Page 1 of 4 >>
When I was first asked to write an article about lighting tools I got excited. Here was my chance to write about some of the tools, gadgets, and gizmos that I use in my job as a lighting professional.
This list is a sampling of items that I find useful in my work and that I hope you will find useful as well. It is not comprehensive, and the products are not listed in any particular order, but they are items you would find in use by the production staff at a theater, arena, or on your favorite concert tour. Also, this article isn’t meant to provide in-depth detailed information about the product, so be sure to take advantage of the included Web addresses to read more about the products that interest you.
The Personal Computer
One of the best lighting tools that I can think of is my laptop computer. Whether you are a PC user or a Mac person like me, I find my laptop to be one of those tools that is indispensable.
One of the things that I find invaluable about having a laptop is the fact that your lighting manuals can easily travel with you. It hasn’t been that many years ago that it was commonplace to photocopy equipment manuals and carry them with youToday, downloadable manuals in PDF format are commonplace. I personally have more than 40 Gigs worth of PDF manuals and cut sheets for various pieces of lighting gear in my computer. I highly recommend that you download all of the equipment manuals you use so you have them on hand when needed.
In addition to manuals, a laptop can be very handy for taking notes and documenting your programming. I personally like to use MacJournal by Mariner Software ($34.95), as it not only allows me to take text notes, but it has the ability to include pictures, audio, and video media in my documents as well.
This makes it a handy production tool. With a digital camera it is quick and easy to make visual as well as written notes about what is happening on stage, making your computer a powerful production tool. If you are a PC user, they make a Windows version of the software called WinJournal.
Other software that I find helps make production programming easier is iTunes (free) which runs on a PC or Mac. I find it very easy to “scrub” or shuttle the music back and forth in the timeline while programming. It sure beats the days of fast-forwarding and rewinding a cassette tape or even trying to shuttle a CD player. The same holds true for a computer-based video player, such as Windows Media Player by Microsoft (free) or Quicktime (free). These can make it much easier to watch video while programming than using a video tape deck or standalone DVD player.
My next tool is an iPod ($50 - $500) MP3 player. When it isn’t practical to use a computer for audio playback, an MP3 player fits the bill. Always be sure to carry your charger and sync cable with you, as you never know when you might need to add a few late additions to the program.
Page 1 of 4 next page >>
Greg Persinger is the owner of Vivid Illumination. He can be reached at greg@vividillumination.com.
Quick-links
EDMX 512 Line Tester, Gizmo, Opto-Splitters, DMX terminator
www.dfd.com | 805-481-9599
Post a Comment
ADD NEW COMMENT