My girlfriend insists we go see Trans Siberian Orchestra every year, and I have to admit the lighting/pyrotechnics/overall production is world-class. I think I probably should have been into theater lighting design
I believe they have over 3000+ channels of DMX and well over 100kW of lighting per show. Between the synchronized winches that move the lighting trusses to the music, pyrotechnics and all the other effects, plus the fact it’s all rigged in 4 hours for two shows and taken down the same day.
I once put in a bid for a lighting / support rig for the GMEX arena in Manchester…
There was over 2 tons (in weight) in lights alone… 8 synchronised winches… All lights had to be controlled independently… I didn’t get the job, but it was a good job I didn’t as Torvil and Dean were suspended from it during their ice show… Imagine if I was responsible of dropping them on their heads or something…
Sounds like what they need is small devices packed with lots of punch, easy to program, complete with ethernet and/or wifi if only someone could design such a thing … maybe in a few years
Mmm… I know the feeling. I’m doing server work, wish I was in electronics or embedded coding. Happy to do the server work, but electronics seem much less boring.
Just don’t put your pyro pots of flash power anywhere near where your cigarette-smoking road crew might think they’re ashtrays. You will spend the next six months (or more) of your life dealing with more lawyers than you can count.
I’ve been working in theater (and “rock and roll”) lightning, sound and video for a couple of years. Worked for artists like Joe Cocker and similar.
It’s awesome work, never boring and it’s just great. One thing which I did not like were the following things:
*you will almost not see your friends and family anymore (you are always on the road)
*long days (24 hours of working is almost standard
*hard work. Its fiscally very hard work. (my back still hurts )
It’s awesome though. I am on “standby” at the moment. As soon as a company needs me, they can call me. 8) (makes me able to choose the “coolest” productions )
)