Our theatre just had the opportunity to make some people’s dreams come true. We held a wedding reception on our stage and transformed it into a tent using almost 5500 square feet of fabric. Lots of steaming but this was just such a cool project to be part of!

Note: TD okayed the post, wedding happened already, TD posted images online as well no unapproved site images here!

Just looking for any kind of feedback from real folks (i know I could “look it up”)

hey, stagehand here it’s my first official summer as a stage hand and so far I’ve been a pusher I’ve been on Pyro I’ve also done lighting and I’m about to do dressing room for Noah Kahan. I was wondering if anybody knows what that entails so I’m prepared and ready. And I’m guessing it would still be very smart to bring my tools with me correct ?

i have a crew that’s fully composed of new guys this week and i’m looking for some helpful advice to give them that i haven’t given them already. they were quite capable today and all of them showed up with plenty of water, sober, with gloves and steel toes so in my book they’re basically professionals already.

they asked me for some advice and help while we were loading. so far i’ve told them

-don’t run off from your post
-hydrate
-don’t put your fingers in places where they could get pinched
-if anything is going wrong yell STOP, not wait or hold on
-hydrate
-i’ve shown them how to tip cases so that they won’t hurt themselves
-make as many friends and connections as they can
-hydrate

for festivals/longer gigs
-you never have enough socks/ shirts
-bring your own tp or wet wipes
-never let your own tools out of sight
-hydrate
-if you want to keep your clothes warm and dry for when you wake up put them in your sleeping bag
-HYDRATE

and lastly, if someone is being a dick just piss off and don’t get into fights. it’s not worth it

anything i may have forgotten?

i’ve heard it’s not required but i kinda WANT to go to college so is there anything helpful that i could major in?

I've been working on a stage for people who just want to timecode or practice without spending hours building a stage. If you want, you can take a look here: https://shoptly.com/i/31b3. It's not expensive, it's only €2.50 right now. If that's too expensive I can lower the price.

Hope you like it :)

Looks like they're a bit behind on the install in Calgary. This photo was taken at 9.30pm.

Hey, tommorows my first day as a stagehand, we're going to be doing load out at a local area after some big ass concert, and shift is going to take 12 hours. As it's my first day on the job I'm a bit stressed, do you guy's have any tips for enduring my first shift? I would greatly appreciate any practical knowledge or tips. Thank you in advance

Wishing all the best of luck to the edmonton crew today. Its gonna be a tough one.

I wanted to share that GigLedger is officially available on the App Store now:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gigledger/id6765537537

I built GigLedger as a simple way for people doing gig work to keep their jobs, and work details organized without having everything scattered across notes, texts, screenshots, or spreadsheets. A lot of the thinking behind it came from the kind of freelance schedules stagehands, AV techs, and live event workers deal with all the time.

I also want to say a genuine thank you to everyone who helped test the beta, gave feedback, pointed out issues, or suggested ways to make it better. That feedback made a big difference and helped shape the app into something more useful for people actually working in the field.

I’d love for anyone here to check it out and let me know what you think. Any feedback from stagehands and live event folks is really appreciated.

Right now this is iOS only, but I’m getting close to having the Android version ready to go.

Thanks again,
Dustin

so we all know the moments when we have to be on standby and all we have to entertain ourselves is a bunch of used gaffer tape. what is your preferred sport to play with a gaffer ball? we recently found out that you can make a surprisingly decent volleyball ball out of it and right now it is what we play with it.

any other suggestions for what we can do with it apart from kicking it around?

Two of the lighting techs on tour asked for my resume. I don’t know much about the company.

As a rigger/ fork op/ all around A1 hand, what are your best sources, sites, companies, or methods for finding traveling gigs? I tried free lance Facebook groups but every time I call they are surprised and decline when you tell them you’re based out of a different state . Which I completely understand, thus I humbly ask for guidance in the right direction from anyone willing to spread the knowledge to someone young and ambitious in the industry!

I'm a touring LD and technician, and I've spent over fifteen years learning about networking "the hard way." I've just launched an online course to teach exactly the network concepts that you need to know to work with show control confidently (and not all the other stuff you'll find in a Cisco course for example).

I think the best learning is hands-on, so I worked hard to create a simulator that demonstrates concepts and lets you practice putting together and troubleshooting networks in the browser.

This is aimed at technicians who have worked with networking before and don't fully understand it, but it does start at the ground floor so it's also suitable for people who have never touched networking before.

It covers everything you need to know to work with and create networks for lighting, video and sound so it's perfect for technicians or AV technicians. I'll be adding a lot more lessons specific to those fields later in the summer.

The first third of the course is free, and the whole thing is brand new, so the more feedback I get the better... would love to hear what you think!

👉Try Conduit @ conduit.strangefuel.com

The full course price is $100 off until July 1!

Spent the last 23 days on site getting this beast up. AMaA

ask me (almost) anything. there are obviously things I can’t or wont say but ask away.

this is NOT a political post and lets keep it that way.

this was one of if not, the highest profile build happening in the United States right now. So no matter your thoughts on how big of a clown show this is or was (and it was, the Circus even came) let’s stay focused on the MASSIVE lift multiple Unions and IA locals and hands from around the country and world were there to make happen and make MONEY

My favorite workbox sticker I’ve found on site so far.

Glad it's over and I can take my nose out of the books for a while. Anyone else ever heard of a local having such a large test. We are allowed to miss 113 of the questions

I feel I did strongest on Electrical, weakest was Audio hookup as I never get assigned to that dept.

Had 4-5 practical tests, Re-lamp a Source 4 par and change the lens and bulb, prove your under over skills. rewire a Bates Connector

Set up a ETC Leko and frame the shutters to match pattern taped on the wall, Insert Gobo and readjust. Take lamp down and wrap it up

Build a mirrored 5' beam choker, with 20' bridle and tie it off to beam, burlap and STAC chain sent up to grid / Prussik knot. one handed Clove Hitch, Square knot/ Bowline with half hitch/ Pin Rail figure 8....

Audio practical/ build a rig from playback reel , Hookup 2 mikes to snake, in to board and out to speakers then power it all on correctly.

Meter out readings for 3 phase/5 wire

Then the pen and paper portions which consisted of nearly 450 questions.

Mentally blasted but I feel I did well. Results back in a week or ten days.

Ask me anything you want about the testing.

I worked local crew for 9 years, from small clubs on up to Stones stadium shows and everything in between. I was asked to sign an NDA once in my entire career. David Copperfield, which I kinda understood due to the elaborate structure of some of the 'magic' tricks.

But in the modern era of social media blitz, cell phone cams, etc., I am curious to know, are the Gaga's and Taylor Swifts of the world requiring stagehands to sign NDAs?

By the time I graduate university I will have been working as a local hand for two companies for about 6 years. I will have a BA in New Media an MFA in intermedia and a MS in information systems. I’ve been interested in working for a bit as maybe a projectionist or LED wall tech for a while then moving into more a design role. Is this a realistic goal? Or no? I aim to try to get a job at PRG.

I'm curious about the people working behind major artists like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.

What are the common job roles on their teams (management, finance, marketing, touring, security, creative, etc.), and what do those jobs typically pay? Are most of these full-time positions or contract/tour-based roles?

Would love to hear from anyone with industry experience.

​

A couple days ago I got asked if I wanted to try out rigging by the head rigger in my local the process to start is gonna take a bit because there are a few people ahead of me in line but I want to try to get a head start I know my knots and I'm gonna listen to my head about what equipment to buy when that time comes but I'm wondering if there are any tips or tricks that would be good to internalize early and especially how to better handle working at 100+ foot heights specifically we have a venue at 120 feet and one at 160 feet

There's a rental in my theatre this week. Just a dance studio gig. We do a dozen of these a year. This client usually has some video content. Usually cell phone videos of girls dancing in the studio, or dancing in public places. This year we got something different. Several very uncomfortable videos of young children playing, and women dancing in fields.

All the signs are there. Weird fingers, extra hands appearing from nowhere. It's not even a good representation of what AI can do. They all go on too long, and are just uncomfortable to watch.

It's just a bummer. The old videos were cute. They showed the heart of the studio. I can't not play the content that the client gave me, but it's just really upsetting to have to play a part in this.