Play Production Seasons

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 for NIDA’s in-house equipment (to ensure it is functional) and venue-specific systems.

• Counterweight fly system reweighting

• Provide Camera System for SMD monitoring including IR monitoring

• Comms Programming

• Archival Recordings of Production

What we don’t do

Whilst Technical Operations is a service department, there are some things that whilst we are always here to be helpful, it is innapropriate for us to assist with within the learning context. We may direct you to your mentors, tutors or course leaders if we believe your request relates to learning outcomes. If you do get to the point where you need assistance the first contact should be mentors and tutors, then course leaders. It will then be at the course leaders discretion if tech ops can assist.

This includes things like:

• Anything directly related to learning outcomes, e.g. help with scheduling, creating paperwork or system design

• Show programming (unless arranged by the Producer/Production Manager prior).

• System design

• Support for show-specific equipment or systems e.g. externaly hired equipment, systems designed specifically for the show, or use of the venue in a non-standard manner.

Prior to Venue access, if you would like to arrange some tutoring on console use and programming, or advice around your system please talk to your course leader first and with their approval Technical Operations can provide some console or equipment training and familiarisation. e.g. Use of DLive, ETC Gio,

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, the equipment can then be returned to its correct storage location. The time for the the check in needs to be booked with tech ops in advance and can take up to half an hour.

   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 Supervisors

During the production season Venue supervisors are on hand to assist, this is either a member of the full time team or may be a casual staff member.

More information will be added here soon about who they are, how they can assist and how to identify them.

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.

Activities requiring Technical Operations Approval

• 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

• Relocation of show relay microphones, or reprogramming feeds to dressing rooms or SMD

• Relocation of Venue cameras or any standard venue equipment of a fixted nature (requires tools to remove).

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

Venue Standards

Venue tech specs can be found here Venue Information - Technical Specifications

It is best to check these documents prior to bump in as they are continually updated.

It is the ongoing expectation with the use of theatre spaces that the room is returned to standard at the conclusion of every production, regardelss of how the room was found. There may be some things that are either pre-done or requested to vary from standard to maximise efficient use of the venues. This is standard industry practice and good to replicate.

General Guidelines:

• Leave the room how you wish you found it (not how you actually found it)

• Technical Operations may ask for modifications to standard on bump out in order to make the next bump in quicker. This work would be the equivalent to or less work than returning to standard. e.g. modify seating bank rather than complete strike.

• Modifications may be made by the previous user to the room prior to your arrival to assist in your bump in. Every attempt will be made to communicate all changes when possible however minior variations may not be noted, however shouldn’t have an impact on bump in time except make bump in quicker.

• Always refer to the venue standards when working out your bump out checklists, do not base it off how you found the room.

• Whilst every effort is made to keep tech specs up to date for each venue, there will always be minor corrects, please email anything you notice as incorrect or missing to techops@nida.edu.au so we can update the files.

Contacting Technical Operations

During production season each venue can book a radio in Cheqroom and collect it from Consumables. There is only enough radios for there to be one per venue.

What channel to be on:

• Channel 1 - Technical Operations

• Channel 2 - External venue Hirers (do not use)

• Channel 3 - Facilities and WHS

• Channel 5 - Front of House

Use the radio to call for Technical Operations support. Please do not assume we can immediately respond as there are often multiple requests happening at the same time. If the radio call is for troubleshooting please make sure you have followed the troubleshooting guide first.

In your radio call request please tell us which room you are in and if you are after specific assistance also mention e.g. “Tech Ops Lighting, Tech Ops AV, Tech Ops Audio”