COVID-19 does not seem to be going away anytime soon, especially in cities where cases keep increasing. While this is bad news for our industry in general, people are being creative with how they are spending their time, with live streams, hybrid performances, drive-ins, and other clever solutions. And the internet continues to amuse and divert as well as present good learning experiences. Here are some options for Tuesday, July 7, 2020 and into this week and next.
Training and Webcasts:
• July 7 @ 6pm Central: Harman Professional Training: Performance Manager 2.x Advanced with Juan Soothill: This webinar will explore advanced workflows for JBL Performance Manager software, such as building arrays without LAC files, manually building cardioid subwoofer arrays and importing subwoofer EDS files from LAC into Performance Manager. Register Here.
• July 8 (day 2): Digital Production Workshop: A Case Study of NYU Tisch Drama’s The Clouds: An in-depth look at the making of Tisch Drama's New Studio On Broadway Physical Acting Ensemble’s production of The Clouds. This free two-day comprehensive workshop is open to the public and will be broken down into a series of sessions exploring the creative and technical aspects of producing this fully remote production. Monday, July 6, 1– 5:30pm via Zoom and Wednesday, July 8, 1– 5:30pm via Zoom. More Info and Registration.
Special Discussion:
• Friday, July 10 @ 3pm Eastern: Live Design & USITT present A Conversation On Diversity And Anti-Racism In Entertainment Design. Moderated by David Stewart, USITT Board member and production manager for Disney Parks Live Entertainment, with lighting designer Xavier Pierce, lighting/projection designer Roma Flowers, lighting designer Porsche McGovern, lighting designer/event coordinator Ebony Madry, lighting designer Rachael Blackwell, and production manager Lawrence Bennett. Register Here.
Looking Ahead, Register In Advance:
• July 8 @ 6pm Central: Harman Professional Learning Sessions: Performance Manager Application For Concerts & Festivals: Juan Soothill, Harman audio expert, presents the elements of his design for the BayDreams 2020 festival in New Zealand, including setup with JBL Performance Manager and Line Array Calculator software, as well as networking with Crown VDrive. Register Here.
• July 9 @ 11am Eastern: ETC: Hamilton Lighting Design Discussion With Howell Binkley & Team: Can't get enough Hamilton? Join the Tony-Award winning lighting team from the Broadway hit, to discuss designing, producing, and touring the show, with lighting designer Howell Binkley, associate LD Ryan O'Gara, assistant LD Amanda Zieve, and programmer David Arch. Listen as they discuss of the secrets of the design, hear some stories, discuss the new Hamilton Programming Project, and cover audience questions. Join us for a lively discussion on lighting one of the world's favorite shows! Register Here (If you are asked for a password to join, enter: eosfamily).
• July 9 @ 10am Central: Martin Professional Learning Sessions: P3 - Ask the Experts with Wouter Verlinden and Bjoern Stolt. This webinar will provide attendees with a chance to ask Martin product experts everything they want to know about the Martin P3 System Controller platform, including new features coming in version 5.2.0. Register Here.
• July 9 @ 12pm Eastern: Ultratec Special Effects: Learn How To Set-Up Your Own Fog Curtain: A Facebook Live demo. Tony Wikner, senior service technician demonstrates how to set-up the Fog Curtain. Watch the live demo and send in your questions. Watch Here.
• July 9 @ 1pm Eastern: Maestra Music Virtual Technical Workshop Series: Intro To Sound Design with Jessica Paz. Co-presented by TSDCA. Tony Award-winning sound designer Jessica Paz will lead a workshop on sound design in theater. Register Here.
For Your Viewing Enjoyment:
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre: Lazarus: Costumes: Mark Eric; lighting: James Clotfelter. Inspired by the life and legacy of Mr. Ailey, hip hop choreographer Rennie Harris – the organization’s inaugural artist-in-residence – connects past and present in a powerful ensemble work that addresses the racial inequities America faced when Ailey founded this company in 1958 and still faces today. The company’s first two-act ballet, Lazarus is set to a soundtrack produced by Darrin Ross, with his original music, and featuring Nina Simone, Terrence Trent D’Arby, Michael Kiwanuka, Odetta, spoken text written and adapted by Rennie Harris that is performed by Wadud Ahmad, Rennie Harris, and the voice of Alvin Ailey. Watch Here (thru July 9)
Trailer:
Special Events On The Horizon:
• July 14-16: USITT Costume Design & Technology Summit: Costumes in the Time of COVID: A Series of Conversations About Costume Education: A three-day conference. Free to USITT members/$20per day non-members (use code 3DAYCDT to get third day free). More info here. Register Here.
• July 20-25: ALD Academy. A.LD Boot Camp: Learn To Be An Assistant Lighting Designer: A week-long workshop on zoom with a great roster of lighting designers and speakers Hosted by Tim Deiling and Rob Casey. Details Here.
• Themed Entertainment Creative Workshop Series: Sponsored by The Bezark Company. This is an unprecedented, multi-disciplinary, accelerated workshop series developed and led by some of the best minds in Themed Entertainment. Details Here.
Watch Anytime:
• Elation Virtual At Home Demos: Overview of the key features and unique benefits of some of Elation’s newest lighting products, a demonstration that gives lighting pros an opportunity to assess if a luminaire is right for their needs. Products showcased include the Fuze Spot™, Fuze Pendant™, Fuze Profile™, Fuze SFX™, Smarty Max™, Artiste Van Gogh™, Artiste Monet™, Dartz 360™, CW Profile HP™ and WW Profile HP™ ellipsoidals, along with the Magma Prime™ hazer from Magmatic atmospheric effects. Watch Here.
• GLP 10 Out Of 10 With Neil Austin: This week's episode of "10 Out Of 10" features West End & Broadway lighting designer Neil Austin, whose projects include Harry Potter And The Cursed Child and Ink, for which he received Tony awards for Best Lighting of a Play in 2018 & 2019 respectively. Watch Here.
• Strand Lighting: Theatre Systems Design Basics. Presented by Bobby Harrell. Watch Here.
• frame.work videos are now online, a conference for video professionals. Watch Here.
• ETC Story Q&A with Tom Littrell: thoughts from Outreach and Training Specialist Tom Littrell on LEDs. Read Here.
• Grey Room Sessions. Watch Here.
• Unreal Interactive Demo. Watch Here.
• Opera America – live streams.
• ETC On Headset: The Billington Files
• TDF Stages, list of streaming performances updated daily.
• Scott Parker: A lot of training videos to choose from. Watch Here.
Podcasts:
• Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast: Leadership Under Covid: Kevin Poyck just had his legs under him as CEO and president of Signify’s Americas Market Group when the outbreak threw his business into chaos. He shares his thoughts on virtual offices, managing at a distance, and the shape of post-pandemic normalcy. What really brought him to our show today was a recent study at Boston University that confirmed how effective a new Signify UVC lamp really is, which leads to a vintage Philips UV disinfection manual and the modern rush for germicidal lamps. It’s time for us all to turn a page as we proceed out of our current crisis. Listen Here.
• Technically Speaking, USITT Podcast: Featuring 2020 Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Award winner, Jasmine Lesane, a lighting designer & director dedicated to realizing visions through innovative design solutions, and a recent grad of Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama. Listen Here.
• Light Talk With The Lumen Brothers: A podcast and a place where lighting designers can feel free to express what really annoys them about the industry, lighting education, and the art of stage lighting design. Listen Here.
• LD At Large With Chris Lose: Recent episodes include Michael Berger, Seth Robinson, and Rob Koenig. Listen Here.
• The Evolution of Special Effects With John Canning of Digital Domain: Tyler Gates and Sophia Moshasha catch up with John Canning, executive producer at Digital Domain, to talk about how animation and special effects in media production have evolved to become higher quality, less costly, and easier to achieve with immersive technology. Listen Here.
Industry Resources:
• USITT Women In Theatre Network