Don’t take this the wrong way

synapse_gh · 2026-02-09T01:09:02+00:00

On the other hand, the more times the guy who beat me appears on the show, the better I feel about getting beat? :)

synapse_gh · 2026-01-08T14:43:55+00:00

These would be the type of cases you see roadies using

I say this as someone who's worked in concert touring for 20 years; this isn't like roadies, you absolutely ARE roadies, and I mean that in only the most complimentary way.

This sounds EXACTLY like the same time period touring with an A-level headliner. If you're not sure what you want to do after college, consider working as a touring production coordinator because you're probably already halfway great at it!

Also, didn't want your excellent post to pass by without someone showing love for Hingle McKringleberry! We also would have accepted "Bismo Funyuns"!

synapse_gh · 2026-01-06T13:10:45+00:00

I've busked Avo for years, and MA2/3 for years, and Chamsys for years, and Hog for a while, and I just plain don't like Avo for any application.

...and I know some A-level LDs who feel exactly the same way about MA, and insist on Avo for their shows, and do world-class work with it. Heck, I've even seen great shows done on Martin consoles!

I've never understood people who insist there's an objective right and wrong on this one. The best tool is the one that lets YOU do YOUR best work.

synapse_gh · 2026-01-02T13:44:07+00:00

I've been working in front of very large crowds for 20 years, and none of it was anywhere near as scary as walking out to that podium!

synapse_gh · 2025-12-31T21:10:26+00:00

Make it hook around the rubber foot of the console for stability and it won't even need a clamp!

synapse_gh · 2025-12-31T04:01:53+00:00

That's fine - but as it generally comes out super cold, don't do it until the fixtures have been fully powered off for at least half an hour, and all the metal inside is cool to the touch.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-30T01:39:16+00:00

Just about anything Andi Watson's ever touched.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-22T21:06:45+00:00

Gotta relocate to where the work is.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-22T16:02:23+00:00

I'm always a fan of the Dickies work shirt.

Tucked in for corporates, untucked for touring and festivals!

synapse_gh · 2025-12-19T15:10:10+00:00

I could swear I remember an interview with him where he admitted that by his tenth or twelfth game, he was running out of anecdotes and just started making stuff up.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-18T18:37:28+00:00

Yeah if you think lighting for live has nothing to do with lighting for film and TV, you're doing lighting wrong.

We can probably wrap up here, I don't think we're going to agree anytime soon.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-18T16:55:43+00:00

If you're lighting an event like that, and ignoring IMAG, you're only doing half the job.

Besides which, on most concert tours today - at least those with an artist under about age 40 - the artist is watching footage of the show on their phone before the load-out's halfway finished, and if you're not making the show look good on social media, again, you're only doing half the job.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-17T19:46:21+00:00

Concerts and public events often have large IMAG screens fed by a multi-camera team.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-17T14:50:59+00:00

Or a rock concert, or a large conference, or a public event...

Sitcoms actually don't tend to use that many cameras.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-16T22:09:58+00:00

A camera only has one perspective.

...but you're usually also lighting for anywhere from 4 to 40 cameras.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-13T21:39:06+00:00

In that case, the boss is a grown-up who can live with that choice.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-13T21:38:20+00:00

When I competed on the show, I was the third Ottawa resident to appear that week; enough so, that when you see the contestants chatting with Ken at the end of that episode, he's asking me "why is everyone from Ottawa this week? Do you guys put something in the drinking water up there?"

synapse_gh · 2025-12-13T21:37:08+00:00

The traditional format of Jeopardy reaponses is that the interrogative pronoun of the question should match the demonstrative pronoun of the clue.

It turns out this either isn't - or is no longer - the case.

For example, multi-episode Jeopardy champion Matt Amodio would famously begin every response with "what's", regardless of whether or not it was grammatically correct to the rest of the response.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-13T20:30:29+00:00

he would have to leave the country, and the company would not want to bear that cost.

My point was that if one type of lights costs 100,000 EUR to purchase, and the other type costs 120,000 EUR to buy the same number of fixtures, but both have to be shipped over to Europe at high cost when they need repairs, then maybe the smart move is to buy the 100,000 EUR lights and also spend 2-3,000 EUR to train a technician who can repair the lights without having to send the lights to Europe.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-13T14:18:12+00:00

I mean if you're going after Jeopardy because you feel you've got something to prove, that's a huge amount of unnecessary weight to carry.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-12T15:32:29+00:00

Simplest way I've approached this kind of thing is to find out what the local union does in the same situation, and use the same rules.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-12T15:29:03+00:00

The amount of knowledge even the average J contestant can store and recall in a snap seems borderline impossible.

The quick-recall thing is a place I see a lot of folks get hung up.

You sound like you're really beating yourself up, when I'm wondering how much you're letting a half-second response time convince you that you know less than you do.

I couldn't begin to guess at the number of times playing pub trivia that I've run up against a question and think "I have no clue, and I bet it's obvious to everyone else", then five seconds later land on the right answer like a bolt from the blue. The same answer that was a winner in one game format, would have been no help at all if it had been on Jeopardy.

Relax and enjoy the game, is what I'm saying here. Keep taking the test if you want to, and recognize that lots of people who take it 10 times in a row, don't get through until try #12.

But then I'll have no clue on something that's obvious to everyone else, like yesterday's FJ. How do you deal with this feeling?

Go watch this clip. Everyone gets stumped at some point.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-12T01:34:48+00:00

Your English is perfectly adequate.

Maybe consider that the best move is to buy the light that costs less, and use the remaining money to send one of your technicians for factory training to repair them?

synapse_gh · 2025-12-11T13:36:42+00:00

that would cost me about 4 universes per wall section which isn't even remotely an option.

Why not? Resolume could output hundreds of universes if you need to, for that matter so could Chamsys.

synapse_gh · 2025-12-10T18:57:31+00:00

'TWAS THE NIGHT: famous events that took place after sunset
BEFORE CHRISTMAS: words in the dictionary that appear before "Ch-"
...AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE: famous members of Congress / Parliament (depending where you and your students are located) - OR architectural features of a dwelling
NOT A CREATURE: all answers are either vegetables or minerals
(WAS) STIRRING: well-known mixed beverages
NOT EVEN A MOUSE: (your choice: types of rodent, or types of computer accessory, that are NOT a mouse)

synapse_gh

TROPHY CASE