# Theatre 'Manual'



## scoreed (Sep 17, 2010)

Hey Guys
I am currently in the process of creating a 'manual' for our theatre as I am leaving next year.
I am an all-rounder and have been involved in almost all roles.
So far I have:
- A Pre/During/Post Show Checklist
- Description of Audio Feeds (from/to)
- Examples of my Cue Sheets
- Dimensions and Measurements of the Stage and Loading Dock including Acoustic Features of the auditorium
- Equipment List
- Contact Numbers
- Security Information
- Evacuation Plans
What other information do you think should I put in the Manual?

Thanks


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## derekleffew (Sep 17, 2010)

Perhaps something in the collaborative article Venue Tech Info Packet - ControlBooth would be helpful. See also this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...ty-operations/17349-show-your-tech-facts.html .


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## 2mojo2 (Sep 19, 2010)

Some instructions on running the lighting system would be valuable.
Many schools have quirky light boards and daunting manufacturer's manuals (or none at all).
A few pages of practical instructions could prove invaluable to a future light tech.


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## mikefellh (Jun 1, 2018)

*I realize this is an ancient post* (almost as old as the last time I wrote a manual for this auditorium which was 2009), but this summer I'm rewriting the manual for the auditorium I run and since this (ancient) thread is on topic it might be a good topic to bring back to life to hear what you have done to share some ideas.

In addition to this FULL manual I plan to have cheat-sheets in the various areas so if you forget (or didn't RTFM, Read The Full Manual), you can get things going.

Here's the topics I put in my last manual (of course this time there's a lot of new stuff like using extenders), different judging equipment (we have photographic competitions), and some new safety stuff including an AED.

Introduction................................................................................................................. 3 

Safety & Emergency Procedures.................................................................................... 4 

Making safety announcements............................................................................................................ 4 

Power blackout procedure................................................................................................................... 4 

Fire evacuation procedure................................................................................................................... 4 

Using the fire extinguishers................................................................................................................. 5 

In case of an injury.............................................................................................................................. 5 

In case of damaged equipment............................................................................................................ 5 

Ensuring your personal safety............................................................................................................. 6 

Handling halogen (projector) light bulbs............................................................................................ 7 

Opening/Closing the Building....................................................................................... 8 

Opening the building............................................................................................................................... 8 

Closing the building................................................................................................................................ 8 

Auditorium Setup for Any Presentation......................................................................... 9 

Lighting................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Ceiling fluorescent lights.................................................................................................................... 9 

Side track lights................................................................................................................................... 9 

Equipment Setup................................................................................................................................... 10 

Setting-up computer.......................................................................................................................... 10 

Setting-up projector........................................................................................................................... 11 

Freezing and blacking-out projected images..................................................................................... 11 

Powering off the projector................................................................................................................ 12 

Irfanview (Software used to display images)........................................................................................ 12 

Setting Irfanview options.................................................................................................................. 12 

Using Irfanview for presentations..................................................................................................... 13 

Sound System........................................................................................................................................ 15 

Auditorium sound equipment............................................................................................................ 15 

Projection booth sound equipment.................................................................................................... 15 

The Mixer.......................................................................................................................................... 15 

Connecting laptop or DVD player to auditorium patch panel.......................................................... 17 

Judging Sessions........................................................................................................ 18 

Using Irfanview for judging sessions................................................................................................ 18 

Using Irfanview to select winning images........................................................................................ 18 

Judging Machines.................................................................................................................................. 19 

Blue Box............................................................................................................................................ 19 

USB or computer based scoring........................................................................................................ 20 

Suitcase Scorebox............................................................................................................................. 20 

Future content 22


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 17, 2018)

derekleffew said:


> Perhaps something in the collaborative article Venue Tech Info Packet - ControlBooth would be helpful. See also this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...ty-operations/17349-show-your-tech-facts.html .



That link's gone 404 Derek; any idea what happened to it?


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## mikefellh (Jun 17, 2018)

Admittedly the thread is almost 8 years old, but the current link to the thread "Show Your Tech Facts" is:
https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/show-your-tech-facts.17349/#post-160791


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## JD (Jun 17, 2018)

A little info about the HVAC is also helpful. Often overlooked until there is a need for fog, or a question about capacity heating/cooling when you have a full house. Knowing these things can help avoid a very uncomfortable night for an audience.


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## mikefellh (Jun 17, 2018)

In my manual it's included in the opening/closing, but it's mostly a pre-programmed system utilizing an additional temperature sensor outside.


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