Pleasant Surprise of the Month: WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, AUSTIN, TX

Westlake High School in Austin, TX, is doing its darnedest to educate the next generation of theatre pros with over 80 students in five daily technical theatre classes, in areas such as theatrical rigging, conventional and automated lighting, multi-camera live video production, post-production, media distribution, and event management.

Every year, the students collaborate with the dance team for a spring production. Ten years ago, with the help of High End Systems, over a dozen Intellabeams were brought in and since then moving lights have played an integral role in the event. The team also made use of a Catalyst v3 Media Server to add real-time, full-motion video effects to the production.

So, instead of slinging burgers at the local fast food place, these savvy students can spend their summers hanging fixtures and programming lighting boards!

Automated Lighting Student Programmers:
Dalton Edwards, Rob Foulger, Gian Gerosa, Jordan Groves, Thomas Harper, Walker Harris, Mason Jordan, Scott Kyrish, Lisa Michalsky, Greg Monnig, Dylan Randall, Austin Reinhart, Jeffrey Strange

Design:
David Poole, technical director Phil Gilbert, Jr., automated lighting director, instructor, designer, catalyst programmer