Remembering McCandless
What a great article (“Remember Stanley McCandless,” May LD). We'd been involved in the Belding a few years ago, but I was not aware of the house lighting system in the Mortensen.
It's a fascinating system and an enjoyable article. It's also good to see the McCandless name. I don't think he's as widely remembered as he used to be.
— Tom Young
J. R. Clancy, Inc
Battle Cry
Your Battle Stations story (“War Games,” March LD) was the best piece I've seen on it to date, and there have been more than a few. There are so many different components to the facility that it's hard to capture the full effect, but it's all there in your story. I'm grateful to have such a comprehensive piece as a reference tool.
— Margaret Ahrweiler, Public Relations Director
James McHugh Construction Co.
Think: Big Picture
Having just read your “Sounding Off” editorial in the March edition (we get it late here in Oz!), I can honestly say I'm one of the crossover type people. I'm a lighting designer/director with some 30 years experience. However, I always try to consider not just the “big fat looks” or “lighting comes first and damn everything else,” but the total production, as you mention.
I have had far fewer problems in the events I've worked on (and these have been many and varied) by considering all the other disciplines in the design process, refining them with my colleagues who represent these other disciplines during the planning process, then tweaking when it hits the road.
Rather than creating a design that's way out there and then throwing it at some poor unsuspecting rigger to fly for me, I've made it my business to understand exactly how things need to physically happen while I'm designing. Even then it takes some effort to convince some colleagues that it will work the way I envisioned, just because it's not usually done that way.
Considering audio and projection in the same context is an equal priority in the design stage and 99.9% of the time will guarantee a better outcome for the total production.
I don't believe in creating camels (“a camel is a horse put together by a committee”), as someone needs to be making the major design decisions, however the acronym TEAM is also very true: Together Each Achieves More.
I don't see any other realistic way of achieving consistently positive and cohesive results.
— Peter Robins, Technical Planning Manager
Adelaide Convention Centre, Australia