# will be doing my first "load out"



## ProgrammerInTraining (Feb 22, 2011)

Ok so, tho I've never worked in lighting prior, I am finally getting my foot in the door by doing a "load out". I barely know the basics about lighting, I've been taking a class at a local community college for intro to theatrical lighting. But this will be a big jump forward for me, I have a distant relative that got me on the gig this saturday. I assume the load out proccess is just take down the fixtures and throw them in a truck and coil cable, again ive never done any stage work, I'm practically going in blind. I dont want to back out since this could very well be my best chance at getting a career in this industry. If anyone can give me some insight on what to expect or somewhat of an idea of what I will be doing it will greatly be appreciated.


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## Footer (Feb 22, 2011)

Whats the gig? Big touring show, small theatre production, studio work? 

If its a big touring show, especially at an arena, very little knowledge is actually needed. Just follow the lead of others, do what your told, and don't do anything until your told to do something else. Assume nothing. Keep your head up and watch for things around you that could hurt you. 

The biggest thing is... if you don't know how to do something ask... and don't say you can do something that you can't. If you don't understand instructions, ask.

90% of the people who work local arena calls across the country don't know much more then truss comes in, take down light, put in case, push to truck, repeat. This is not difficult work. It takes a strong back and a good work ethic. If you have that, you will do fine. Now, the other 10% are highly trained and specialized people... many who frequent CB... but it does not take an ETCP certified person to push a case to a truck (though it should not be beneath them either...).


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## avkid (Feb 22, 2011)

You'll generally get what you're expecting, bring in the trusses, coil the cable, case the lights and put all on the truck.

I'll keep this short:
1. be early
2. do anything you can do safely 
3. dress appropriately 
4. bring an adjustable wrench and gloves
5. don't whine
6. don't be afraid to ask questions if you need to

(that's scary that we came up with almost the same thing)


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## LD4tw (Feb 22, 2011)

hey man, props on getting your feet wet in this industry, im sure you'll do just fine. When you get there just make sure you listen to do the crew chief and do whatever you're told. If there is something you're uncomfortable doing, don't do it and ask to do something else. If you dont know how to do something, always ask just so you can learn how the company wants things done (it never hurts to ask). Basically there's probably going to be alot of putting lights back in cases, cable coiling, taking apart truss, as well as loading of the truck. Whatever you do, be safe, and work hard! (especially if you want to get called on a regular basis). If anyone can think of something that im missing please add, but yeah  good luck and have fun on your out.


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## avkid (Feb 22, 2011)

You're never too good for feeder duty!!


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## 65535 (Feb 22, 2011)

I'' add to the other posts.

1) Tight breathable comfortable clothes, you don't want clothes getting caught on things, where and extra long shirt that you can tuck in if you can tolerate it.

2) Bring gloves, and if you don't wear them keep them tied to a belt loop in a pocket, they'll fall out and you'll never see them again.

3) It's a job, keep your personal stuff out of the way when working.

4) Stay safe, lots of things move quickly in load out, most of these things can hurt you if you don't stay clear.

5) Maybe most importantly if you're doing lights, be an expert at cable wrapping, nothing worse than being the guy that wraps 1 cable poorly while others wrapped 10 right.

6) Bring a good wrench and keep it tied when it's in a pocket.

7) Listen to experienced members and most importantly whoever is in charge.

8) Have fun, theatre and especially technical theatre is a mix of most of the things a red blooded man should enjoy in life. Take pride in what you do.

9) Stay hydrated and fed, passing out is a SERIOUS hazard to you and others. Drink lots of water, and make sure you have a good breakfast, and a lean lunch.

Post back with some more info about the gig too, and keep us informed.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.


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## rochem (Feb 22, 2011)

First of all, what kind of a load-out is it? Do you know what show? Is it at a theatre, an arena, an outdoor venue, etc.? Is it a touring show or a one-off? Union or non-union? As it's most likely to be a touring show, I'll work under that assumption, so if it isn't a touring show, some of the below may not apply.

First of all, GET THERE EARLY! No less than 15 minutes early, in my opinion, more if you can. The only thing standing between the road guys and their beds is this load-out, so they're gonna do everything they can to make it as fast as possible. Put down your coat, get your tools ready, finish your coffee, and be ready to go the second the call begins. At a minimum, have a good pair of gloves and a C-Wrench with a lanyard. If you have one, a multitool is also a good thing to have. Unless they specifically gave you a tool list, they should provide anything else you would need as an Electrician.

Once you actually start, the biggest thing to remember is that the local crew is hired "from the neck down." Basically, they don't want you to think. Everything is color coded and labeled and organized so that the locals have to do as little thinking as possible. It's not an insult to you, it's about efficiency. The road guys have done this out dozens or even hundreds of times before, and your biggest job is as a pair of hands and feet to move things where they tell you to. As you work more shows you start to figure out when is a good time to take initiative and when isn't, but for now just wait for them to tell you what to do. Make sure you can identify and work with Socapex (Multicable), Stage Pin Cable, DMX and Scroller Cable, and Twistlock Cable at a minimum. Much of your job is gonna be taking cable off of pipes/truss and coiling it into road cases. Speaking of which, make sure you know how to properly coil cable (see this video if you need a refresher), but also know that you won't always use proper coiling methods to save on time, especially when coiling feeder or multicable into a road case.

Also know that you're probably not actually going to be taking down a huge number of fixtures. For most tours, the vast majority of fixtures are built into truss or bolted to unistrut, so instead of taking each instrument off, you take them off in groups of 6-8 fixtures. If the fixture doesn't have a conventional C-clamp on it (excluding moving lights), it probably stays with a truss/unistrut - but ask just to be sure! If you see any cables bundled together with zip-ties or friction tape/e-tape, it's a good bet that all of those cables want to stay and be coiled together. Same goes for connectors - if you see connections that are really taped up, don't break them (unless told to, of course). Don't try to show off or show other up - if you're stacking road cases, it's much better to wait for 4 guys and do it safely than trying to do it with 2 and dropping it or hurting yourself. Don't ever put your hands in your pockets or sit down while working - this is just a personal thing, but you don't want the road guys to look over and see you relaxing and shooting the breeze while they are trying to work. If you don't have a job at the moment, stand alert and look around for something to do or wait until you're given another job. And, whatever you do, don't start texting or chatting on your phone during the call! 

I wrote a lot, but much of it is pretty much common sense. Ask questions if you're ever confused about an instruction, and keep a cool head, and everything else should work out fine. And most importantly - have fun!!

EDIT: I need to stop getting distracted when I post - there were no replies when I started!!


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## dcollins (Feb 22, 2011)

65535 said:


> 5) Maybe most importantly if you're doing lights, be an expert at cable wrapping, nothing worse than being the guy that wraps 1 cable poorly while others wrapped 10 right.



I don't know, I'd say that overall wrapping 10 poorly while others get 1 right is worse than that.


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## avkid (Feb 22, 2011)

It looks like I am not crazy, as we all seem to be saying the same things.
(the school of hard knocks is serving me well)


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## ProgrammerInTraining (Feb 22, 2011)

thank you all for your input, I will def read this thread a few times before saturday. The gig I'm working in is the international spirit awards, I don't know much about it, but I will def let you all know how it goes. I'm sure a load out is a very simplistic thing for you guys who do this regularly lol. I'm glad I get to do some field work for myself.


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## What Rigger? (Feb 22, 2011)

Looks like maaayyyybe this is the gig?
Film Independent Spirit Awards - Saturday, February 26 2011 at 10P E/P on IFC

Seems it's happening in a tent!


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## avkid (Feb 22, 2011)

A tent on the beach.

That's two fun elements for you.


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## stagehand1983 (Feb 22, 2011)

Good luck! I'm still looking to find my way back in the door, but I haven't talked to anyone yet.


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## len (Feb 22, 2011)

The best advice is to say little and listen lot. Work as a team player. Don't do anything you're not 200% sure of. If they know you don't know anything, they won't expect much more than effort. So keep alert and pay attention. Most of us will teach someone willing to learn.

Also, if it's outdoors, bring a cooler full of ice and beverages but leave it in the car for later. Bring an extra pair of shoes and socks. Bring a pair of work gloves.


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## porkchop (Feb 22, 2011)

Everyone so far has said a lot of good things I won't repeat many but here are the top three things that I look for in locals (and I work with 1000+ locals a year):
1) Early is on time, on time is late: you don't have to show up an hour early, but be there early enough that you can drop you gear, suit up and be !00% ready to work a couple minute before the call time.
2) Ask questions if you don't get in 100%: I have taught so many people what an under-over coil means over what XLR is. Load out is a very crazy time, everyone will want to work as fast as they can, but a good road crew realizes that taking two minutes to teach will save 10 minutes on the out and another 20 on the in next week, so don't be afraid to ask.
3) Always have your hands on something: This is actually my number one pet peeve. You are the new guy, there are probably people working with you that have been in the business longer than you've been alive. Because of this you should always be looking for something to do, sure you might look up and see the veterans grabbing a quick cup of coffee, but there's an even better chance that there's another vet that's still doing something that you should be helping with. You will get more break time by asking "what can I do now" than by huddling around catering, and you will get a lot more respect from the road and local crew for working than you will for figuring out how to get paid not to work.

Past that all I can say is make n plans that night, if you did it right, you should be exhausted after load out. Oh yah and Good Luck wear your hard hat


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## theatre4jc (Feb 22, 2011)

Great comments here. From someone that worked 90% of my road gigs over a 7 year period with completely inexperienced people I will say these few things:

1) Ask preferred cable rolling methods. Different kinds of methods work for different kinds of cable as already stated. And Never use your shoulder and elbow for rolling a cable. You'll get cussed out if you do. 
2) When you finish a task ask what to do next to your crew leader. My biggest pet peeves with "experienced" hands is that they wait to be told what to do instead of asking. I will never take time to stop my work and ask one of the locals to do something, unless I can't do it by myself. I will however keep track of who works and who doesn't and make sure they are never hired on one of my shows again. People that lack initiative only waist my time and piss me off. 
3) Team work and hard work are key. The hard workers who don't try to show off but humbly do any job that needs to be done get noticed and rehired. 
4) Don't expect the next job to come the next day. Usually there is a list of names that will be called and yours will be at the bottom. You have to work your way up and it takes time. I'm wanting to start doing local hand work as a way to make some extra money and I put my name on some call lists a few weeks ago and am waiting for my first call to come in still...well with those specific companies anyway. I'm on a crew for one company now. I really enjoy what you are starting into, its a great way to break your back and some cash at the same time. 

Have fun!!!!


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## sotalight16 (Feb 22, 2011)

1) get as much done quickly, safely, and efficently as humanly possible.
2) have your tools ready and make shure they have a loop of tieline or a shoelace to keep your tools from falling
3) after the load ask if there might be any work you can do for them in the near future, even volenter work because if you show interest and some skill or work ethic then people will call you or recomend you, you want to be talked about when people are planing an event, if people plan an event and think " oh there was this one guy who worked really hard and worked well i want to find him and see if hes available to do it again" you have work. people want to hire someone who wants to do work.
4) when coiling cables remember that cables want to coil a certain way and if it starts to look un even or wants to flip or whatever then it might be twisted and fix it dont just keep coiling it up because it will be wrong and can really piss people off.


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## mstaylor (Feb 23, 2011)

Most of it has been covered. As stated, be early, bring ID for paperwork. Almost assuredly you will need to do tax papers and that means I9, which means two forms of ID. Make sure you are early enough to fill them out. Make sure you check in with the supervisor as soon as you get there. 
Remember to never unplug anything without asking. I saw a guy unplug a four aught three phase feeder that was tied to a 600 amp distro. He was told the last thing he had to do that night was roll the feeder. The problem was they were still using it, he disconnected all five wires hot and I have no idea which order. 
Remember it is not a spectator sport, when they ask for hands step right up. 
I always tell my hands, if you can't work and talk, don't talk. There is nothing wrong with talking while working but some guys don't seem able to do both.
Have fun, it is a good way to make a living.


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## Dillon (Feb 26, 2011)

There's a fine line to walk between "looking to help" and becoming "that guy." You do not want to be "that guy." It is a fine art (that many veteran stagehands have mastered) to be available to help with whatever the next project is but not be in the way of what the road guy is doing at the moment. There will invariably be times during an Out (same goes for the In) where there is a little bit of standing around and waiting. Read the situation and be ready to work, but don't be the guy asking for a new job every 5 minutes.


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## porkchop (Feb 26, 2011)

mstaylor said:


> I always tell my hands, if you can't work and talk, don't talk.


 
Absolutely, I've probably had the most fun during load ins/outs talking crap to the people I work with, but I've also had to go as far as to physically tape an IATSE stagehand's mouth shut so he could focus on working.


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## mstaylor (Feb 27, 2011)

Dillon said:


> There's a fine line to walk between "looking to help" and becoming "that guy." You do not want to be "that guy." It is a fine art (that many veteran stagehands have mastered) to be available to help with whatever the next project is but not be in the way of what the road guy is doing at the moment. There will invariably be times during an Out (same goes for the In) where there is a little bit of standing around and waiting. Read the situation and be ready to work, but don't asking for a new job every 5 minutes.


Dillon makes a great point, one of the running jokes is hurry up and wait, it's what a stagehand does. We rush, rush,rush then wait. 
Just do what the show guy says, ask if you don't understand and let him know if you are leaving the area.


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## ProgrammerInTraining (Feb 27, 2011)

amazing! What a fun load out! The lighting crew I worked with were all friendly and didn't mind my newbie questions. Going up on the scissor lift to take off the fixture was my favorite part. I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. Fun night, very laboring as well, very fast paced and those 100ft 'soco' cables are no joke, really heavy. Also there was a lot of big names there, I'm not star struck but its nice to see them in person. I had fun, worked hard and learnd some things. Thank you all for the input I read it all before call time


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## derekleffew (Feb 27, 2011)

ProgrammerInTraining said:


> ...I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. ...


Thoughts:
1. Nothing at all stopping you from getting on Local 33's overhire list.
2. If you like coiling cable, get a shop job with a lighting company. I believe we've suggested this to you before as a "way in." Google results for "Los Angeles stage lighting". Also try PRG, Delicate Productions, Epic Productions, Felix Lighting, ELS, 4Wall-LA, VER, and others.
3. Load-out can be fun, but the real money is in the Load-IN, especially with overtime. More skilled/knowledgeable/experienced workers are usually required for those.


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## LXPlot (Feb 27, 2011)

porkchop said:


> AI've also had to go as far as to physically tape an IATSE stagehand's mouth shut so he could focus on working.



There has got to be some union rule against that.


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## Footer (Feb 27, 2011)

LXPlot said:


> There has got to be some union rule against that.


 
.....I think he did it as an off the cuff joke.... probably to someone he was getting/giving crap to the entire night. I have seen more stuff done... like shoving the new guy into a cable trunk and not letting them out until it gets to the truck.


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## mstaylor (Mar 3, 2011)

ProgrammerInTraining said:


> amazing! What a fun load out! The lighting crew I worked with were all friendly and didn't mind my newbie questions. Going up on the scissor lift to take off the fixture was my favorite part. I had no idea there was so much cable involved, wow is there a lot of cable. the environment made me happy, it is something I'd like to make a career out of. The guys I worked with were all union but the event wasn't union only, they said if another non union event comes up they'll give me a call for the load out. Fun night, very laboring as well, very fast paced and those 100ft 'soco' cables are no joke, really heavy. Also there was a lot of big names there, I'm not star struck but its nice to see them in person. I had fun, worked hard and learnd some things. Thank you all for the input I read it all before call time


Just remember dogging autographs and pictures is a quick way to a short night.


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