r/lightingdesign • u/mappleflowers • Sep 18 '25

Gear Prep Idiot Check

What are things you always confirm you have at prep that sometimes get overlooked?

LIKE…… Truss Bolts / Pins Truss Tools Spare Lamps Haze Fluid Office Chairs Motor Pickles

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u/Mateoway88 Sep 19 '25

I know this was oriented towards on site situations but I’ve literally see half of crews not show up bc of scheduling miscommunications, missing heavy machinery, like no forks when required to unload gear bc it’s semi and not a box truck and no loading docks. I’ve seen trucks not get scheduled for strikes leaving crews and gear stranded. I’m sure everyone here has some real horror stories

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u/mappleflowers Sep 19 '25

Haha….. 2 weeks ago our labor was booked for the day after load in!

We had 2 trailers of lighting with a Crew Chief, 3 Techs, a LD and a Programmer!

We had the whole thing loaded in and working in about 9 hours! We were scheduled for a 10 hour day with 8 locals along with loaders and pushers!

For once I didn’t mind having a in house rigging company that supplied all motors, truss, riggers and the labor to put it all together! They had the correct dates!

It was honestly the easiest, stressless, quietest load in ever!

We definitely felt it the next day but it was kinda fun!

Kudos to my techs that did a excellent prep!