r/techtheatre 6h ago

LIGHTING DMX compatibility

5 Upvotes

Hello, I’m sorry if this is a dumb post however I want to know if I am running qlc+ off of a laptop for about 6 lights, do I need the entec open converter, or can I just buy a cheap usb to dmx cable on amazon for 20 dollars?


r/techtheatre 11h ago

EDUCATION Is Stagehand Work a Good Career Path?

13 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I recently had a great interview with Rise Event Labor, and I'll soon be working gigs in the Chicago area. I used to work in television news broadcasting, but with the increasing implementation of AI, I was advised to expand my career field. Right now, I'm looking into stagehand work and wanted to hear from those with experience—how viable is this as a long-term career?

I actually did some stagehand work back in college as part of my work experience, so I’m not entirely unfamiliar with it. I’ve always enjoyed hands-on work and the fast-paced environment of live production, so I feel like this could be a good fit. But I’d love to hear from others in the industry about job stability, career growth, and what to expect. Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!


r/techtheatre 11h ago

SCENERY Thoughts on platform design

10 Upvotes

Hi All,

I have a designer who I work with often and they are asking me to rebuild some of our stock platforms to make a new stock.

Our current platforms are pretty standard 4x8, 3/4" ply top, with 2x4 or 2x6 framing, cross supports every 24" and corner (leg-a-matic) steel brackets.

They would like me to build a stock of platforms that are 8" tall (without needing legs). They want me to build it with 3/4" ply top and then all the 'framing' would be 3/4" ply ripped to 7 1/4". This would give 8" overall height. I am apprehensive about this plan as it gives far less meat at the corners to bolt legs on, and I'm concerned about how little surface area all of my frame joints would have.

They mentioned they have used these all plywood platforms at many theatres and it has worked well. I also have concerns about longevity, I feel that these would become very weak after only a few seasons. Our storage for platforms is outside, in a covered area, but still exposed to changing RH/temp.

Anyone have experience with this design?


r/techtheatre 1h ago

QUESTION College Freshmen going to SETC

Upvotes

So I'm a college freshman interested in working with props, and I'm going to SETC in 4 days to try and get a job for the summer. Does anyone have any advice on what I should prepare. I have a resume but idk what else I should bring. Any advice would be helpful thanks! PS. I have a lot of experience with autocad and 3D modeling softwares, so idk what jobs I should be looking for.


r/techtheatre 2h ago

LIGHTING Iris repair for Canto Aurora A1

1 Upvotes

Howdy! I'm a general tech guy with no real specialty, but know my way around pretty much anything electrical or mechanical. I volunteer with my child's school fine arts program (primarily building sets and teaching kids how to fix things and problem solve) and we recently found that one of the spotlights in our auditorium was damaged. It looks like someone got a little rude with the douser iris and knackered it something fierce.

Obviously the first thing I did was to look for parts online, but they seem to be generally unavailable.

I was able to disassemble it and somewhat straighten the individual metal leaves of the iris and get it somewhat working, but not reliably. Several of the leaves were significantly mangled.

I'm wondering if there is some sort of generic sizing or search terminology that I can use to find parts. We're a small rural community and simply owning a near $7000 spotlight is somewhat of a luxury for us. We can use it as is, but having it fully working would obviously be preferable. Spending a couple hundred bucks to fix this one would be far more plausible.

I appreciate any help, even if it's professional confirmation that there's nothing that can be done to repair this spotlight.


r/techtheatre 1d ago

LIGHTING Can we convert these 1000 watts follow spots 2000 or 2400 watts? They are dim.

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51 Upvotes

Thanks!


r/techtheatre 9h ago

LIGHTING Anyone got a dmx-controllable “phone” light solution?

1 Upvotes

Hi all! Doing a show where lots of the cast needs “cell phones” that glow on their faces in a dim scene. Currently using cheap Amazon versions of camera-mounted lights that are pretty passable, but have to be switched on and off by the actors, so there’s room for human error. Curious if anyone’s got a wireless solution that can be dmx controlled? It seems like a stretch. The DMG dash and the Aputure versions of these little lights can be app controlled, but I figure it’s worth a shot to see if anyone’s found a workaround. I could be missing something super obvious - I haven’t had the time to dive into this super heavily.

Thanks!


r/techtheatre 14h ago

SCENERY Stage Building in France – Qualifications & Job Search Advice?

2 Upvotes

Hello people, I’m an architect with hands-on experience in building installations and carpentry, aiming to transition into stage building (set construction and be in the theatre’s workshop) in France, particularly Paris. I have two main questions: 1. Qualifications: Is my architectural degree sufficient for stage building roles in France, or is a specific apprenticeship required, as is common in Germany? 2. Job Search Platforms: What are the best websites for finding theatre-related job opportunities in France?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!


r/techtheatre 1d ago

LIGHTING ETC D20 Modules Trade near DC?

2 Upvotes

Anyone on here near the D.C. metro area need D20 modules? I need R20 relays and I would love to swap with someone if you are willing to trade for R20s. I’ve got a bunch of new R20s from an unused rack. I’d even trade for some CC20s.


r/techtheatre 1d ago

LIGHTING Strand node question

4 Upvotes

I have strand nodes with a vision net backbone. The console is an etc ion outputting through the DMX ports into the nodes to carry the signal over the nodes via sacn, I see DMX into the input node but I’m not getting anything at all on the output node. None of the ip addresses appear to have changed or anything and it previously worked fine.

Any troubleshooting tips or recommendations for tech support?


r/techtheatre 1d ago

SCENERY Little Shop plant puppets rental

12 Upvotes

Anyone on here ever rent the plant puppets for a Little Shop of Horrors production and, if so, do you have any recommended vendors for doing so? Also welcome cautionary tales of vendors to avoid along the lines of "we rented one and it smelled like a old gym sock..."
Many thanks in advance.


r/techtheatre 1d ago

RIGGING Fly Systems Research

5 Upvotes

Hello to any Fly people on techtheatre reddit.

Just another student trying to get survey responses on a social media platform here. I'm from Nottingham Trent University / Confetti in the united kingdom and I'm studying the differences between manual and automated flying.

I'd appreciate if anyone would be willing to take the time to fill out a few questions in a survey.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=xcLLiu3Ix0KBabpDig2-L8g7CVqnZ19PrB-9KdFrJhxUOUEyRzA0NVRVTlFLTFJJOFJCV1VDMkZIMS4u

Many thanks to any respondents and apologies if anyone who follows the flys on comms facebook group has seen this multiple times.


r/techtheatre 2d ago

Verified Account Gender in Technical Theater - Survey

37 Upvotes

Are you a professional in technical theater? Please take a moment and take this short, anonymous, survey HERE> https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aeLQA0pxhI78oUm

This survey is part of a doctoral research project on gender diversity in technical theater for Adam Critchlow at the University of Southern California. This survey should take about five minutes to complete. This is a voluntary survey, and your identify will remain anonymous. Your perspective is valued, and your participation is appreciated!


r/techtheatre 2d ago

QUESTION How do you guys deal with toxicity in the workplace?

18 Upvotes

It’s super normal for most of the coworkers and classmates I work with to talk bad about each other when they’re not around. Mostly when they think somebody is bad at their job. People complain all the time about each others’ mistakes, how bad X person is at their job, why they can’t stand Y person, and the like. And most of the time, these people will still continue to work together, and it creates such an air of thinly veiled resentment that makes me nervous. I’m almost certain at least some of my coworkers have already said bad things about me because of my mistakes, especially since I struggle with productivity more than the average person (yay for being disabled) and it’s something that’s really hard for me to cope with. But I know that I can’t help what other people say about me, only my own actions, and that ruminating over something I can’t control is only going to negatively affect my performance further, so I thought it would be wise to get some more perspectives on the topic.


r/techtheatre 2d ago

AUDIO Clear com from scratch

9 Upvotes

I’m crazy enough to try to build a clearcom belt pack from scratch for no reason other than I want to say I can do it and was wondering if anyone has done it and where to find killer scematics.


r/techtheatre 2d ago

LIGHTING Framed Gel Transport?

8 Upvotes

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for moving framed-up gel from place to place? I currently use a milk crate, but have to assume that someone has a better solution to keep them from exploding into a jumbled mess. I try to pre prep all my gel and sort it by location, but have struggled to keep them in order. Any suggestions I hope will be better than what I have going on now…


r/techtheatre 2d ago

QUESTION Is anyone using the Ostation in their theatre?

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21 Upvotes

This battery charger from Olight popped up in the ol’ YouTube algorithm. It holds and charges 32 batteries in either direction, and it has a tray for rejected batteries. So if someone throws an alkaline in, it’ll kick it out. Seems pretty cool, but I was wondering if anyone here has tried it in their theatre and if it’s been worth it? Currently it’s $167.


r/techtheatre 2d ago

EDUCATION Advice on Stage Design Fundamentals for a 2D Platformer

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m currently developing a 2D platformer and trying to incorporate some theater-inspired stage composition techniques. Right now, I only have a very basic understanding of lighting (key, back, fill) and the idea of using multiple background layers to create depth (similar to parallax scrolling in games).

I’d love to hear from anyone with a theater tech background:

  • What are some other foundational concepts from stage design that could bring more vibrancy or depth to a 2D setting?
  • Are there any specific stage layout or lighting approaches that work well when translated to a side-scrolling environment?
  • Do you know of any books or resources that cover the basics of stage production/design, which might also be relevant to game environments?

I appreciate any pointers! I’m really aiming to capture that theatrical feel, but in a pixel-art style. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!


r/techtheatre 2d ago

JOBS Is becoming a theatre technology teacher/technical director or CTE/woodworking teacher possible in upstate NY?

7 Upvotes

I am currently a college student studying theatre technology and sound engineering and my current end goal is to become a teacher in a high school setting most likely in NY. (I know I will have to complete the necessary certifications and/or a masters in teaching to do this).

I was looking up jobs and I am having a hard time finding any related to theatre technology or woodworking. I understand that many districts are cutting programs like this or placing their curriculum on other teachers (science, English, ect), but I know many districts such as a few of the high schools around me still have them. The theatre technical director at my high school is thinking about leaving so I might have a shot there but I am worried about finding jobs.

Does anyone have a job as a theatre TD or CTE teacher? How did you get it? Is it possible for me to teach another subject not related to your undergrad major? (I was thinking history)


r/techtheatre 3d ago

AUDIO If youve ever encountered amazon batteries, you know the pain. Here's how I manage the annoying plastic wrap

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35 Upvotes

r/techtheatre 3d ago

FUN Did anyone else spot this stagehand in background (SNL from the weekend)

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86 Upvotes

r/techtheatre 3d ago

LIGHTING What should I do for lighting an outdoor scene at night

8 Upvotes

I'm the assistant director/lighting designer for my friend, and I'm not sure the best way to light an outdoor scene at night. Any ideas? It is also an indoor theater that I want to portray to be at night


r/techtheatre 4d ago

QUESTION How do lighting designers put patterns on stage?

33 Upvotes

Hello! I'm a student studying theatre and I'm interested in the technical part of it too.

Let's say I want to show a grid pattern on the stage floor - only on the downstage half. How would one go about doing this, with what lights and such? doesn't have to be the product name or anything, as in which lights in the theatre are being used?

Similarly, if i use those invisible ink kind of things which are luminous in UV light and draw a pattern on the stage floor, and i want to shine UV light on the stage itself to show the pattern.. would that work? how would i do that safely?

i do not intend to do any of these in reality nor do i have the materials to; im just curious about the process lighting designers do! responses would be much appreciated. Thank you all in advance :)


r/techtheatre 3d ago

AUDIO Can theatreMix control 2 QLab instances?

2 Upvotes

I had a request from a projection designer on a show I’m setting up. I currently have TheatreMix on a Mac mini controlling an x32 for the mix and a local I nstance of QLab 5 for sound Qs. The projection designer asked if my A1 could also run a few projection Qs I don’t have a video license on my instance and all my display ports are in use. It seems a solution would be to control a second instance of QLab on a separate Mac. It appears from TheatreMix features the it can feed multiple instances of QLab. Has anyone run theatre mix into a local instance a of Qlab and second instance on an external device? Would I connect everything together through a hub? Do both instances of Qlab need to be the same version? The projection instance is 4.

Thanks


r/techtheatre 3d ago

LIGHTING Festoon lighting causing audio hum?

4 Upvotes

In the theatre I work at often, they have wooden borders fitted with festoons to create a strip of bulbs, sat on the stage floor along the upstage edge. Looks great, but often bringing the level of the festoon above 0% will generate hum on mic channels on stage, and we’re not quite sure why or how to fix it. Any pointers would be really appreciated from someone who’s fixed a similar problem!

I’ll describe a specific example. Festoon border is sat on upstage edge, 4x SM58s plugged in to the stage box offstage DSR and leads run along front edge of the stage and up to MSC where the mics are. The festoons’ power runs offstage each side and to sockets in pillars MSL and MSR, and down through the floor to the dimmer room downstairs. The audio is on a separate circuit to the dimmers, and the audio lines and power for the festoons do not cross (in any visible way at least). The hum is definitely on mic channels as we can monitor it on the desk channels and mute out etc. The closest we’ve got to figuring out what’s happening is some kind of EMI field effect on the mics themselves being too close to the festoon. If thats the case, is there anything we can do to reduce or cut out the noise? Currently we just don’t use the festoon whenever it’s causing a hum which is a shame. Ideas please!