Play Production Seasons - WIP

During Production Seasons (June Season, Spring Season and Festival of Emerging Artists) the Technical Operations department is on site to assist within the venue spaces.

Technical Operations services all areas of NIDA including during Production Seasons so whilst every effort is to provide timely support it is not always possible to do so straight away. If you know in advance you need support please email techops@nida.edu.au to arrange specific support.

Contents

What We Do

• Equipment loans of NIDAs on-site equipment (via Cheqroom)

• Advice on systems and equipment NIDA has and how it might be used within a production

• Technical Specifications for venues, and guidance on keeping within the venue limitations

• Provide guidance on how to integrate equipment into venue systems

• Venue familiarisation & inductions into venues and processes e.g. Fly line Operation

• System safety checks as required

• Provide technical support on NIDA’s in-house equipment and venue-specific systems. Technical Operations are not on-call for show specific or externally provided systems

• Counterweight fly system reweighting

• Provide Camera System for SMD monitoring including IR monitoring

• Comms Programming

• Archival Recordings of Production

Cheqroom Bookings

Production Cheqroom reservations occur slightly differently to the standard booking procedure to try and assist in streamlining the process. The standard process and guides can be found here.

Creating initial Reservations:

1. Each production will have a maximum of 4 Reservations made by students: Lighting, Audio, Vision, Staging.

2. The Name of the booking must follow the following guide: Production (Short Name) - (Department) e.g. Production Spelling Bee - Lighting

3. Reservations can be created at any time and be modified until converted to a check out. Reservations should be made by department heads or person assigned by the PSM. The first day of reservation should be for the morning of venue access.

   1. Please note, you need to always hit the reserve button after you make an edit. If you leave bookings as a draft, all your items will be available for booking

4. Reservations can be pick up at a time arranged at the start of venue access.

Ready for Collection

1. Reservations should not be converted to Check out until the first day of tech week to allow for any last minute modifications to the booking through the venue access and bump in weeks. Any further modification to the Check Out after the first day of tech week is to be made by the relevant Course Leader as check outs cannot be edited by students.

2. The item location is listed in Cheqroom L1 Location is the general area, L2 location is more specific. Items can be collected from the start of the Reservation period as listed in cheqroom, however please follow these steps to track the individual items correctly

   1. Scan the physical item into your Cheqroom reservation

   2. Delete the placeholder item

   3. Confirm you have the correct count

1. repeat step 2 for all items as you collect them

2. Venue standard lighting fixtures should all be colour coded to the venue. If you have some that are not, please notify tech ops prior to re-rigging the fixture.

Bump out and Reset

1. Once set it clear, de-rig all lights and bring to the stage floor

   1. For the playhouse, all fixtures that are standard can stay in the catwalks but please still de-rig

2. Separate venue standard equipment from borrowed equipment (leave in two separate areas) The venue coloured equipment is to stay, even if it is the same fixture type.

3. Notify tech ops that you are ready for check in

   1. Tech ops will be busy during this time and if we are occupied in another venue, we wont be able to help. Best practice would be to book the check in the day before via an email to help.techops@nida.edu.au

4. Before items leave the venue they are to be checked in by a tech ops staff member, once checked in, immediately return the equipment to its correct storage location

   1. Equipment locations can be found in Cheqroom, L1 storage location indicates broad location and L2 storage location indicates the room - please do not just leave equipment outside tech prep/lighting cages unless directly instructed to by a member of tech ops staff.

   2. Any Broken equipment noticed on check in, please flag in cheqroom with details and let the tech ops staff member know.

Venue Modifications

During general venue access week modifications are made to the venues in order to facilitate the design. Some of these modifications require Tech Ops staff to either approve, do or lead the team of students.

These activities must be identified during feasibility and scheduled in advance to happen during venue access. Time must also be allocated during bump out to restore the venue to standard. Estimates and crew requirements are included below.

General

• Seating Bank installation, removal or modification

• Screwing or bolting into wood structure (e.g. floor) with large fixings (e.g. larger than 10mm)

• Screwing or bolting into non-wood structures of any size. e.g. brick, plasterboard, metal or concrete

• Removal or installation of additional scaff pipe or rigging overhead

• Modifications, installation or removal of standard lighting grids or booms

• Modifications to flooring either via direct paint/scenic work or change to floor surface or structure (e.g. traps)

• Modification or relocation of Operating Positions

Inductions & Special Activities

The following activities require specific process inductions (in addition to general venue inductions) before being undertaken. Please talk to Technical Operations to arrange.

• Operate fly lines, counterweight (Parade, Reg Grundry) or winch (Playhouse)

• Operate Sound door (Parade)

The following activities require specific process inductions AND supervision by NIDA staff (Technical Operations Staff or relevant Course Leaders)

Under Supervision:

• Reweight fly lines

• Swinging Bars

• Operate Pit Lift in Parade