A Celebration Of Hope

It’s not very often that I will admit I am feeling nostalgic.  Although I’m more sentimental than I let on.  Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of working a benefit held at 8500 Euclid Avenue – the former home of the Cleveland Play House.  I spent many years in various capacities at the old House of Play, and luckily had some time to aimlessly wander my old stomping grounds.  It seemed every square foot sparked a memory.  Every backstage area, hallway, and stairwell had its own story about my time there.  I’m sure I’m not the only one.  Entering the vacant theatres was sad and almost sacred – like visiting the grave of a long lost friend.

Seeing the spaces so lifeless was sobering. However, each space brought back memories of wonderful creative teams and productions from years past. Some of my favorite memories are of the Children’s Series produced by Bill Hoffman at the Cleveland Play House.  Bill produced several world premier productions through this Series over the years showcasing the talents of play writes such as Eric Schmiedl, Eric Cobel, and Kenny Kacmar.  Being part of a creative team and having the ability to work together as a script evolves is one of the most rewarding experiences I have been a part of throughout my theatrical career.   This level of collaboration creates truly remarkable work (even on a shoestring budget).  

Although theatrical productions no longer grace the stages of 8500 Euclid Ave, the city has a booming arts culture.  Cleveland Public Theatre offers several unique productions every season and continues to widen their reach.  Coming up this weekend, CPT is presenting Station Hope – A Block Party With a Purpose at St. John’s Church.  This free, one night only experience is a multiple disciplined arts event that celebrates the triumphs of the Underground Railroad, the history of St. John’s Church, and the contemporary struggles for freedom and justice.  Visual art displays, choral performances, dance, storytelling, and music will come together for this inspiring evening from 6pm – 10pm Saturday April 26.  You can get all the details here.

Among the performances will be a musical piece entitled “Get a Job” created by two of my much loved and respected colleagues, Bill Hoffman and Eric Schmiedl.   If for some reason you can’t make it out this Saturday, you can catch Bill and Eric producing wonderful shows throughout the year at the Lantern Theatre at Canal Corners & Farmers Market.  I hope you can make it to Station Hope this Saturday.  A truly inspiring evening awaits you.  Solus Lighting is a proud supporter of Station Hope. ~Maureen E. Patterson, Lead Designer Solus Lighting LTD

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

Event Techs...What's In Your Workbox?

Twitter has inspired me today!  More specifically, trade show veteran Melissa P. Michel inspired me with her "Trade Show Toolbox" blog entry.  I was reading over her blog post and I started thinking about what I always have with me at events, as a lighting tech.  As I was going through my list, I realized that the core of my workbox is always the same no matter if it is a "one-off" event or a large corporate conference that lasts for days.

If I have the space (and luxury) to put an actual workbox on the truck it is a must!  If the space does not allow, or if the show is small enough, I have a back-up...which gets the job done, it's just not on casters.  Ok, here we go...


Spare Lamps - a decent ratio is one spare for every six fixtures, but the type of fixture will really determine what you need here.  Keeping track of lamp hours is also great knowledge to have.

Tape - all kinds of tape.  Gaff tape, e-tape, board tape, spike tape...there can never be enough varieties of type and color.

General Expendables - tieline, zipties, blackwrap, binder clips, fixture donuts, extra safety cables.

FOH Gear - Little Lite, paper, pens, Sharpys, highlighters, USB Flash drives, flashlight, first aid kit.

Tool Bag - the basics; multitool like a Gerber, meter, c-wrench, nippers, 6-in-1 screwdriver, circuit tester, DMX tester.  If there are LEDs or moving lights in the rig, the tool bag should definitely be beefed up with gear like soldering iron, solder, butt splices of various gauge sizes, spade connector of various types and sizes, crimpers, allen wrenches, socket set...you get the idea, any hand tool that is used in the shop to work on LEDs or movers.

Spare Parts - if having spare fixtures isn't possible, then a good spare parts kit is the next best thing.  Techs get to know fixtures and this usually determines which spare components will be brought in the workbox.  Some general parts that are good to have on hand are small screws, nuts, washers, fixture & dimmer fuses, small sized zipties.

Cable & Connectors - it is always a good idea to have ~5% of extra cable on site for events.  "Oh by the way"'s always pop up at the last minute and a good tech should know that they are coming.  I, personally, also like to keep a 10' edison cable and a couple of cube taps at FOH with me (the reason for that is coming up in the next section).  Connectors are also important to have on hand.  Throwing a new connector on a piece of cable or a fixture is sometimes quicker & easier than replacing that piece of gear in the rig.  In addition to having all types of connectors that are in the rig, it s also a good idea to have turnarounds close by.  XLR for the com (that lighting always gets stuck with...I don't get it, you hear & speak with it - that's the sound dept!), DMX 5pin to 3pin, L6-20, GR, GP...the list goes on.  Be prepared.

Entertainment - there are some long days spent in the venue, especially at week long conferences.  Techs, don't go stir crazy, make sure you have some form of entertainment for the down times or hours long sessions with no cues.  Typically, setup just to the right of my console at FOH is my MacBook Pro, iPad, iPod, iPhone (I'm kind of an Apple fan), earbuds, some FOH snacks (I suggest Goldfish & Twizzlers) and some 5 Hr Energy shots.  Last but not least, and I learned this the hard way a while back on a corporate show in Orlando in August, make sure you have a hoodie or some sort of arctic cover.  Typically, hotels will crank the air conditioning the afternoon before show day and even if it is 90 degrees outside you will have that hoodie on in the ballroom!

I think that about wraps it up.  Everyone has their own method for getting through stand-bys, these are my ramblings.  The bottom line is find what works to put you in the best position to do your best for your clients & events.  ~Beth Reyes, Lead Production Tech Solus Lighting LTD

Holidays at home and around the world

What are your favorite things to see and do around the holidays?  Here are some of our picks of holiday special events from close to home and around the globe.

We'll start off in Cleveland, Ohio - as that's what we know best!  Here is an awesome guide from cleveland.com of must-sees for holiday vistors and locals alike.  One of our favorite holiday events happens in University Circle, Wade Oval Winter.  Here you will find an outdoor ice rink that features live music on Wednesdays and a couple of movie nights.  Admission to the rink is free, and if you show your rink wristband you get a discount at the museums around Wade Oval.  One of the museums offering the discount is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  Through out December & the first weekend of January, CMNH presents Ice Age 2013: A Winter Event of Prehistoric Proportions.  Ice Age 2013 has plenty of activities, including ice carving demonstrations and a scavenger hunt.  Below is a picture of the lighting that welcomes you to the museum.

Many countries have the tradition of having a Festival of Lights around the holidays.  Here are just some of the festivals that happen inside and outside the United States.  You can check out some great pictures from Italy to Columbia and back to the U.S.  Here's one that we found on Twitter of a long exposure of a tree lit up with LED tiny lights.

Who doesn't like a good holiday decoration light show?  We do!  Here are some of our favorites from around You Tube.

1.  20' flames heat up Jersey shore Christmas light show.

2.  Holiday light show from Thousand Oaks, CA.

3.  2013 Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday 3D light show.

4.  2013 Cinderella Castle Christmas Lighting.

5.  Christmas Lights Gangnam Style.

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

Back in 2003, when the Case Western Reserve University MFA program made Cleveland Play House their home, I designed a production of Twelfth Night in the historic Brooks theatre with a fantastic creative team.  We were all familiar with how one another worked through the creative process and were truly in sync.  Challenges were overcome through collaboration, and the show turned out brilliant.

I recently had the pleasure of designing the lighting for the CWRU/CPH MFA production of Twelfth Night now running in the Helen Theatre at Play House Square.  Having been involved with the program for many years, I was thrilled to be asked back and a bit nervous to be part a new team in a new space.  What if we didn’t click?  What if my process drove them crazy?  After all, it has been over seven years since I had designed for CPH.  What if they had forgotten how persnickety I can be (or, as a friend of mine termed me as “a loveable canker sore” – Thanks, Ron!)?  

As it turns out, my fears were all for naught.  The team for this production connected seamlessly out of the gate with the director’s vision to set the production in the Mississippi Delta.  The music, costumes, sounds, and scenery all supported this vision (and the lighting isn’t too shabby, either).  A few familiar faces along with new found friends and colleagues reminded me how wonderful a creative, collaborative design and production process can be.  

Having hailed from a previous regime of CPH, I am certainly among many former staff members that had mixed emotions about the move downtown.  The history and sense of community that surged through the old building was a major part of my Play House memories.   It was quite like visiting the folks after they sell the house you grew up in to move into a new condo.  The combination of new conveniences and comfortable old favorites put you at ease.  The past is not gone or forgotten, just repurposed. 

If you haven't visited the CWRU/CPH MFA program's new digs, you should.  Twelfth Night  is a great way to start.  If you're a veteran supported, bravo - unless you haven't experienced this production of Twelfth Night yet, in which case, what are you waiting for?  It runs through October 26th, and you can get tickets here.  Enjoy the show!  ~Maureen E. Patterson, Lead Designer Solus Lighting LTD

Why hire specialty professionals

When selecting vendors for your event, there is the option of a one-stop shop or a specialty shop.  This blog post explains the benefit of selecting the best all around fit of services.  From Scratch Weddings blog written by Lighting Designer James Bedell.  You can find the entire blog post here.  ~Beth Reyes, Lead Production Technician Solus Lighting LTD

Wedding DJs are necessarily limited in the lighting statements they can make. 

The typical DJ has a stock of lighting they’ve purchased as part of an inventory. Financially speaking, they treat these lighting elements just like audio gear. By investing in this equipment and building a rental fee into their contract price they pay back the cost of the gear and eventually begin making a profit. By investing in what they see as universal gear, they will rent it over and over again until they recoup their investment.

The problem with that approach is that sound and light are fundamentally different. While the same audio rig can work well for a wide variety of wedding scenarios, lighting gear will rarely work that way. To be even more specific about it, what makes the music for your wedding special is what we hear, not what speakers make the sound. But in lighting it’s what we see, and what we see is directly related to what gear is chosen.

Fight the Trends

Because DJs are buying gear to appeal to widest swath of the market, they are forced to follow the current decor trends. Currently, it’s all about uplighting. Wireless color changing LED uplights are all the rage because they are easy to set up and give a simple bold lighting statement. I’m not here to tell you that uplighting is bad. I’m here to tell you that it’s a trend. Part of the reason you’re seeing it everywhere is because it’s so easy for DJs to buy and use. But trends come and go. Remember when it was all about smoke and lasers? Remember those spinning globes that shot light in all directions? Hey, remember the disco ball? These were all lighting trends of different eras.

Design the Look You Want

When you hire a great DJ you get to talk about what you expect to hear during your wedding. The really good DJs like Scratch Weddings will ask you about your musical tastes, what to avoid, what makes you dance, about what your families like, etc. Lighting should be no different. Great wedding lighting should be designed to make your big day look and feel amazing to you. More than anything it should be personal, not cookie cutter. A DJ can’t do that anymore than a lighting guy can give you great music.

Bottom Line

Lighting is a separate skill from providing music and it should be treated as such. If you want great wedding lighting hire a lighting designer (like me!!)

The After Ceremony Event - Graduation Style!

High school, undergraduate or post-graduate...YOU DID IT!  After the formalities of the ceremonies are over, it's time to get down and have a great time with your family and friends.  Whether your graduation party is in a ballroom, a private residence or in a tent - we can help you get your party started and keep it rocking all night long!

Solus Lighting LTD specializes in special event lighting, and nothing is much more special than celebrating your entrance into higher education or the work force.  Lighting can help enhance the theme of your graduation party and can offer color support in your former or future school colors.  We customize our lighting designs for every event, and work with you or your event planner to make your vision come to life.  Having a true lighting professional on site for the party is essential to get the best & most out of the lighting rig.  Our lighting technicians have the ability to provide soft subtle lighting for the early portion of the party, and can then transform that same lighting rig into club style lighting when the dance floor gets hot.  These two extreme examples, and anything in between can be accomplished with us at the helm of the lighting console.

If you want to rock out with your lights on contact Solus Lighting LTD now!  Visit us on the web or give us a call at 216-912-2199.  Have lights will travel, we are not only lighting up Cleveland, Ohio - we are everywhere...

Spring brings commencement season

Spring awakens the senses to new beginnings.  Now that April is here, many people are looking forward to a major event – Commencement.  Graduation Ceremonies are tradition to mark a milestone achievement, and, for many, mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. 

Colleges and universities are continually expanding their curriculums to offer more majors and degrees for undergraduate, graduate, post graduate, and trade certifications.  This expansion has increased graduating class sizes. 

Commencement ceremonies are being held in larger and larger facilities – tents, auditoriums, convention centers, and arenas.  Friends and family members attend to watch their loved one cross the stage and receive their hard earned degree.  With these ceremonies taking place in larger facilities, technology is needed to ensure the occasion can be clearly seen and heard. 

Sound reinforcement and image magnification (IMAG) are often used to ensure each walking member of the class can be seen and their name heard.  IMAG is live footage shot at an event and broadcast onto a large screen to give the audience a better view. 

Lighting is essential to achieve great image quality for live IMAG and televised events.  The proper fixtures, positions, and intensity levels make certain those dark robes don’t merge into the background.  Working with a professional lighting designer will ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house for your commencement ceremony. 

Want to make sure there isn’t a bad seat in the house for your commencement ceremony?  Contact us today to find out more.