# New School



## Tex (May 1, 2012)

I am very fortunate to be opening a new high school next year. Here's a sneak peek:




I'll get more details over the next week. One of our amazing ETC reps gave me a few:



5 SR48+ Racks (Three for the auditorium, Two split for blackbox and classroom) 
Paradigm Architectural Control 
Lots of Distro Strips and Boxes 
Eos console for Auditorium 
Ion console for Black Box 
Smartfade 24/96 for Classroom 
Full Ethernet Backbone in Auditorium, Blackbox, and Classroom 
Gateways for DMX in/out 

More to come. This is going to be FUN!


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## Edrick (May 1, 2012)

Is this a college?


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## Tex (May 1, 2012)

High school.


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## avkid (May 1, 2012)

What's the seating cap?


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## Tex (May 1, 2012)

Supposed to be1000. 500 seats in the lower section and another 500 in the upper. It'll be nice to be able to close the upper section for smaller events.


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## Clarkwg3 (May 1, 2012)

I have an Ion 1K on Net3 for Main Theater, Strand 300 Light palette(old mainn theater board, and an upgrade at that) on DMX partition. At C.U.E. in Madison, WI last summer the opening workshops were programming classes. My director wasn't able to get on an Ion, so he had to use on Eos. He said enough of the commands, directions and where's that is different enough to make things difficult.

I amwondering why did you decide to go with two different consoles? I do like the smart fade for classroom, easy and simple.

FYI: Assign your console partitions to limit which dimmers they speak to. I find it very helpful to be able to talk to all 192 every now and again, but not so helpful when someone pushes buttons trying to be funny.

I'm betting your getting a Unison Architectural Control as well. USE IT!!! not just for button, fader stations, take advantage of the 'timed events' feature. Something as simple as having an event to turn all of my 192 dimmers off at 11:59p and again @ 1a has saved my rear a several times.


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## Tex (May 1, 2012)

As is usually the case, this project started several years ago without me. A consultant made those decisions with district officials. If they want me to have an EOS, who am I to argue?  


Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


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## Edrick (May 2, 2012)

High school wowza is it one of those artistic ones or a regular public school?


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## Tex (May 2, 2012)

Public school, but very supportive of the arts! All three high schools have great facilities.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


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## Clarkwg3 (May 2, 2012)

Tex said:


> If they want me to have an EOS, who am I to argue?



Suspose I'd take an Eos over the Strand. I'm not real happy the people involved decided to save $12000 on another Ion or even an Element, by reusing a totally different brand, syntax console.


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## chausman (May 2, 2012)

And I was happy we could rent an Express 48/96 for three days...


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## Tex (May 2, 2012)

Clarkwg3 said:


> I'm betting your getting a Unison Architectural Control as well.


Well it's one of the new variants of Unison. It's the Paradigm system. I've checked out the Control Designer software and it's very cool!


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## Tex (May 3, 2012)

More pictures:

The pit.


Motors


Catwalks


Seats going in.


Center cluster.


Waiting for the toys...


Half of the shop.


The other half.

I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the subcontractors to find out exactly what's coming.


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## gafftapegreenia (May 3, 2012)

Open grating catwalk


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## Tex (May 3, 2012)

Yeah, I have floor mats on the startup list. It's a bit of a pain, but not a terrible place to cut costs.




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## Clarkwg3 (May 4, 2012)

Whose coffee on the Winch Control Box? A big no, no in my theater.


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## Tex (May 4, 2012)

You understand this is a construction site, right?


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## Clarkwg3 (May 4, 2012)

Construction site makes equipment more susceptible to damage. Especially from liquids.


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## MPowers (May 4, 2012)

I get it, your first show is R&J and the stairs in your first pic are up to the balcony, right?!!? 

I see you have Texas Scenic doing the winches, good bunch of guys, you can't go wrong there!


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## Les (May 4, 2012)

Clarkwg3 said:


> Construction site makes equipment more susceptible to damage. Especially from liquids.



True, but enforcing a no food or drink rule is pretty much impossible in a construction site where the contractor is still in control of the premises. 

Nice space there, Tex! Love the stadium seating!


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## Tex (May 5, 2012)

Texas Scenic is awesome! They're a huge supporter of TETA and worked with ETC and others to furnish a very impressive LED rig for our stage. I'm still waiting to find out who's doing the lighting install and get an equipment list. If the recent upgrades at a sister school are any indication, there will be Seladors for cyc and wash. Whoever they are, the put constant power in the floor pockets, so I like them already.  
Les, your comps will be waiting for opening night of the first show! I'd love to give you, Chris and Elisha the grand tour. What I love about the seating is the ability to open and close sections based on the size of the audience. I also like the location of the booth. I haven't found the elevation showing the finished booth yet though. Hope they don't make it soundproof...  

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## Les (May 5, 2012)

I love the booth location! That'll really help aid in communication during tech, and if the LD is also the board op (as I often was in high school and am to this day), seeing the lighting from the audience's perspective during tech will be a huge advantage. Loving the levels also -- my high school had a mid-house drape, but this is much neater and easier to regulate. 

I'd love for us all to get together sometime! Hopefully we can all meet on the same day! I haven't gotten to talk to Chris and Eleshia in quite some time. Great people, they are. If I had any teaching credentials, I'd definitely be knocking on your district's door about a TD position!

And thank you for the offer! I'd love to.


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## Chris15 (May 5, 2012)

Clarkwg3 said:


> Construction site makes equipment more susceptible to damage. Especially from liquids.



Construction site also means contractor has not handed over.
So any damages are their problem to fix not the client.
So why should we care?


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## teqniqal (May 12, 2012)

The catwalk picture clearly shows no kick-plates (toe boards) on the edges. This is clearly an OSHA violation. OSHA doesn't apply to public schools in Texas, but it _does_ apply to the construction site, therefore, they should fix it now and you reap the benefit later. The benefit being no student or teacher slipping and falling under the railing.

You should inquire upstream through the proper channels to see what it will take to get the kick plates installed. This missing equipment exposes the Architect and his design team to the liability should someone slip and fall under the railing. I would think they would want to get it fixed. _ It never ceases to amaze me the number of simple items like this I find in brand new construction._


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## Tex (May 13, 2012)

I was looking at the drawings yesterday and kick-plates are clearly indicated there. I've only been up there once, so I'll go take another look. If they're not there, they will be. 

Edit: I took a look at the original picture that I took which is larger and higher res than the one I posted. There does appear to be a kick-plate that is part of the structure in which the grating sits. Whether it's high enough is another matter...


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## museav (May 17, 2012)

Chris15 said:


> Construction site also means contractor has not handed over.


This is an issue I often encounter, until it is handed over and your accept it then you are pretty much liumited to whatever conditions were agreed to when everything was contracted.

A similar issues applies to requests, direction, etc. to the contractors, it's great for them to work with you but typically they are not working directly for you so both you and they need to be careful about anything that may be beyond or deviating from what has been contracted. I had one contractor that had to redo several days worth of work on a project because they did what the techs on site asked and when they submitted for payment the people paying for the work identified that what was done was not what was contracted or a change that had been properly authorized and directed the Contractor to redo everything to be as contracted before they would pay them. And that is actually the way it is supposed to be. I've seen many Contractors lose much of their profit on a project, and a few go out of business, due to similar situations where they tried to be responsive to the end users but did so without first getting the existing Contract properly altered to accommodate the changes.

If that sound ridiculaous, I was involved in one project where well over $100,000 worth of payment to the AV Contractor was witheld because there were two patch cords missing that an end user admitted having taken before everything was inventoried. That did not matter to the Owner's purchasing representatives, they would not release that payment until they could physically verify that the contracted number of cords was provided.


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## Edrick (May 17, 2012)

Which is exactly why the world we live in is BS. Not so much it's because it's that way but it's because it has to be because of jerks who either swindle or scam or parties who like to screw others over.


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## museav (May 17, 2012)

Edrick said:


> Which is exactly why the world we live in is BS. Not so much it's because it's that way but it's because it has to be because of jerks who either swindle or scam or parties who like to screw others over.


While I agree with the sentiment, I don't think it actually applies in this case as it would really be a mess if you had multiple parties with authority to provide direction to the same parties, claim ownership of the same work, etc. In my experience it is the aspects such as the various relationships and the construction processes and documents such as RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Change Orders, Addenda, Payment Applications and so on where many of the struggles and problems occur for people that may be technically competent but that are not familiar with design and construction processes in general or with those specifically defined for that project.


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## Edrick (May 17, 2012)

museav said:


> While I agree with the sentiment, I don't think it actually applies in this case as it would really be a mess if you had multiple parties with authority to provide direction to the same parties, claim ownership of the same work, etc. In my experience it is the aspects such as the various relationships and the construction processes and documents such as RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Change Orders, Addenda, Payment Applications and so on where many of the struggles and problems occur for people that may be technically competent but that are not familiar with design and construction processes in general or with those specifically defined for that project.



I understand there's reasons behind it I started my degree in construction management before switching. But there's a lot of stuff that's done to lowest bidder then they make their money on change orders and a lot of time the lowest bidder does nothing but make a mess. I was just saying its unfortunate that there's so much of a hassle to fix things but it has to be that way.


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## zmb (May 18, 2012)

Chris15 said:


> Construction site also means contractor has not handed over.



My occupied and finished school building is under control of the contractor for a year after construction, push pins into the drywall is a big no-no still, but tackboards can easily be requested.


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## Tex (Jun 13, 2012)

Closer to done...
Should be able to install consoles in a week or two. It's like I'm 6 years old and waiting for Christmas!


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## chausman (Jun 13, 2012)

Tex said:


> Closer to done...
> Should be able to install consoles in a week or two. It's like I'm 6 years old and waiting for Christmas!



I feel the same way (although, not quite as much). We just got our new Element yesterday, and now get to spend finals period getting everything set up, while everyone else paints the stage! We've been waiting for several weeks for ASB to approve it. 

Anyway... Congrats again! What MHs are those hanging?


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## Tex (Jun 13, 2012)

Those are HES Studio Spots and Studio Colors. I don't know why those were specified by the consultant. Even though they're tough as nails and I'm very familiar with them, they probably wouldn't be my first choice at this point in time, but I'll take 'em!


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## marmer (Jun 13, 2012)

Tex said:


> Well it's one of the new variants of Unison. It's the Paradigm system. I've checked out the Control Designer software and it's very cool!



Yes. In an institutional setting Unison can do a lot of great things for you. We run a lot of concerts just with Unison presets and it's also easy to allow the "civilians" to turn on work lights for rehearsals.

And I second all the nice things everyone is saying about Texas Scenic.


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## Tex (Jun 14, 2012)

Architectural systems are great, but for concerts or rehearsals I prefer to have students run the console. Those simple events are a great first opportunity for young students to get a crack at running the console (with a more experienced student looking over their shoulder).


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## marmer (Jun 14, 2012)

Tex said:


> Architectural systems are great, but for concerts or rehearsals I prefer to have students run the console. Those simple events are a great first opportunity for young students to get a crack at running the console (with a more experienced student looking over their shoulder).



I agree with that, but as it works out in our situation (no real student techs) the Unison is a very good solution for a lot of things.


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## Tex (Jul 13, 2012)

The lighting systems are in and working. Rigging control and the Diva shell have been assembled. It's starting to look like a theatre. I have a key. 
AV is a little behind them because they're installing every system in the building and there are many. The FAC system will likely be the most complicated and the last one finished. Pit filler won't be installed until just before school starts. My shop tools have started to arrive and my shop is still full of furniture and construction materials. Here are some (pretty crappy) pictures. I'll post some better quality pictures someday...

From the second mezz.

An outdoor amphitheater in the courtyard between the FAC entrance and the Gym entrance. Screams for a Greek play, right?

Fluorescent works on the electrics. 

Large storage under the FAC seating. Probably furniture, flats and platforms.

The lobby. Theatre entrance and restrooms. There will be flat screen monitors on either side of the center arch.

Cleaning the seats.

Texas Scenic installing control and programming.

Roll tops. There's an M7CL-48 in the desk on the right.

This looks like an emergency power system. Anybody have details? (Edit: Should have Googled first. It's a Myers Illuminator CIII, a 3-phase emergency power inverter.)


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## DuckJordan (Jul 13, 2012)

Let me know how the M7 works out for you, we're getting one in our main stage space to replace an 02R


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## chausman (Jul 14, 2012)

Can I come to DFW?


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## Tex (Jul 14, 2012)

Chase, I would LOVE to have you in my program! I've been doing this for a long time, and I haven't run across very many kids your age with the knowledge and passion to learn that you have. I have no doubt that if you were here, you would have already read all the manuals and be teaching me stuff! 

Will do, Duck. I just want to hear the system at this point, but looking at the amount of work left to be done it may be another week. Just from reading, I think the M7 may be a great board in a high school setting. It appears to have enough analog-type features to make it fairly simple to run a quick assembly and the right digital features to make running the musical less stressful. Can't wait to play with it.


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## zmb (Jul 14, 2012)

chausman said:


> Can I come to DFW?



Me too? My school is getting a new theater that I'll most likely not be able to touch because I haven't taken 3 years of tech theatre.


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## DuckJordan (Jul 14, 2012)

We are a road house space but do a couple one off concerts, classical and rock, as well as a few hundred weddings a year.


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## Les (Jul 14, 2012)

Maybe we should all meet up and do a Control Booth Musical! 

The only problem is that we would have:

1,250 - Technical Directors

449 - Stage managers
337 - Lighting Designers
138 - Moving Light Technicians
265 - Master Electricians
259 - Follow Spot Operators
268 - Riggers
320 - Sound Engineers
280 - Sound Designers
120 - Master Carpenters
250 - Running Crew
002 - Props Masters
001 - Costume Designers
001 - Makeup Artists
000 - Actors

_*The numbers above are for comedic purposes only and are in no way intended to represent the actual CB occupation demographic._


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## zmb (Jul 14, 2012)

Les said:


> Maybe we should all meet up and do a Control Booth Musical!



Imagine the production meetings with so many thinking minds in one room!


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## chausman (Jul 14, 2012)

zmb said:


> Imagine the production meetings with so many thinking minds in one room!



I think if we wait long enough, Derek might be able to find that thread, because I sure can't.

To stay somewhat on topic, do you have a (preliminary) TekFax yet, Tex? And, out of pure curiousity, what do you think you're going to start with?


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## Chris15 (Jul 14, 2012)

Les said:


> The only problem is that we would have:
> 
> 1,250 - Technical Directors
> 
> ...



So that makes 3340 people who think they know sound...


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## chausman (Jul 14, 2012)

Chris15 said:


> So that makes 3340 people who think they know sound...



so do you know what all these buttons do?


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## Tex (Jul 15, 2012)

zmb said:


> Me too? My school is getting a new theater that I'll most likely not be able to touch because I haven't taken 3 years of tech theatre.


That's a shame. I'm surprised that there are enough 3-year students to fill all the crews. Designers maybe, but run crews? Some of my best kids had no experience when they got on their first run crew, but signed up for tech the next year. I don't understand "exclusive" theatre programs. I guess if there were three teachers will full loads of full classes and everybody wanted to participate after school I could understand the need to limit participation but I still wouldn't like it.
I'll be happy to take you! You can carpool with Chase...


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## Tex (Jul 15, 2012)

chausman said:


> To stay somewhat on topic, do you have a (preliminary) TekFax yet, Tex? And, out of pure curiousity, what do you think you're going to start with?


We're starting with a Black Box production of The Diviners in late September. I cast it in May and we start rehearsals August 6th. 
I'm putting together a rental information packet. Here's the lighting inventory. I'll be doing the sound, video, rigging and facility information soon.

Dimming:
5 SR48+ - SR48+ Dimmer enclosure for 48 modules - Designed for 3 phase 4 wire and 
ground operation at a maximum of 800A, 120/208V, 60Hz AC 
5 SR48 Door - SR48 Locking Door with Filter 
5 CEM+ - Sensor Control Electronics Module 
240 D20E - Dual 20A dimmer modules 500ms rise time (480 dimmers) 
Sensor Rack Accessories to consist of: 
Spares 
5 D20E - Dual 20A dimmer modules 500ms rise time (10 dimmers)

Control: 

Fine Arts Center - 
1 EOS – 4K - Eos Console – 4000 Outputs/Parameters 
1 Net3-RFR - Net3 Radio Focus Remote Universal Frequency

Black Box - 
1 ION 2000 - Ion Console with 2048 Outputs/Parameters 
2 17" LCD Touch Screen Monitors 
1 FADW 2x20 - Black Universal Fader Wing 2x20
1 Net3-RFR - Net3 Radio Focus Remote Universal Frequency 

Drama Classroom -
1 SF2496 - SmartFade 2496 Control Console 

4 N3T2G-2F / N32GP-2OUT - Portable Net3 Touring Two Port Output Gateway to contain: 
2 - XLR-D5F, 5-pin Female XLR connectors 

2 N3T2G-2M / N32GP-2IN - Portable Net3 Touring Two Port Input Gateway to contain: 
2 - XLR-D5M, 5-pin male XLR connectors 


Fixtures:

12 ETC Source Four 15°-30° Zoom Ellipsoidal (#41530) w/ C-clamp and color frame.
20 ETC Source Four 14° Ellipsoidal (#414) w/ C-clamp and color frame. 
20 ETC Source Four 19° Ellipsoidal (#419) w/ C-clamp and color frame.
30 ETC Source Four 26° Ellipsoidal (#426) w/ C-clamp and color frame.
22 ETC Source Four 36° Ellipsoidal (#436) w/ C-clamp and color frame. 
40 ETC Source Four 50° Ellipsoidal (#450) w/ C-clamp and color frame. 
42 Source Four PARNel with color frame. 
30 Altman 1KAF-MBP Black 6" 1000 Watt Die Cast Focusing Fresnel with Medium Bi Post 
20 Altman Par 64 300-1000 Watt Black Aluminum Par with Safety Screen, Color Frame, 
and Safety Cable. 
6 Selecon Aurora Groundrow - 3-Batten, Black with Safety Cable and Color Frame. 
12 High End Studio Spot 575 Zoom Automated Spot Fixture each with Lamp and 2, 6" 3 to 5 pin XLR adapters. 
16 High End Studio Color 575 MSR Automated Wash Fixture each with Lamp and 2, 6" 3 to 5 pin XLR adapters.
14 ETC Vivid-R 63" LED fixture w/all available lenses
32 ETC Desire - D40 Vivid LED fixture w/all available lenses

Accessories:

20 Size B Steel Pattern Holder 
20 Size A Steel Pattern Holder 
6 Size B Glass Pattern Holder 
2 19° EDLT Lens Tube with lens installed (does not include color frame) 
4 26° EDLT Lens Tube with lens installed (does not include color frame) 
6 36° EDLT Lens Tube with lens installed (does not include color frame)
15 5' 12/3 SO jumper cable Edison 
15 10' 12/3 SO jumper cable Edison 
15 Edison Twofers 
10 50' 12/3 SO jumper cable Stage Pin 
40 25' 12/3 SO jumper cable Stage Pin 
60 10' 12/3 SO jumper cable Stage Pin 
40 5' 12/3 SO jumper cable Stage Pin 
70 Stage Pin Twofers 
20 Cat 5 Extension 25' 
20 Cat 5 Extension 10' 
50 Cat 5 Extension 3' 
10 5 Pin DMX Extension 25' 
10 5 Pin DMX Extension 10' 
10 5 Pin DMX Extension 5' 
8 50 lb Base threaded for 1-1/2" Pipe 
8 10'-6" Black Schedule 40 Pipe
24 35 lbs Sandbag 
8 Plastic Vinyl End Cap 
24 24" Altman Single Tee Side Arm 
2 Altman Ghost Light 
150 Sheets of Rosco standard, Lee standard, or Lee HT Gel
45 Rosco Standard Steel Gobo's Size A or B

I haven't chosen gel colors or patterns yet, but I need to soon! Suggestions are welcome...


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## Tex (Jul 15, 2012)

Les said:


> Maybe we should all meet up and do a Control Booth Musical!
> 
> The only problem is that we would have:
> 
> ...


There's one actor here, Les. Me!


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## JohnD (Jul 15, 2012)

Les said:


> Maybe we should all meet up and do a Control Booth Musical!
> 
> The only problem is that we would have:
> 
> ...


Well Les, that is understandable, the Technical boffins utilize the forums to network with their peers, the actor only needs a mirror.


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## derekleffew (Jul 15, 2012)

Random thoughts/observations...

Rewrite your Venue Tech Info Packet - ControlBooth so it sounds more English-like and less like a specification of bill of materials, i.e., "480 Sensor+ 2.4kw dimmers." No one but the contractor cares that it's five racks and that each rack has a locking door with filter and a CEM+. How many are assigned to each venue? What is the "house standard" lamp you've decided on for each fixture type? A simple one time statement: "All lighting fixtures include appropriate C-Clamp/mounting hardware, safety cable, and color frame" saves you from repeatedly listing it for each unit type.

You have 28 StudioSpots/Colors and no 3pin XLR data cable listed. I think your "2, 6" 3 to 5 pin XLR adapters" are going the wrong way, but I would want at least 4 of each: adapter, 3-5 and adapter, 5-3 .

90 pieces of "Cat 5 Extension"? For what? Especially [email protected]'?

48 LED fixtures and only 30 @ "5 Pin DMX Extension"?

You don't have enough Edison cable. No PowerCon-PowerCon fixture jumpers listed for the Desires?

As for suggestions for stock colors and gobos, see the threads
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/28228-creating-standard-stock-gel.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/7441-stock-gel-selection.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/6356-picking-out-gobos.html

-----

chausman said:


> I think if we wait long enough, Derek might be able to find that thread, because I sure can't. ...


We've had the discussion a number of times. I distinctly remember one about doing a show with all vintage equipment--piano boards and Kliegl fixtures and the like. But I can't find any of the threads either. I suspect they were/are in the Off Topic section, and thus not searchable by teh Google.


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## Chris15 (Jul 15, 2012)

Now now.
It takes all sorts of people to pull off this art we call live production and that includes actors and other talent...
So let's all remember the mutual respect and that "There's no people like show people/ They smile when they are low"


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## JohnD (Jul 15, 2012)

Some more nitpicking from an armchair quarterback.
All the modules are D20E, but no constant current or relay modules. Yet you have 28 movers and 46 LED units. Is there seperate power distribution for them?
I know you weren't involved from the start but 42 PARnels, no S4PARS, and 20 Par 64. I know the Par64 are an economical fixture, but there is another lamp to stock. 
I did get a kick out of the fact they spec'ced(sp) the boom pipes at 10'-6".


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## Tex (Jul 15, 2012)

Good eye, Derek. I copied and pasted from the BOM. My plan is to copy/paste from several documents into one file and then put together a final package from the compiled lists.
I obviously included some things that I don't need, left out some things that I do and worded some things awkwardly.  I'll go back to the list and edit.
Some of the Cat5 extensions were probably used in the Net3 racks and don't belong on the list except for the cables used with gateways. There are are enough XLR adapters to effectively turn the HES fixtures into 5 pin fixtures so that no 3 pin DMX cable is needed. There are PowerCon-PowerCon jumpers. I do need more DMX cable and that's being done. There are many 20A Edison circuits that I need to document (including one in every floor pocket ) and I do need more Edison cable.


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## zmb (Jul 15, 2012)

Tex said:


> I don't understand "exclusive" theatre programs.



Me neither. Just my observations, lead roles are always a senior, minor roles a junior, and chorus roles sophomores. And it's the same group of people just getting rearranged in each show. It's a 10-12 school so don't worry about freshman.

It really irks the junior high drama teacher that anyone can audition for in at least one play a year. I'm at the high school now and keep coming back for lighting design and training board ops.

---

Oh, and is there a rep plot available or in the making? I'm curious about how the moving lights, LEDs, and conventionals all got used.


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## teqniqal (Jul 16, 2012)

I understand that the photos you posted represent a work in progress, however, it appears that the walls and ceiling panels in this space are all flat, parallel, and non-absorptive. Was there an acoustician involved in this design? Or was this just designed to meet the aesthetic desires of the Architect?

The vertical flat surfaces facing the stage may present some undesirable harsh echoes back toward the performers. If they do, the addition of some diffusive surfaces is recommended (it is typical to cover these with absorptive fiberglass type sound panels, but this usually sucks-out to much of the stage performance and the performers have a difficult time hearing themselves and getting a sense of the room).

The flat parallel side walls can pose different problems:
- They can support flutter echoes laterally across the room (and in this case, the forestage, too).
- They can present harsh localized acoustic reflections of the performers that distract from their performance.
- They can make it difficult for the audience to localize the lateral source of a performer's voice / instrument.
- The un-diffused side wall reflections can reflect to the ceiling panels and rear walls (which are also flat and hard) to form corner reflectors that pass the distinct echoes of the source back to the seating area, and maybe the stage.

Diffusion of the side walls, ceiling, and rear walls allows the performance energy of the room to blend more uniformly so that all seats sound more the same and no distinct echoes are returned to the audience or performers. This helps the mind to sort-out the direct sound from the stage from the reverberant sound of the room and fulls focus to the stage.

Very careful placement of absorptive / diffusive materials in the walls surrounding the control 'pit' will allow the area to sound very much like the rest of the room, however, if not done appropriately, it will result in the control 'pit' acoustic environment being substantially different than the audiences' experience.

Please let us know how this room sounds (once the furnishings and people are in-place) from the three perspectives: performer, audience, & control pit. Be careful that the 'new car smell' doesn't distract from what your ears are hearing.


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## zmb (Jul 16, 2012)

Tex said:


> 2 Altman Ghost Light


Typical in every new school theater in my area it seems is to have a small HID fixture on the 1st catwalk pointing down or towards the stage with a switch backstage and in the booth. Did you get one each for the proscenium theater and the black box?


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## Tex (Jul 16, 2012)

Erich: There was an acoustician involved. My pictures are also pretty crappy. I know next to nothing about acoustics, but the darker areas toward the top of the walls are made up of thin slats with acoustical material behind. Even the hard surfaces have some sort of acoustical material behind; not sure the type or purpose. The booth walls have both a slatted panel in the rear and walls with fabric over acoustical panels. It's pretty close to finished and the sound system should be working soon, so we'll see! No amount of new car smell can make a bad space sound good. From an old actor's perspective, I can say that when I stood onstage this afternoon (when nobody was around) and sang a little and did a monologue, it sounded like a good empty theatre should sound.
zmb: A 20 area rep plot has been hung in the FAC but not really focused yet using conventionals. A few PARs will serve as FOH work lights. The 63" Seladors are onstage color wash. I'm going to hang a few SSpots in the catwalks and on pipe ends for quick flash and trash when needed and some SColors on the first cat for wash on the apron. Some will also get hung in the black box and some will be used on the floor and for specials in the musical. 16 D40's will do color wash in the black box and 16 will do all sorts of magical things.
The two ghost lights are for the FAC and the black box.


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## gafftaper (Jul 17, 2012)

Congratulations Tex. Looks like a beautiful space. Now hold onto your hat and get to work because your shakedown year is going to be a rough one. But never fear, we've got your back.


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## Tex (Jul 17, 2012)

I started working in May!  Fortunately, I have a great principal who's very supportive and the band director has been a good friend for several years. Those two things alone make my life much easier. We open with just freshmen and sophomores so the population will be small for a couple of years and the kids I've met so far are bouncing off the walls excited. My auditions in May went VERY well and I'm stocked with talent, including some really good guys. Don't know much about my techs. Three kids have contacted me about training on the new systems, so I'll start there. I have two sections of Tech I so I think I can get a few more. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape if I can just get all the purchase orders done.
If I can't build a successful program here, I might as well retire.


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## teqniqal (Jul 17, 2012)

zmb said:


> Typical in every new school theater in my area it seems is to have a small HID fixture on the 1st catwalk pointing down or towards the stage with a switch backstage and in the booth. Did you get one each for the proscenium theater and the black box?



Ghost lights, be they portable or fixed in the building, only work if you use them. Developing a habit / policy to see that these are used is key to establishing best practices for your venue. Using redundant lamps / fixtures is one way to reduce the likelihood of a dark, unattended stage - odds are that both lamps won't burn-out at once. For the Altman product, using an LED lamp is a wise investment in safety and energy efficiency (now under $20 at your local big-box store).

The HID units I have seen used seem to have a limited life-span (ballast failure), and the lamps don't last too long either when left on all the time that the theatre is dark. The cost-effectiveness of replacing the HID unit(s) with an LED based device is probably pretty good when you consider the hassle factor of requesting maintenance and them having to get a replacement lamp they don't normally stock, plus the hum/buzz of the ballasts, plus the heat output, plus the energy inefficiency . . . A dimmable LED light like the Affineon DL 5000 can provide triple-duty as a rehearsal light, work light, and ghost / security light - I just did a school with 16 of these on the electric battens and they have over 50 fc of cool white light to work and rehearse by.

Falls into Orchestra Pits and off of the front of the stage into the aisle are too common (thousands), and the resulting injuries can be career ending. Guarding the front of the stage can be done, but illuminating the hazard so it is visible is vital.

Interlocking the operation of the Ghost Light to the House Lights & Stage Worklights is possible. A simple logic definition of (other lights OFF, then Ghost Light ON will do the trick. A timer that forces the light ON from ~10PM (or whenever your last curtain typically is) to ~8AM (or whenever your first class / rehearsal is) would help, too.

Interesting Post about Ghost Lights:
Theatre Safety Blog: Weebles Wobble - But They Don't Fall Down
Link to Altman Ghost Light data sheet:
http://www.altmanrentals.com/downloads/Behind_the_Scenes_Ghostlight_Cutsheet.pdf


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## Tex (Jul 20, 2012)

> Ghost lights, be they portable or fixed in the building, only work if you use them. Developing a habit / policy to see that these are used is key to establishing best practices for your venue.


QFT!
Thanks Erich. I also like the fact that profits from the sale of Altman ghost lights go to charity.


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## Tex (Jul 26, 2012)

An update: They turned on the sound yesterday. IMO, it sounds amazing with music. Haven't turned on any mics yet, so we'll see but I have high hopes. Turns out they originally put in the wrong carpet (somebody transposed a number on the order). They got about halfway done before somebody noticed. They've spent the last couple of days ripping out the old and putting in the new. The old carpet wasn't bad and didn't look out of place, but the new carpet is a great match for the walls and seats. Texas Scenic has almost all of the drapery hung. It's really starting to look like a theatre! 
I went to hang some movers from the catwalks and discovered that the pipe up there is a smaller OD than the batten pipe. When fully tightened, the mega claw still had about 1/8" of space between the clamp and the pipe and could swing pretty easily. Fortunately, I was able to put them on the floor of the catwalk and safety them down tight. I can't get the beam very far into the audience, but I can still hit any position on stage so no huge loss, but weird. I guess somebody shaved a few sheckels off the price of pipe...


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## museav (Jul 26, 2012)

Tex said:


> I went to hang some movers from the catwalks and discovered that the pipe up there is a smaller OD than the batten pipe. When fully tightened, the mega claw still had about 1/8" of space between the clamp and the pipe and could swing pretty easily. Fortunately, I was able to put them on the floor of the catwalk and safety them down tight. I can't get the beam very far into the audience, but I can still hit any position on stage so no huge loss, but weird. I guess somebody shaved a few sheckels off the price of pipe...


Can you check what was called for in the drawings and specifications? If what is there is not what was indicated to be provided then I would certainly ask why it is different. You might also make sure that what you are trying to hang from is for that purpose and not simply part of the catwalk railing.


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## epimetheus (Jul 26, 2012)

Probably 1.5" tube as opposed to 1.5" pipe. I haven't been able to get up in the catwalks of the new worship center at my church, but I'm hoping they didn't make this same mistake.


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## Tex (Jul 27, 2012)

It's not tubing, it's pipe and they're definitely the hang positions. The OD of a 1 1/2" schedule 40 pipe is 1.9" but it's about 1/8 to 1/4" smaller. It's probably 1 1/4" instead which has an OD of 1.66". I'm going to check the drawings and ask, but if someone in district admin decided that they could save some money and made a change, I doubt there's anything to be done at this point. C clamps work fine and the movers will be OK where they are. If I decide I want the movers hanging, I could probably get PRG to swap out the Mega Claws for some clamps that fit a 1.66" OD. I know there are some out there. I'm sure this isn't the last weird thing I'll find...


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## ruinexplorer (Jul 27, 2012)

If you are stuck with it, you could consider getting a bunch of truss protectors (or custom make them yourself). That way you don't have to worry about which clamp you have on which light when you do your hang.


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## Tex (Aug 7, 2012)

It's done! We had our dedication and ribbon cutting on Sunday. It was a huge push the last week, but it (mostly) got done. My light rig needs major focus tweaking and I don't have the trim just right on borders and electrics, but now that everyone is out of the way, I can work. We're still waiting for an interface to connect the stair lights to a dimmer but that's a small thing. Texas Scenic brought the rigging console back yesterday and will train me on it today. Then they go away and it's all mine!  This has been a really cool process. I'm glad I got the opportunity to play. BIG thanks to PRG, ETC, Infinity Sound, Texas Scenic and WJHW. You've given me an incredible space and all the tools I need to make some magic!


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## Aman121 (Aug 8, 2012)

Always exciting opening a new space. The tech theater system at our school is very sad. In the junior high, their is a tech crew, but they just do carpentry work. I was an exception because I already knew some about lights and a decent amount about sound. I only got to do stuff because I already sorta knew what was what, but they don't teach: the people with no tech knowledge got nothing out of it. In the Sr. High, they hire out professionals for lights sound and set design and don't really let the students do anything. This is partially because they installed very nice equipment in their and don't want kids playing with it. Its really a shame they put all the money into the space, because its too small to use for concerts or anything. I actually don't even get to work on Sr High productions at all because the TD they hire out doesn't like me. What I end up getting to do are the concerts in the bigger but older JR high space.I still have fun with it because I can get creative and learn on my own. I also do a fair amount outside of school with churches and bands and such. 
I know that was a bit of a rant/whine fest; these pictures of a successful HS theater department just made me realize how badly our is managed.
I would love to be in a program like yours.


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## Tex (Aug 8, 2012)

Aman, if I could take all of you CB guys, I would! Can you imagine what kind of tech program we could build? We could rule the world! OK, maybe not... but we could do some pretty cool shows. 
Keep at it. You'll find your place.


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## misterm (Aug 8, 2012)

my theatre production class (which is SUPPOSED to be tech-oriented) consistently gets filled with a random mixture of kids with no theatre experience and kids who took the fundamentals class the previous year with a basic knowledge of theatre. ALL of them want to act and don't care a thing for tech. so its more of a theatre history/lit. class and i also teach basic design. the problem? our auditorium is off-campus, so no hands-on experience.


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## Tex (Aug 8, 2012)

I've been there, misterm. For some reason, counselors feel like they can shove anyone into a production class. I've really had to work to get production to be audition only. I'm happy to have anyone in my beginner level courses; everyone has to have a fine arts credit to graduate. My advanced tech and production classes are "with instructor approval" only. I've angered my fair share of counselors over the years, but I'll gladly do that to make my program what it should be. I spend most of my life at school and my students are very visible at events all over campus. I don't mind reminding a principal that the only reason we have a crew of kids that are capable of that is because I choose who goes into the advanced classes. It's worked pretty well for me; your mileage may vary...


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## misterm (Aug 8, 2012)

yeah even the "approved by teacher only" classes (my competition acting class) get dumped in as well. we've been getting better at that, but its just something we know we have to deal with at the beginning of each class. the problem with production is also that i don't have enough tools for the students to use. only 4 drills, three different saws and no money for spare lumber or materials. if not for that, i'd convert it in a heartbeat to a real production class. 

either way, we make it work and it's a good way to weed out those who really dont care


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## Tex (Sep 9, 2012)

First two weeks have flown by! We've been busy...


Vital supplies have arrived!


Class assemblies are done. I love that the booth is open and close to the stage.


A full lumber rack is a happy lumber rack.


Our first construction project; a 10' x 6' rolling work table. Not bad for freshmen and sophomores. 
This week we start on flats and platforms. I have a GREAT bunch of kids who are very excited. The only thing I feel bad about is that over the years, I didn't give freshmen and sophomores the credit they deserved. They are capable of much more than I thought!


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## Edrick (Sep 9, 2012)

What's the center position for of your control?


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## techieman33 (Sep 9, 2012)

Edrick said:


> What's the center position for of your control?



I would guess for a stage manager, In all the high schools in my area the SM calls the show from FOH, with the ASM backstage.


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## Tex (Sep 9, 2012)

There is also projection control and preview monitor at the center position.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2


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## Edrick (Sep 9, 2012)

Ah I see the monitors now


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## museav (Sep 10, 2012)

Edrick said:


> Ah I see the monitors now


That looks like one monitor and one control system compact touch panel along with some rack space below, possibly for Blu-Ray/DVD, PC, etc. and maybe even for a switcher.


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## cpf (Sep 10, 2012)

museav said:


> That looks like one monitor and one control system compact touch panel along with some rack space below, possibly for Blu-Ray/DVD, PC, etc. and maybe even for a switcher.



Bonus points if the optical disc tray is at knee height!


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## noderaser (Sep 11, 2012)

chausman said:


> Can I come to DFW?



As much as I would have liked to have gone through the new auditorium that was built at my high school after I graduated, I think I probably learned more in the old one than I would have with a brand new facility. I'm not saying that we shouldn't equip our schools with new, state-of-the-art facilities, but I learned how to make things work without the equipment we know and rely on today. For instance, I learned how to do a lot of temporary rigging from the rafters for various smaller set pieces, that we'd just slap on a batten today. Also, thinking about circuit layout when creating a plot since we had an odd circuit distribution and layout. I think the lesser facility provided me with more problem solving opportunities, which was beneficial to my formative years and helped me to decide that this was a career path that I was interested in pursuing. I took one of the students who'd only seen the new space to another school in the district (which was still far superior to our old space) and after she'd walked in and worked for a bit, she stated "This place is a dump". My jaw just about hit the floor, because she had no idea what kinds of challenges and limitations we had to learn to work with in the old space.

A good rounded education would come from doing shows in a variety of spaces; start with the basics in a well-equipped space, then when you've got that down try and do a show in a barn. If all you're working with as you learn the trade is high-grade equipment, you'll come to expect that every facility will be comparably equipped and will be less capable of dealing with deficiencies.


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## Tex (Sep 23, 2012)

I'm not sure what your point is. Should we not build new theatres at new schools? Are students that are forced to work in brand new theatres doomed to never work because they're not "well-rounded"?


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## cpf (Sep 23, 2012)

I think "doomed to never work" is a bit of an exaggeration, but the wider breadth of knowledge one has, the better they can deal with new problems they encounter. Certainly not an argument to put half-broken outdated equipment into schools (intentionally, at least...) but there has never been a time I regretted my experience using lesser capable equipment, even of I'm thankful that I'll never have to do so again - but I could if I had to.


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## Tex (Sep 23, 2012)

I did exaggerate a bit. I agree that working in all types of spaces will give students more experiences. I think that goes without saying.
My question was, what is the point of posting this at the end of a thread about a new school? Should I feel bad? Should I not let them use the new equipment? Should I tell them that their education is somehow diminished because they aren't learning how to load weight or program an Express?
The post seems out of place in this thread and I'm just wondering why the OP felt compelled to post it here.


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## ruinexplorer (Sep 23, 2012)

I think what is important is that, when teaching with new equipment, it is still essential that the students get an understanding of how things work. I have found that, even when taught on the newest technology, that if you know the inner workings of what is going on with it, you can translate that knowledge to older technology. When training on the new console, have them learn to run the show only off submasters, not the cue stack (or some other limitation such as number of fixtures or dimmers available). You can teach the lessons about being creative without having to fully stock new and old gear. It is only a handicap to the students if they learn that what they have is the only way to do things.


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## chausman (Jan 22, 2013)

So Tex, I assume you've finished the first show(s) and the hoard of Winter concerts. How is everything going?


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jan 23, 2013)

Tex said:


> Yeah, I have floor mats on the startup list. It's a bit of a pain, but not a terrible place to cut costs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Not sure what you mean but bar grate is about the most expensive catwalk deck material I know of. I've become fond of just plywood, but metal form deck with a thin plywood is probably the least expensive. Paint the deca nice bright safety color makes getting around safer. I also wondered if basic Source Four's would hang plumb form railings or if they have to be roostered out.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jan 23, 2013)

Sorry about not looking at all posts before posting and not paying attention to dates. Not use to the board mechanics yet.


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## derekleffew (Jan 23, 2013)

BillConnerASTC said:


> Sorry about not looking at all posts before posting and not paying attention to dates. ...


No problem, Bill. Insightful, experienced information is valid and useful, no matter when it is received. I feel some are too quick to admonish a necropost. While in many cases it may not help the OP, the comment(s) may help someone in the future.
-----
And, as long as I'm here--a big YES to painting the floor of the catwalks a bright color. The audience can never see it, so why not make it a cheerful place for the electricians? Makes it much easier to find that blasted knob/screw/bolt that just fell off the fixture. Also makes it easier to see a trip hazard sitting in the middle of the catwalk. Or to find that one more piece of tieline you need to dress the cable.


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## CBR372 (Jan 23, 2013)

I love how this post came back from the dead. Tex, I'm in Corpus Christi, and the next time I am in Dallas I would love to come take a look at your venue. Seems really impressive. I am glad that more and more high schools are getting automated systems. In my mind they add just a little bit more safety as well as a great education.


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## np18358 (Jan 23, 2013)

i was just looking at this thread, and I noticed that no followspots were speced. I would be interested to know why. Also, after looking at the picture, I noticed there are no followspot booths either. Would love to see sound and video specs, as well as venue info, and perhaps a lineset schedule.


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## Tex (Jan 29, 2013)

Bill: Thanks for bringing this back! That's a great idea. How is the plywood attached to the grate? I guess 1/2" would work, right?
Chase: Things are going well. Some of the audio and video equipment needs some love, but almost all of it works as expected. All of the contractors have been great. I've been around and watched it all go in so I've made friends will everybody and they're quick to help and make things right. The kids are learning and our productions of The Diviners and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe were well received. They're young, but they're very talented. We don't have much stock scenery yet, so we've been relying on lighting to create locations and atmosphere. I'm adapting to the Eos/Ion but I have much to learn. We're working on our contest play, Over The Tavern.
CBR372: Message me when you're coming down. I'd be happy to show you the space.
np18358: I'm not sure why that decision was made. Fortunately, the other two high schools have follow spots I can borrow for the once a year I'll need them and there are some camera positions on the mezzanine with power and com that will work.
Overall, both the black box and PAC are very usable spaces that are thoughtfully designed and almost built correctly. I'm happy.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jan 30, 2013)

The "structural" floor is metal deck - what you might gall corrugated - such as is uses for roofs and floors with concrete. The ply can probably be as thin as 1/4" - just a finsihed floor to span the flutes in the deck. 1/4" hardboard has been used (on deck with small flutes). And it's simply screwed down. Bar grate is probably the most expensive catwalk deck choice.


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## museav (Jan 30, 2013)

BillConnerASTC said:


> The "structural" floor is metal deck - what you might gall corrugated - such as is uses for roofs and floors with concrete. The ply can probably be as thin as 1/4" - just a finsihed floor to span the flutes in the deck. 1/4" hardboard has been used (on deck with small flutes). And it's simply screwed down. Bar grate is probably the most expensive catwalk deck choice.


I just wanted to add that in some cases you may need to consider how a solid catwalk deck may affect acoustics, HVAC, sprinklers and so forth, part of looking at the entire space and even building as a system where many aspects are interdependent.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jan 30, 2013)

museav said:


> I just wanted to add that in some cases you may need to consider how a solid catwalk deck may affect acoustics, HVAC, sprinklers and so forth, part of looking at the entire space and even building as a system where many aspects are interdependent.



If you mean that sometimes it would be acoustically desirable to use bar grate because it's open - or similar concerns - I simply have figured out from touring what must be thousands of theatres by now that technicians rarely appreciate that difference and lay down cardboard, plywood, packing quilts, Masonite, carpets, vinyl runners, and all manner of sheet material on bar grate. My favorite incident was when working on some code changes and the committee of building officials arranged for a tour of a theatre and there we found packing quilts on all of the bar grate catwalks. Building and fire codes now allow the floor of catwalks and such (structural, not finish, which always could be wood) to be of combustible materials. I have some with just plywood and at least two with T&G decking - which I really like - especially on the loading bridge.

Bar grate is not transparent to fire sprinklers, so obstructed width out to out is only issue there (3' or less at walls - like a soffit - or 4' and under across the middle of a space - do not require sprinklers under. I recommend a lot of 3'-6" and 3'-9" catwalks for that reason.)

But I agree with your approach and detest the one detail at a time approach that leads to nutzy buildings.


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