when dealing with film products, but still semi-relevant.


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## jxgriffi (Jan 2, 2012)

gafftaper said:


> I can't stop laughing about this one, it's wrong on so many levels.



I know it is....but you should have seen the shop manager's face when the guy came in and asked for it.


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## ScottT (Jan 2, 2012)

That's a right handed screw driver, I need a left handed one!


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## Grog12 (Jan 2, 2012)

MPowers said:


> A beam bender is a real device. see the second item down on the page:
> 
> Drop In Iris


 
Beam benders and cans of aresol Bend O ray are two different things.


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## Nelson (Jan 2, 2012)

You can't forget the classic "metric" c-wrench! Next time you're hanging a fixture made offshore, tell someone you'll need a metric c-wrench since all the bolts are metric.


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## mstaylor (Jan 2, 2012)

Of course everyone knows you have screwdrivers for putting screws in and others to take them out.


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## Grog12 (Jan 2, 2012)

Nelson said:


> You can't forget the classic "metric" c-wrench! Next time you're hanging a fixture made offshore, tell someone you'll need a metric c-wrench since all the bolts are metric.


 
I'm a fan of left handed screw drivers and paint brushes.


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## Van (Jan 2, 2012)

Grog12 said:


> Beam benders and cans of aresol Bend O ray are two different things.


 
In rattle cans I prefer. "Lumen-B-Gone" and "Spill Suck". 
"Liquid Dark" and "Ambient Gloss" are two of my favorite colors to request


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## Beans45601 (Jan 2, 2012)

I remember in high school, our tech theater teacher was less than qualified and told me to go wash a gel. My response was something like "you realize that gels are not made of gelatin anymore... right?", which did not make me very popular.


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## Beans45601 (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh and we used to have new people plug in an instrument and when it didn't work (no power), we would tell them to lick the male stage pin, maybe it wasn't making contact. Of course they licked it and plugged it in and it worked (because we turned the circuit on).


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## ship (Jan 2, 2012)

Beans45601 said:


> Oh and we used to have new people plug in an instrument and when it didn't work (no power), we would tell them to lick the male stage pin, maybe it wasn't making contact. Of course they licked it and plugged it in and it worked (because we turned the circuit on).



Problematic in if it now works one might assume a solution if at some point they don't fully get the joke. Licking a bad plug could make sufficient contact sufficient to make it work for as long as the water on it makes for a decent connection. It's assumed perfectly good plug but shouldn't be in that person perhaps finding a bad plug that shouldn't be plugged in and using it.


This lamp is dim.... Shake it, look at it under lighted magnifying glass, search for the lamp fill kit - as if fiber optic cleaning kit. Not where it should be. Distraction of getting pissed off that someone has your lamp pressure fill it and didn't tell you they were borrowing it.

Go see X in the moving light repair dpt. and see if he has it (acting type of pissed off like way - was going to teach you how to use this thing - hook up to it's fill pinch and after filling it re-welds the glass.) Nope X don't have it, see X your boss in moving lights.... see x in conventional fixtures, see x in productions... etc. 

Before such a "customer" leaves, make sure they understand how expensive this cordless fill pinch lamp fill tool cost - It being gone is not making you happy. Get really pissed off about such an expensive cordless tool that you explain for cutting the fill pinch and re-sealing it after the gasses are re-filled. Make sure after they find it that they let me know who had it because I'm going to rip them a new rear for taking it without telling me.

Pissed off about it being gone given how new of technology it is and how expensive it is, was going to teach you about it - a sort of mentour type of thing, but cannot now. Dagnamit - will have educated you some, but someone took it without my permission!


That type of thing makes for a good search by an enthusiastic noob that's looking to learn in also if done correctly meets those people they should in who runs or does what in the company - in a way they will never forget. Best to pre-arrange such tours of the people to know in the company with stock answers and who to go to next in ending with "the grumpy old man of the theater", who is not in on the joke... As said before or above, fun to one extent for one person - and useful in education and or getting to know people, but not sufficient fun unless this person takes it to a second party that's not in on the joke and it makes for a reaction from them. Careful though in such a level you take it - could cause trouble.


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## TimMiller (Jan 3, 2012)

My favorite vendor for everything I ever needed that no other store has. KaleCoAuto, Hard to find automotive items!


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## misterm (Jan 3, 2012)

in high school, we sent a kid for the skyhook, which he searched for literally all day until we broke down and told him the truth. 2 or 3 weeks later, jokingly, "hey aaron, go get the skyhook, heh heh." he went looking for it AGAIN. three times in one year we got him. it just stopped being fun after a while.


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## ScottT (Jan 3, 2012)

misterm said:


> three times in one year we got him. it just stopped being fun after a while.



Now that's just mean


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## museav (Jan 3, 2012)

shiben said:


> Most every place has some sort of light teasing/hazing if you want to call it that going on with the new people.


Yep, and here it has led to the cancellation of all band programs in one metro county's schools after two graduates of one of their high schools were injured, one fatally, in recent collegiate band hazing incidences with other graduates among the suspects in those incidences. Apparently all band activities are cancelled until the County School Board can review the band programs and assess if hazing takes place or is promoted as acceptable practice.

The issue seems to be that even if you know the limits of what may be acceptable, that may not be true of everyone and some may view acceptance of any form of hazing as any hazing being accepted. If someone else takes it too far, acceptance of lesser incidences can be seen as contributing to that. Just something to think about.


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## Lightguy5 (Jan 3, 2012)

The BMI pocket catalog has some great products on their last page. I like the mosaic paint.

In the theaters I work in, we only use BeamStop, but only in the aerosol cans. BMI used to carry it, but since California banned the propellant, they only make it in pump spray bottles, and it doesn't work as well. You should call to see if they have any left in their warehouse.


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## shiben (Jan 3, 2012)

museav said:


> Yep, and here it has led to the cancellation of all band programs in one metro county's schools after two graduates of one of their high schools were injured, one fatally, in recent collegiate band hazing incidences with other graduates among the suspects in those incidences. Apparently all band activities are cancelled until the County School Board can review the band programs and assess if hazing takes place or is promoted as acceptable practice.
> 
> The issue seems to be that even if you know the limits of what may be acceptable, that may not be true of everyone and some may view acceptance of any form of hazing as any hazing being accepted. If someone else takes it too far, acceptance of lesser incidences can be seen as contributing to that. Just something to think about.


 
Right. But its going to happen, and in the vast majority of cases, its harmless fun, and everyone realizes it. I find it ironic that the band program was banned due to this, I will put money on their football team had hazing all of one's freshman year and half of the first year on varsity going on, and that no one bothered to do anything about that... If the leadership of the groups in question keep it safe and keep it fun, then things should be fine. If someone cancels a theater program because the new guys get asked to go get things that dont exist, that program was going to be ended this year anyhow, for one reason or another. And if someone takes it too far, punish them and move on, before the school steps in. Or just make it clear where the line is.


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## ship (Jan 4, 2012)

museav said:


> Yep, and here it has led to the cancellation of all band programs in one metro county's schools after two graduates of one of their high schools were injured, one fatally, in recent collegiate band hazing incidences with other graduates among the suspects in those incidences. Apparently all band activities are cancelled until the County School Board can review the band programs and assess if hazing takes place or is promoted as acceptable practice.
> 
> The issue seems to be that even if you know the limits of what may be acceptable, that may not be true of everyone and some may view acceptance of any form of hazing as any hazing being accepted. If someone else takes it too far, acceptance of lesser incidences can be seen as contributing to that. Just something to think about.



Very valid and proper point to present. No matter how much fun or joke - or even control you have over such a thing as even searching for a sky hook - it should never be common practice "hazing". Didn't even do hazing in the 80's when I was in high school. There is and should be no tradition for it.

Sorry if was misunderstood in constantly playing jokes on people or taking advantage of that respect and trust they have with me. I am a very serious person but with a light and helpful teaching way about me. Also almost never loose my patience or cool.

What tricks I might play are at times only and only with them that are up and coming in first gaugaging an appriciation of their efforts and that can gain and fully understand what has been done. There is a certain level of maturity for those I might. Hard to explain such a concept of who proper to or at times do so on - but shouldn't be a practice or without a lot of consideration on the person done to.

Kind of just like with my Wife tonight at work. She didn't hear the call to clean up and go home and asked about it while I was there to a Shop Manager. He said he made the call, I confirmed it, her response was that she didn't hear it. Instanct in her one of the hardest workers in the shop was for a joke. Hand to mouth in duck quacking mimic and a "Baak baak, baak" type talking sound out of my mouth to explain why she didn't hear the call. Was chatting away.

In actuality, my Wife was in another building where the speakers get lost in the room and busy. Still though, given her work effort - it was a perfect opportune joke. Best of the jokes in the above concept are moment of opportunity and very similar in not pre-planning. Spur of the moment and best for those that will in the end know you were giving them a hard time but it was a joke. Know them well enough that such a joke you know won't cause harm. Just to be more clear in the above is absolutely correct in concept.


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## mstaylor (Jan 4, 2012)

I think there is a big difference between hazing and joking with somebody. Hazing is designed to humiliate or even cause physical discomfort to a person. This is a problem because it has an escalation property to it where irresponsible people will take it to a point where injuries and even deaths result. Look at the idiots at Florida. 
Joking a noob is a practice that does two things, shows a guy how much he has to learn or helps bring a guy into the group. The former types of jokes are usually played on somebody that thinks they know way more than they do and needs to be shown they have more to learn. The latter is done to somebody that shows promise and you just want to play with so he feels more comfortable. 
I agree that you have to be careful who you joke with but some people tend to be too sensitive about things sometimes. Hazing should be banned.


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## ship (Jan 7, 2012)

mstaylor said:


> I think there is a big difference between hazing and joking with somebody. Hazing is designed to humiliate or even cause physical discomfort to a person. This is a problem because it has an escalation property to it where irresponsible people will take it to a point where injuries and even deaths result. Look at the idiots at Florida.
> Joking a noob is a practice that does two things, shows a guy how much he has to learn or helps bring a guy into the group. The former types of jokes are usually played on somebody that thinks they know way more than they do and needs to be shown they have more to learn. The latter is done to somebody that shows promise and you just want to play with so he feels more comfortable.
> I agree that you have to be careful who you joke with but some people tend to be too sensitive about things sometimes. Hazing should be banned.



Very well broken down and done. In further question of extensive "joke" to a co-worker that is now such and ready for it.

Where can one do so and or what policy is it hazing or dependant on the up and comer might all want to have for at least beyond as it happens, guidelines for who or when to do so?

You have a very good starting concept and argument, how to sum it up needs more detail in advice to all - and thanks.


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## shiben (Jan 7, 2012)

mstaylor said:


> I think there is a big difference between hazing and joking with somebody. Hazing is designed to humiliate or even cause physical discomfort to a person. This is a problem because it has an escalation property to it where irresponsible people will take it to a point where injuries and even deaths result. Look at the idiots at Florida.
> Joking a noob is a practice that does two things, shows a guy how much he has to learn or helps bring a guy into the group. The former types of jokes are usually played on somebody that thinks they know way more than they do and needs to be shown they have more to learn. The latter is done to somebody that shows promise and you just want to play with so he feels more comfortable.
> I agree that you have to be careful who you joke with but some people tend to be too sensitive about things sometimes. Hazing should be banned.


 
This is what I think I was trying to say.


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## museav (Jan 7, 2012)

mstaylor said:


> I think there is a big difference between hazing and joking with somebody. Hazing is designed to humiliate or even cause physical discomfort to a person. This is a problem because it has an escalation property to it where irresponsible people will take it to a point where injuries and even deaths result. Look at the idiots at Florida.
> Joking a noob is a practice that does two things, shows a guy how much he has to learn or helps bring a guy into the group. The former types of jokes are usually played on somebody that thinks they know way more than they do and needs to be shown they have more to learn. The latter is done to somebody that shows promise and you just want to play with so he feels more comfortable.
> I agree that you have to be careful who you joke with but some people tend to be too sensitive about things sometimes. Hazing should be banned.


I get what you are trying to say and in the case of someone who thinks they know more than they do there is a purpose to it. However, while I used to think that things like sending people looking for non-existent items was harmless and helped build relationships, as I get older I wonder more and more what type of relationships you actually create when they start with deception and abusing people's trust. It's an approach that needs to be applied carefully.

A bit off the direct topic, but one of my past employers once held a team building event. A day of the entire company together, no barriers, etc. However, the mandatory event was held on a weekend, apparently no one considered that this meant that salaried and commissioned employees received no compensation for attending the it while hourly employees were paid overtime. Because of that the 'team building' event actually created greater division in the company. Based on that and other experiences, I have found that activities planned specifically to build teams can end up creating greater division.


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## shiben (Jan 8, 2012)

museav said:


> I get what you are trying to say and in the case of someone who thinks they know more than they do there is a purpose to it. However, while I used to think that things like sending people looking for non-existent items was harmless and helped build relationships, as I get older I wonder more and more what type of relationships you actually create when they start with deception and abusing people's trust. It's an approach that needs to be applied carefully.
> 
> A bit off the direct topic, but one of my past employers once held a team building event. A day of the entire company together, no barriers, etc. However, the mandatory event was held on a weekend, apparently no one considered that this meant that salaried and commissioned employees received no compensation for attending the it while hourly employees were paid overtime. Because of that the 'team building' event actually created greater division in the company. Based on that and other experiences, I have found that activities planned specifically to build teams can end up creating greater division.


 
2 things:

1 - I doubt most people will really consider it an abuse of trust to have someone ask them to go get a board stretcher. Especially when everyone laughs, and then buys the dude a beer that night for being a good sport. 

2 - No one likes team building events but managers, who get to say they did something to build the team. You could pay everyone triple overtime, and they would not enjoy their experience.


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## mstaylor (Jan 9, 2012)

Team building is something that some highly educated person came up with to justify their existance. Usually the only team building it produces is a common dislike for the process.


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## josh88 (Jan 9, 2012)

shiben said:


> 2 things:
> 
> 1 - I doubt most people will really consider it an abuse of trust to have someone ask them to go get a board stretcher. Especially when everyone laughs, and then buys the dude a beer that night for being a good sport.
> 
> 2 - No one likes team building events but managers, who get to say they did something to build the team. You could pay everyone triple overtime, and they would not enjoy their experience.


 

that's the problem, I know I've done it but it has been to friends and people I really know. When you start doing things even that simple to someone who's background you don't know. You have no idea what they may or may not view as abuse. Kids have self esteem issues and to get laughed at by everybody even if "its just a joke" it might really set off something inside of them because of humiliation from some other school etc. In a high school/early college setting you can't go buy them a beer afterwards.

Like I said the good natured stuff, with someone you know well enough to subject to it can be fun and light hearted. But my time at this high school has shown me you really don't know what is going on in the minds of kids or how they are reading events and actions.


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## mstaylor (Jan 9, 2012)

I am a firm believer in having fun at work, kidding each other and the like. I also believe you have to be able to take as well as dish it out. I have worked with guys that loved to pick and play practical jokes, but couldn't take it themselves. I had a guy that wanted to fight because he thought I had done the exact joke he had done to me when I started. The funny thing was, I hadn't pulled the prank but I still made it clear to him that if he wanted to play, then it was going to come back at him.


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## mozsey (Jan 9, 2012)

Got an iPod touch, an EOS or Congo family console connected to wifi, and 50 dollars to spend? 

Get the iRFR app and set up some black out cues and strobing effect cues before hand. Sit them down telling them you're going to train them on the board. Get the app ready, telling them you're going to take notes. Have them do a bunch of commands. When they've done all you've asked, tell him to hit update q only. Right when they hit enter, hit go to go to blackout. Look at the screen and say, "well let's try again." The moment they hit a channel to full, hit go and make the lights strobe and chase. 

Pretty lengthy, but I enjoy it. Introduces them to the board and the app.


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## ship (Jan 10, 2012)

One of my guys is a computer nerd and knows the website for them. Got this think called the Annoyatron which is battery opperated and can be put anywhere from the website. Good stuff - at least better than when he took over my computer and made for pop up windows that were confusing or re-wrote my keyboard for me. Thought we got back on him in taking a tile of his computer screen or something like that. Lots on the computer one can do. Last thing we did was to set a wall timer clock hidden within lots of cables feeding one of my assistant's commputer. Every day (break time) at 3:31PM it would shut off for one minute. Was to drive him crazy in his break time computer shutting off during break. (IT people have been informed of all computer jokes including on me.) 

Most jokes I allow between fellow employees in staying out of if at times the idea for but no role in. That's to guys that have worked with me for years and sort of expect it. Confetti cannon blowing up when one turns on his work table power, fan with confette and chulk line dust plugged into their outlet when powering up for the day, heck even a high power fan installed into the packing peanut storage funnel for the shipping lady which is powered up by her computer outlet for her monitor.... turn on the computer, packing peanuts go everywere and hard to shut down.

Jokes can go as they go also. Once sent out a care package of parts packed with popcorn. That was popular for a time as a packing peanut replacement for a while. Bought out every package of popcorn in the vending machine and burned each one of them as for packaging.

Was to be a good joke for packing up a care package, unfortunately the rep. from us opened the box in front of the tour rep.... not good in a serious rear chewing on my part for a good joke but not good in having done so.


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## nimblebrain (Jan 11, 2012)

elliot47 said:


> What are some creative ways that you guys have tortured your knowledge-lacking light crew noobs? I'm out of ideas and we have a couple of lighting crew noobs coming in this semester. One year we told them that all the gels needed to be washed. Another year we told them to go find us a cord strecher in the shop. Any other ideas?


 
send them to the local theatrical dealer to pick up a " Luminsuck" - thats that thing that picks up footcandels where you dont want them and deposits them where you meant them to be  whats even better is if you get the supply house to play along and ask them if they need a medium or large sucker....if they are good runners they will actually call and ask you which one they should get.

embarrasingly, we did this to a runner at the big Theatre here in town years ago...but to flip it back on the Theatre TD we at the supply house prepped a box and stenciled the lumensuck logo and model # on outside and..invoiced the TD. it still sits on his prize shelf ...


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## JCarroll (Apr 1, 2012)

One of our guys was sent to another shop to pick up a couple Mac 2ks and they know him a little bit. He calls us right after he gets there and said "So and so was wondering if we wanted the color frames for these 2ks, or if we already had them..."


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## Mutton (Apr 3, 2012)

Preface: in college right now.

In order to keep a group of freshmen busy for 20 minutes one of the light-shop supervisors sent them for a cable-stretcher.

A group of us convinced one of our painters that there was such a thing as a wood-welder.


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## avkid (Apr 3, 2012)

Mutton said:


> A group of us convinced one of our painters that there was such a thing as a wood-welder.


Umm......
Model 4000 Welder


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## BobHealey (Apr 3, 2012)

I managed to convince the folks doing the annual Source 4/Shake bench focus that the Selecon fresnels in stock also needed bench focusing. Took them 5-10 minutes to figure it out.


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## marmer (Apr 3, 2012)

Here's a really good example of something not to do, but it's still funny so I'm going to tell it. Don't try this at work, kiddies. One of the guys I work with got his start right out of high school in a TV repair shop. One of the old guys there had developed a tolerance for small AC shocks. He would bring a newbie over to his bench, touch some electrified component inside a TV, and say something like "I can't tell if this is warm or not, touch it and tell me." The newb would touch it, BZZZT, and recoil from the shock. The old guy would look confused and say "No, I meant this, see?" or something, and touch the part, solidly, again. So the newb would reach in again and BZZZT again. Eventually either the newb would wise up or the old guy would have mercy and stop.


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## balderson04 (Dec 20, 2012)

Reviving an old thread:

While working at as a machine repair mechanic (apprentice) at a factory (in the 70s), we actually made an "offset file". We took a flat bastard, cut two inches out of the centre and welded the cutout back in but "offset". Sent a new apprentice to stores for it and had the new stores clerk frantic looking for it. Eventually nearly everybody in the plant found some excuse to line up at stores while these guys looked for the offset file. We finally "found" it under a pile of things, went around the corner, did two swipes with the file on the machine we were working on and sent him back with it.

The only person who didn't think that was funny was the foreman, when the line practically went dead while everyone lined up.


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## DELO72 (Dec 21, 2012)

My freshman year of college we were hanging a show and running cable to the fixtures and we had one run that was 1' short of what it needed to be to reach the unit. I was told to "go get the green cable stretcher-- NOT the orange one- that had been accidentally left on the weight floor." I got as far as the rung ladder and stopped just as I put my hand on the first rung, and said, "Wait a minute...." to which behind me I heard laughter and cursing of, "**** it! SO CLOSE!!" *sigh*


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