# Hello everyone!



## Sparkie (Feb 6, 2007)

Found this site a few weeks ago and have since spent a bit of time here and thought the time was rip to join and hopefully contribute, although there already seems to be heaps of knowledge here. Been involved with theatre for 30 years or so now in all capacities, except on stage and directing, and really, who wants to do that. Tech stuff is much more fun.


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## Chris15 (Feb 6, 2007)

Well let me be the first to say welcome to Controlbooth. I'm sure that you'll pick up a thing or two along they way as I am sure we will learn a bit from you. Again welcome.

(I BEAT VAN! -could not help myself)

And after further reading, I LOVE that signature...


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## Van (Feb 6, 2007)

Welcome aboard ! I love the signature too ! 
sidenote. Chris Congratulations !


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## Sparkie (Feb 6, 2007)

The signature is a reference to the first time I used 'intelligent' lights (some Golden Scans when they were new). I was doing an outdoor gig for someone who had written one of those 'arty' performance pieces. He decided that he had to have moving lights along with a a couple of hundred par cans, some conventional fresnels and profiles and some monster follow spots (his money) and a desk that I had never seen before.
Being as it was daylight saving I couldn't start work until 10pm and rig, focus and plot had to be done in 1 night for a performance the next. But at least the scaffolding had been erected during the day, just not in the right place.
To cut a long story short, those bloody 'intelligent' lights just would not go where I wanted them to. And to cap it all off, just before dawn the mist rolled in and everything (desk included) was covered with a nice layer of dew. Now I was starting to get a bit worried lest I fry myself but time was running short and the job still needed to be done. So out came the insulated screwdriver for all the button pressing and on we went.
My girlfriend (now wife) arrived about 6.30am to take us for coffee and she found a couple of blokes "with their eyes hanging out, getting a bit carried away with these lights that were doing their own thing floating a couple of feet above the ground and coming to get us". She thought we may have been on something! Actually it was the rotating gobos pointed towards the grass but projecting onto the almost invisible mist. Great effect but almost impossible to repeat on command.
We did manage to get some sort of plot together and the show went on, although we were still plotting bits and pieces along the way.
'twas a very interesting way to be introduced to 'intelligent' lighting. Unfortunately since then I have still only used them very rarely.


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## Van (Feb 6, 2007)

I love it ! I love out door theater as well. I did lighting for the Theatre at Tsa La Ghi, one summer. Nothing like ghostly drumbeats and shadows moving through the audience at 4:00 in the morning when you've been focussinf since 8o pm.


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## dvlasak (Feb 8, 2007)

Welcome to Control Booth!!

Dennis


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