Worth Doing Twice?
Rigging points. The head rigger or carpenter is usually responsible for laying out chalk markings that direct the placement of chain motors for the rigging crew.
A good head rigger will always check in with both the touring and house sound crews before spotting the PA motors, getting any further details that can stop problems before they’re created.
The last thing any of us wants to hear in the stressful process of putting in a system is “oh, by the way…”
One of our usual crew members at the Fox, Harvey Mills, has a saying: “If it’s worth doing once, it’s worth doing at least twice.” Trust me, riggers do not find this funny!
With rigging details, also provide data on factors such as maximum load rating for fly points, as well as any special hardware that might be needed for hanging from given points or grids.
Plans and maps. New or recently renovated venues in particular can present a navigation challenge for the touring crew.
Two types of maps can be helpful. One should specifically detail the inner workings of the venue, while the other should detail the surrounding neighborhood.
For the Fox Theatre, we supply cleanly drawn seating charts and building plans that were very easy to simply photocopy and place in the tech package. Almost every venue has some sort of building plan, or at least fire exit plans, that can be adapted for this use.
Dressing room lists or drawings can also be handy, particularly for shows requiring a lot of outfitting and later gathering of body microphones.
Auditorium plans can useful in assisting with predicting audio coverage, and these can also be used to simplify discussions about hard-to cover-areas or problem spots in the house. A scale drawing of the stage and backstage is great for techs choosing to plan out shows in advance.
One other nice addition to this section is a guide to surrounding establishments. Bars, clubs, restaurants and laundry facilities – anything that might be of use to the visiting crew, to make their time at your venue a little more pleasant, convenient and manageable.
For those crews staying on for several shows, a list of nearby movie theatres, video rental places and other amusement attractions can ease the boredom of hotel room confinement. And don’t forget the location of the nearest Radio Shack and music supply store!
This should give you a good starting point on developing or improving tech package documentation, and if you’re a touring person, what to expect and ask for from a venue’s tech staff.
Despite the long hours, his theatre sound gig is somewhat of a dream job for Mark E.P. Woods.