Tips & Tricks

For at least eight days out of the year, ESTA holds to of its four annual meetings in Dallas, and when it does, much of… Read More »A Plug for the RDM Plugfest

Remember that celebrities have many people that want to talk with them. If you are at a show and need to talk with the artist,… Read More »Working with Celebrities

In this industry, we always try to help each other. I was able to pass on the work I can’t cover to a couple of… Read More »Punt, Pass, and Kick

I was on the island of Trinidad working on a typical awards-style TV shoot, with five cameras, a podium and 12 musical numbers.  I was… Read More »Improvizing While Your Console is Stuck at Customs

Looking for a recession-proof market sector? A total of about 3,000 gentlemen's clubs in the U.S. account for $2 billion in revenues, according to AVN.com,… Read More »The Recession-Resistant Gentlemen’s Club Market

Three-phase distribution is very common, because it saves money. It takes about 25 percent less copper to transmit the same amount of power…But it’s virtually… Read More »Three-Phase Power and a Bozo-Proof Solution

For trade show lighting, one of the first things I do when I’m drawing up a lighting plot for an exhibition booth is to pull… Read More »The Accessories List Starts with the Right Lens

“For Panic at The Disco, I rely a lot on what I learned in the theatrical community. It’s less about big movements and big graphic… Read More »A Theatrical Look for a Concert Band

How are those amazing yellow and blue lines drawn on football fields? Michael King, field operations manager for SportVision, says you start with a precision… Read More »A Three-Part Equation for “First and Ten” Graphics

In a very large multi-scene attraction, I’ll usually number all the channels to correspond with the dimmer rack and number they’re on.  If there are… Read More »Numbering Strategies for in Multi-Scene Attractions

The best lighting designers are folks who pay attention to detail. I first met Jeff Ravitz 20 years ago in a convention center. He was… Read More »Attention to Detail Makes the Difference

John Huddleston, director of lighting services at Upstaging in Sycamore. Ill., says he’s been watching the credit crunch but has only seen it impact those… Read More »The Credit Crunch is Real, but Not Universal