Stutwo Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 The real problem is just teachers with no business skills, and in this case technical skills, who throw money onto stupid things like movers, when there's no need. Seconding this. Teacher's are really in a world of their own, most of them not knowing anything of real life aside from Uni and Schools. With the advent of vocational courses there does seem to be more "real world" advice filtering through to the schools/colleges near to me, but if you go back 5 years certain national theatrical install and hire companies (especially the one based in Bristol) must have made an absolute killing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 .... but if you go back 5 years certain national theatrical install and hire companies (especially the one based in Bristol) must have made an absolute killing. That reminds me of a certain local school that has around 24 movers hanging in the ceiling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior8 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Seconding this. Teacher's are really in a world of their own, most of them not knowing anything of real life aside from Uni and Schools. With the advent of vocational courses there does seem to be more "real world" advice filtering through to the schools/colleges near to me, but if you go back 5 years certain national theatrical install and hire companies (especially the one based in Bristol) must have made an absolute killing. someone certainly did in the place I left... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojc123 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 The real problem is just teachers with no business skills, and in this case technical skills, who throw money onto stupid things like movers, when there's no need. Seconding this. Teacher's are really in a world of their own, most of them not knowing anything of real life aside from Uni and Schools. With the advent of vocational courses there does seem to be more "real world" advice filtering through to the schools/colleges near to me, but if you go back 5 years certain national theatrical install and hire companies (especially the one based in Bristol) must have made an absolute killing. It is perfectly true. I'm not taking it at all personally and I'm nodding in agreement but now I know how the Next Generation feels when all young people are tarred with the same brush. :) I can't imagine the state our technical stuff would end up in if it was left to my colleague. She's a great teacher and really gets Drama though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnydarko Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 I have the backing of the head of drama, head of music and head of art however SLT (Senior leadership Team) are the most un helpful group of people ever. They dont have the understanding to put on a show and they dont understand that they will need to put money in. The Kids are talented but its the technical aspect that lets the school down...Does anyone know of anything that will be able to help me win them over... You could try writing a report to the Head Teacher on the benefits of having a modern theatre facility within the school. If you also get the backing of the Head of Drama and possibly the Head of Music, I'm sure the Head Teacher would respond favourably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 SLT (Senior leadership Team) are the most un helpful group of people ever. They dont have the understanding to put on a show and they dont understand that they will need to put money in.Maybe they see being able to pay maths/English/science teachers next year as rather more important? Have you read a newspaper in the last 6 months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnydarko Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 SLT (Senior leadership Team) are the most un helpful group of people ever. They dont have the understanding to put on a show and they dont understand that they will need to put money in.Maybe they see being able to pay maths/English/science teachers next year as rather more important? Have you read a newspaper in the last 6 months? Yeah well this school doesnt ahve the problems that some other schools make. I work with some great people who's children go to this school. they are the people that will help. its a very rich school and community that is around it. and whern times are tuff we pull together like any good technicain should :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 ...it's the technical aspect that lets the school down.In what way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnydarko Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 ...it's the technical aspect that lets the school down.In what way? They have a good space but in the main hall some of the lighting bars dont have power to them, they only have 2 Dimmers which are hardwired in and there is no socket to place any new dimmers in, they deemed it not nessary to have a saftey access tower or ladder that could reach the bars in the main hall, this is how liitle they know they recomended to me that I used a smaller ladder and just raised myself on rostra to reach the bars (Dont worry I said I would bring my own ladder in). the list is very much endless! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 However, none of those affect how good the show is from the audience's perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupboard Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 That reminds me of a certain local school that has around 24 movers hanging in the ceiling... ?! I went to a public school with a fairly decent theatre and we very rarely got movers in. And when we got going we were doing pretty much a show a week across two venues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleah Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Ye Gods, a grand a show for LX fixture hire...in a school!!! Unreal.Agreed!Last time I spend £1k (ish) I bought 8 fresnels (I think ) which alone could light the space enough for a basic show...... The shows I'm responsible for lighting every year - if I was given £1k for lx hire, with the best will in the world I couldn't manage to spend it. :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Now, I work at a school, and our last show was Rent. We spent about £1200 on the show (not including rights). This was made up of about £600 on set (deck and a pile of hardboard and paint), £450 on sound (8 radios and a multicore) £30 on LX (two sunstrips) and the rest on props/costume and consumable stocks. We played 3 nights to just under 120 people at £7 each. 360 x 7 = 2500ish. Take the rights off and we broke even with a little bit in the pot to pay for use of existing consumables, lamps etc. To be fair we have a reasonably extensive LX stock, but nothing extravagant (12 1k fresnels, 17 650W fresnels, 16 PAR64s, some 650W profiles and 2 buxie followspots). Interestingly we have 4 movers; 2 stayed off, and 2 filled in jobs that could easily have been covered by 4 profiles that were sat elsewhere in the rig. If I was told I had to spend £1000 on LX for a show, I wouldn't be hiring, I'd be buying as many decent second hand 1k fresnels as I could lay my hands on! Careful use of stock and imaginative design should easily be able to manage most school shows on 18chs of dimming and no more than 24 lights. Even hiring the whole lot in (dimmers, lanterns, stands and cable) I could do that on under a grand. In many ways I wish we had a more modest rig at work because it would make the student designers think much harder and learn as much as I did when I was at school with 18channels of 2 preset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 given £1k for lx hire, with the best will in the world I couldn't manage to spend it. :huh:The show I am currently working on (Little Shop of Horrors), which I am plotting tomorrow morning, consists of the following gear: 2 x Mac 550s, a Hog 500, 6 x Par 64s, 2 x Alphapacks, 2 x Followspots and all the necessary cabling. We also bought a replacement profile for the one that got smashed, and bought a cyclorama. I have also lent the school my 2 LED Pars. I don't feel that anything there is OTT (possibly with the exception of the movers), and due to the fact that our stage gets extended for this production, I need more channels and lanterns to be able to light it. As our desk cannot take any more channels, we therefore need to hire one. The Mac 550s are going to be used as profiles (as we haven't got many profiles or channels FoH), gobo projectors and coloured washes. We may also use movement effects, but I haven't decided yet - not sure if it will work in the context of the play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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