# Bump In Guidelines



## Hughesie (May 15, 2007)

hey everybody,
in a few weeks i am doing a bump in (set,sound,light) with some students that have never even been in a theatre before

i was looking around the forum but i couldn't find anything that would help 

what would be great would be some guidelines

for example

concerntrate on things happening around you, like flying bars etc


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## Footer (May 16, 2007)

define bump in? Is this like a training session or a load in or what?


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## Logos (May 16, 2007)

Bump-in is what we in Australia call what you guys in the US call a load-in and what the UK calls a get-in. It includes unloading the vehicles rigging lights and sound and constructing the set. Then of course there is focusing and all the other really fun stuff.
I'm not sure I envy you at all Alex, do you have any experienced people with you at all or is it all students. You will need to do some training sessions before hand on simple safety procedures, suitable footwear gloves hard hats and all that stuff. Do any of them understand how to use ladders safely if not more training coming up. Manual handling training is important as well. Are you likely to be using a fly system at all? If so you simply have to have someone who knows what they are doing.
How old are these students? Do you have suitable insurance cover? 
The list is endless.


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## Hughesie (May 16, 2007)

thanks for translating that


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## len (May 16, 2007)

Some things I learned on the job:

pushing a case: keep you fingers on top of the case, not on the sides. If you lose control or scrape against a wall, your fingers aren't exposed as much to getting scraped.

Gloves, steel toed shoes. Period.

Never push cases if you can't see over top. You have to know where you're going.

Get more hands. Pushing a case by yourself doesn't make you a hero. And it won't get you in any faster. 

Using a ramp from truck to ground? Then get more hands. 

If a case does get a way from you, let it go and yell "clear" or some other pre-arranged term. The case isn't worth the injury to the crew.


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## Hughesie (May 16, 2007)

yeah thanks i will adapt that one
also i thought of one

keep your eyes and eyes open for hazards, if you see something unsafe report it to a senior crew member, if set or lighting is being flown make sure you are in a safe position and that any other crew, or cast are out of the way, if you see a problem report it to the person who is operating fly or organizing it from stage
another

•	While rigging make sure you put the safety cables of all lights, and speakers around the bar.


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## jwl868 (May 16, 2007)

(There’s that rigging word.)

On top of all of the other advice that has been given, you should supervise any hanging, assembly, and construction, or assign it to someone who is experienced.

If you have a pool of experienced people, then assign specific inexperienced people to work with specific experienced people. 

You may need to have someone at the truck (and maybe at some point inside the venue, too) to direct the logistics and tell the inexperienced crew where to put each item. Although it is obvious to you, it won’t be to them.


Joe


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## Hughesie (May 17, 2007)

might be a good idea

keep the points coming


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## Logos (May 17, 2007)

If it hasn't already been said you also need to write a really good schedule and make sure your team knows exactly whats happening at any moment. Build in some time for reinforcement of rules and stuff and to cover mistakes that have happened and good things that they have done. Talk about the good things first.


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## DarSax (May 21, 2007)

If you're going to move something as a group, designate before anyone touches anything who is the leader, to call one-two-three-go, or the likes. And be sure to tell them that this is EVERYTHING you do as a group. I go crazy when someone gets excited and drops before everyone else does, or picks something up, etc. I haven't had a serious accident happen because of it. *YET.*


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## Hughesie (May 21, 2007)

valid point i will try and do that for the bump in


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## gafftaper (May 22, 2007)

Several Months ago Ship posted a message that I thought was full of golden advice. I rewrote it a bit and used it in my Intro To Tech Theater class. While it wasn't written for Bump in/Load in, there are a lot of good ideas in here that could be used. 


*Advice for new Theater Technicians*

-Never do anything without full instruction.

-Never touch anything - even lean against anything without being told it’s ok or to do so

-Ask all questions that come to mind no matter what it is or simple it might seem of your understanding. However, ask at the proper time. Safety questions (“Is that cord supposed to have wires sticking out of the plug?”) are show or work stoppers and important to ask immediately. Use your judgment on importance and trust in that gut feeling about stuff you don’t know or question.

-Always have your work… all of it… inspected by the supervisor who told you to perform the task or those other supervisor that person approved of inspecting it. Continue having your work inspected until told that you no longer need it inspected. 

-Don’t climb anything without proper instruction, approval and supervision in doing so. This includes climbing a ladder and or grabbing a crate to stand upon. According to OSHA the majority of falls from about 6 feet are fatal. 

-Watch for things you think you “know” that does not seem right or correct. Question all you don’t understand, never be afraid to learn, but do so tactfully. At times there is not time to answer fully - don’t be afraid of the brush off, ask again later. The point is for you to learn but learn correctly and everything you might assume is in question. Never assume.

-Buy and read lots of books. Start with a book on general stage tech that has a chapter or three on lighting, some on carpentry, some on sound etc. The basic concepts will be taught in such a book without getting overly complex or detailed about stuff that you might not need to know yet thus might get overloaded in learning. Finish it and than go for the stage lighting text book or ten.

-Don’t give up. You will in this first show probably be given the lest of glamorous jobs and at best be only on a crew of people and often the “go-fer.” In going for the gear it’s time to learn what the gear is. Once you learn what the gear is, than you learn how to use it... etc. You start small, short of this you miss a lot of the steps between. Patience and perseverance, stick with it even if it is not so much fun on the first show. It’s Gonna take time. Have fun, socialize with like interest people who are serious about their craft- don’t screw around- learn.

-On tools, always bring a Crescent Wrench, some work gloves, and if possible a Leatherman. Don’t loan out your tools, and if you have to borrow any no matter if from the shop or from someone else, as soon as that tool you use you are done with, it goes back into the hand of the person you borrowed it from. Damage it, tell that person. Damage any gear - even ding it, tell a supervisor. Keeping gear fully functional is the priority. You probably won’t get fired for damaging something you will get fired if they don’t find out until 10 minutes into a show. 

-Stay busy. When not busy, ask for stuff to do. You are never too good to sweep a floor. Never too good to do anything on stage - being on stage is the pleasure of it - other stuff will follow. Your intent is not to be entertained by being there, that will be a part of what you are doing and most often follow hard work. Instead your intent is to help in the production. Sitting around, playing with stuff doesn’t get that task done. 

-Work hard, learn lots. Have goals in mind and known of where you wish to get or what you will want to get to the level of doing. Want to run the follow mention it. You may have to run the light board for a while but have patience and remember that there are only so many people that get the chance per year. 

-Politics back stage. Stay away from them as much as possible. All political parties as it were when new are your friends or should become - this includes actors etc. Take no sides, be friendly but neutral to all forms of dislike and or alignment. Often the bad seeds of the group will be most active initially in seeking membership. Be nice, find friends in all but do not yet commit to any one group’s politics. You are not there for politics and new friends abound in places you don’t know yet. Don’t be aloof but also don’t give your life history as it were either.

It doesn’t matter what gear you have or what type of theater or anything else at this point. With time you will learn such things. It’s more the concepts learned, the fun had with friends and the magic made. Have fun in seeing something you plugged in and focused, than gelled in now lighting an actor on stage. Have fun in being part of a crew that kicked butt.


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## nrcafootball68 (May 22, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> Several Months ago Ship posted a message that I thought was full of golden advice. I rewrote it a bit and used it in my Intro To Tech Theater class. While it wasn't written for Bump in/Load in, there are a lot of good ideas in here that could be used.
> *Advice for new Theater Technicians*
> -Never do anything without full instruction.
> -Never touch anything - even lean against anything without being told it’s ok or to do so
> ...



I'm printing a copy of that to put up in our booth...


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## Chris15 (Jun 3, 2007)

Alex, three things if I may:

As you've acknowledged, pinching the photo is naughty... acknowledge it and in most cases you'll be fine.

An all black background will be rather nasty to print...

I'd be careful. Do <<SM>> & <<Head LX>> mind their names being all over cyberspace? And since they are I'm guessing under 18, do their parents mind... privacy & child protection would stop your school from doing it without appropriate consent, so you should be weary of that.


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## Hughesie (Jun 4, 2007)

Thanks Chris, i just realized that i have deleted the file, i know the people won't mind but it's a valid point. but i have edited it to remove the names and also that document has gone through a couple changes and it has been converted so it is no longer reverse printed. i have attached it to this post

Once again, you are all welcome to use this version, i have removed the copyright image and names

have fun

also you are welcome to copy points out of it, you don't have to use the whole thing


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## Hughesie (Jun 4, 2007)

Logos said:


> Bump-in is what we in Australia call what you guys in the US call a load-in and what the UK calls a get-in. It includes unloading the vehicles rigging lights and sound and constructing the set. Then of course there is focusing and all the other really fun stuff.
> I'm not sure I envy you at all Alex, do you have any experienced people with you at all or is it all students. You will need to do some training sessions before hand on simple safety procedures, suitable footwear gloves hard hats and all that stuff. Do any of them understand how to use ladders safely if not more training coming up. Manual handling training is important as well. Are you likely to be using a fly system at all? If so you simply have to have someone who knows what they are doing.
> How old are these students? Do you have suitable insurance cover?
> The list is endless.



sorry i completely passed over that post and didn't read it

no there are three people who have actually been in a theater. yes we will be using a fly system, during the bump in. there are teachers who know what there doing but they don't really turn up, we had a crew meeting and they were told what they would be doing and the three people that have done it, aren't really part of the crew, we have taken it upon ourselves to turn up and help.
we will have a real crew meeting this friday, hopefully


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## Hughesie (Jun 4, 2007)

thanks for the edit


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## Logos (Jun 4, 2007)

Small critisism of your dcument. The word you should use is installation not installment. An installment is an episode or a chapter. Other wise a good basic start. Keep working on it.


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## Hughesie (Jun 7, 2007)

i did the first one, the stage manger decided to make it "a bit more child friendly"
but yes, she isn't exactly the most grammatical person you could ever know


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