For the past seven years, Erica Richie has been acting as Chief Operating Officer of StageSpot, and the company has excelled under her leadership.  What began in 2000 as two IATSE electricians trying to improve the quality and customer service of theatre and rock and roll suppliers has become a national brand that offers almost anything a theatre could need.  Mrs. Richie’s role in that transformation has been crucial, and she is perfectly positioned to continue the tradition of success in her new role.

Both Kevin Richie and Gary Weintraub will remain the co-owners, as well as President and Vice-President of the company.  Their goal was always to create a strong foundation, then hand the reins over, allowing someone else to manage the daily activities and operations.  Their entrepreneurial spirit and drive will continue to inspire the company, and they are thrilled to have found a leader of this quality to hand off the reins.

Mrs. Richie is ready to not only continue the great company, but to implement her own vision for what the business can become.  One thing she intends to improve is the company’s response to customers.  Though the business has always been consumer focused, Mrs. Richie has a plan for increasing customer satisfaction to an even greater extent.  She also intends to continue the rich tradition of making StageSpot the best choice for production supplies.

Already, the company offers immediate contact with a professional not only during business hours, but actually through extended hours.  Additionally, the website was designed to be as user-friendly and customer-oriented as possible.  Their motto is “If it’s used on a stage, we sell it.”  If there is any production supply that a customer wants yet can’t find on the website, StageSpot will find it for you.  This amazing service will only be improved by the installation of Erica Richie as CEO, and she and the rest of the company are eager to make this transition.

“It was a Dark and Stormy Night” – Bulwer-Lytton

Dimming the lights isn’t quite enough to capture the terror and isolation of an incoming storm. However, there are several ways to keep the audience shivering. Adding fog and haze is an impressive way to create mood, while emphasizing the night, and it’s as easy as getting a fog machine and the best fluid for your needs. Pair that with stage lighting, and you have the perfect stormy scene.

For particularly cold scenes, a snow machine might be your best bet. Whether you’re looking to create a light dusting or a massive storm, StageSpot has the perfect machine for your scene. You can also opt for the “just fallen look,” and simply place artificial snow on staged cars and doorsteps.

“Voiceless it Cries, Wingless Flutters, Toothless Bites, Mouthless Mutters” – Tolkein

When characters are taking a stroll, nothing better emphasizes the outdoors than a light breeze playing through their hair. Heavy winds, especially when combined with snow or haze, can emphasize panic and chaos at a pivotal point in the scene. Regardless of the strength of the gusts, StageSpot has the perfect fan for you. Ranging from hurricane fans to all-purpose special effects fans, you’re sure to find the tools that bring your scene together.

“Sane Is Boring” – Salvatore

In many performances, madness, or at least some element of inner panic during an aside, is a crucial plot point. Directors often want the setting to reflect the emotions of the moment, but it’s not always apparent how to achieve this. One great method is installing gobo lighting. These attachments can twist the lights into different shapes, patterns, and even graphics. For a particular scene, you can create custom gobos or check out some of the already made shapes available.

“And a Special Thanks for Not Burning Up the Whole Ship. Including Yourself, You Daft Bum-rag.” – Westerfield

Whether it’s fire, lightening, or sunsets, there’s some things that just can’t be replicated on stage. Or so it was thought. In addition to great geometric designs, gobos and stage lighting gels also allow rainbows, flickering fires, and scenic views. Just about anything that uses light or heat can be replicated with the right tones and gobos.

“Double, Double, Toil and Trouble” – Shakespeare

You don’t need to be working on this famous cauldron scene to know that sometimes things bubble over. From sexy hot tube moments to childish playgrounds, bubbles or foam can add just the right touch. With StageSpot’s bubble makers, you can have just a few playful pops or a full dome of foam.

For the perfect effects for your stage, contact the professionals at StageSpot. With years of experience, they can match your needs with the ideal theatrical supplies, making your theater ready for any play.

Glow Tape can be found on nearly every stage across the world. We use it to indicate locations on a deck and/or to prevent injury. Most of us in the entertainment industry use it. How many really know how it works? Why, when we expose it to ambient light it retains energy and it is able to regenerate it.

Glow Tape is made up of phosphorescent materials including common pigments, zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate. The phosphorescent materials absorbs and stores ambient light whether that be sunlight, incandescent lamps, or fluorescent lights. That energy is released over a long period of time.

Tip: If you are looking to get the most out of your glow tape, charge it for at least 10 seconds and the light will be emitted for 4-8 hours.

This brand new tape adheres to nearly any surface and is easy to remove.

Get more information about Glow Tape and Gaff by clicking here.

-Michael L. Cecchini

VP of National Sales

New York City Fashion Week runs for two straight weeks with non-stop fashion shows. Each show requires a mass amount of equipment, which tends to deplete the local lighting rental shops of their inventory. With fashion shows going on all through Manhattan it is sometimes difficult to get basic equipment. As a crew head it is essential rent for the worst situations, because more often than not they happen. However some of things can not be planned. Such as, visual elements that are sometimes asked for at the last minute. Ex.- finding over hundred florescence lamps in a twenty four hour period. Tasks similar to this happen far to often, but with a great team and some creative ideas it always works out.

A day can start as early as 5am to 8am. One of the first tasks is getting the gear off the truck and finding a location to store This tends to be a challenge at most off site locations (Lincoln Center). Many of the off site shows are i warehouses, art galleries, mansion, or other larger open spaces. These spaces were not intended for shows. The walls are either in a very fragile state or they have been installed for the particular event. In any case when an electrician is carrying around lighting fixture and a bundle of cable, he needs to be particularly careful especially when there are other people trying to pass by and do other tasks. This would include a scenic crew building a set and sound folks placing their gear.

Nothing is ever permanent. As unfortunate as it may be, the design team is constantly evolving the layout of the show. As an electrician it is imperative to be able to adjust to the constant changes in the plan. Though he/she may have put all that labor into making a cable look absolutely amazing, the most important aspect is to fulfill the vision of the client. Making this happen requires at lot of  time, that is never there. Far to often the ten hour call turns into an twenty hour day, filled with many tasks, from building structures to hanging hundreds of units. Depending on how the day unfolds there can be shorten meal breaks, or non at all.

As 1am rolls around and the crew has pushed through the day to get the rig up and working, it is finally time to focus! At this point all the electricians have been going since early morning and they are on their last leg of energy. The end of the day finally comes and the crew gathers their belongs and heads out. However, it is a very short night and the crew has to be back by 7am to do last minute change and show calls.

It is 7am and the venue is full if catering, hair/makeup, and production. As we start to run out of time, each electrician in their show blacks race around the space finishing the last few notes from the night before. With just a few minutes before show time all of the gear is finally where it needs to be.

A room filled with hundreds of people wait around in anticipation. Without warning the house lights and music fades, this is clearly a sign that the show is  about to begin.   Moments later a bank of bright lights illuminates a long runway and a new age electronic sound track is played so loud you can feel the vibrations in your bones. As this happens a fleet of models strut down the very bright runway in designer clothing with hundreds of flashes all around them. The seven minute show flies by and not even fifteen minutes later the set and lights are being struck and packed away.

Throughout Fashion Week an electrician will experience this at least five to six different times. By the end of this very intensive week, people usually take off a fews days to recover. But this experience is not for nothing, each person is well compensated for all the time and energy.

THEATREFEST 2011

-STUDENTS, GET A JUMP START ON YOUR COLLEGE CAREER!

-TEACHERS, BOOST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

-WHAT IS TETA?

Texas Educational Theater Association or TETA, is developing the theatrical students and teachers of tomorrow. TETA hosts some  excellent events including, TheatreFest which provides tools and opportunities for high school students and teachers to better  themselves as actors, directors, designers, or technicians. Plus, the chance to get one on one time with industry professionals. An experience like this is a great way for any aspiring student to get a jumpstart on college level opportunities in their local area.

-NEW STUFF!

At this years conference Phllips Lighting, one of the leading manufactures in lighting technology, provided multiple classes about their lighting equipment and controllers. Once the classes were over, students were free to roam the conference floor which was full of theatrical venders. Strong Entertainment Lighting, through one of their dealers, was featuring a beta version of their RGBW LED Ellipsoidal (which is not yet for sale.) The unit resembles an ETC Source Four, and while specifics are not yet available seems to have a luminosity comparable to a 375w incandescent. One of the most attractive features is its consistent low temperature. This unit is just the tip of the iceberg, as we plunge into a new generation of LED fixtures.

-NETWORKING IS EVERYTHING!

StageSpot was out and about speaking to schools, students, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. TETA along with SETC, and USITT are great opportunities for theatre geeks to unite and have the chance talk to us or any other companies, because you never know what one conversation can do!

-WHAT’S NEXT?

Next we will be at SETC on March 2nd through the 6th. Immediately after, we are off to USITT from March 9th through the 12th. This is one of the most important conferences of the year! Educational institutions, students, and Professionals will be looking to discover what is up and coming and where new Graduating students will be heading.

-MORE INFO

Find out where StageSpot is going next by clicking HERE!

With all of that said, I would like to talk to you about something I can relate to: lighting gel. That’s right, plain ol’ gel. I’m a simple girl. I like simple things. I like little sheets of super baked in color goodness that I can use in my home, in my crafts and projects, and in my letters and gifts.  Now, my much smarter StageSpot associates tell me gel is put in front of lighting fixtures, and gives the stage some of that “magic” I mentioned earlier. Blues, pinks, purples, yellows, and the dreaded color green can all be used to set a mood and add an emotional undercurrent to help communicate a theme, a story, etc. But did you know you can use them in your kitchen? Did you know you can make all of your apartment neighbors green with envy at your window cling modern art masterpiece? You can. I did, and I’m just an actress. If I can do it, YOU can do it. Below are are just a few examples of everything you can do with gel. At StageSpot I get calls all day from people wanting to change the mood of their house for a party, people using gel for stained glass windows, for gift wrapping, for drinking glasses, for children with learning disabilities, color therapy experiments, the list goes on and on! So give this material a chance. Add some color to your world. It’s affordable, and it’s fun.

Swatch Book Lighting Cover

Supplies Needed: Swatch Book

I hate halogen lighting. It buzzes. It make you look ten years older and ten times more tired than you really are. So when I moved into my apartment, before I could make anymore pancakes, I had to fix the lighting in my kitchen.

To make your kitchen a better place for pancakes:

1. Remove the plastic box cover from your halogen lighting fixture (you may need a screwdriver for this, depending on the fixture).

2. Cover the inside surface of this box with the individual colors from a Roscolux Swatch book.

3. Place the box back on the halogen light.

4. Your done! Your kitchen now has softer beautiful light, and you can finally make yourself some pancakes in peace.

Use any color you like, any pattern you like, and any swatch book you like. StageSpot has all of them: Lee, Gam, E-Color, Cinegel and Roscolux. The best part of this project is that no glue, tape or other adhesive is needed. The gel lays flat inside you halogen light cover and sticks with the power of static cling. It’s cheap, fun, and very pretty. I did a simple rainbow, but you can do any pretty pattern you choose!

Window Cling Modern Art Masterpiece

Supplies Needed: Sheets of Gel, Spray Bottle (with “mist” setting”),  Paper Towel or Sponge.

You can purchase sheets of gel from StageSpot for $6.25 each. They come is 20″ x 24″ sheets. I used Roscolux, because it’s thin and easy to work with. But I also suggest E-Color, It’s a bit thicker, but its bit cheaper at  $5.79 each.

1. First off, clean your window. The cleaner, the better.

2. Cut your gel into different sized squares. I used about four different colors in my project.

3. To make your gel stick to your window (i.e. “window cling”) spray a light mist of water on the spot you need you gel to stick to your window, and place your sheet gently on top.

4. Take your sponge of paper towel and press down on your sheet of gel. Spread out all the water under your gel, and soak up the remained that may be dripping out of it.

Ta Da! Window Cling! This will stay up for quite awhile. I placed mine about 4 months ago, and only one or two sheets have fallen. To fix that problem, just re-apply them! If you want the “official” instructions, you can click – How to Apply Filters to Windows. It get’s a bit more specific concerning “whole window coverings”.

Once again, the sky is the limit with this project. You can cut out shapes, make patterns, seasonal greetings, anything you can imagine!

Fun with Photography

Supplies Needed: Camera with Flash, Swatch book

This is a pretty simple little experiment for all you shutter bugs out there:

1. Get a Rosco (or Lee, E-Color, Cinegel etc) Swatch book.

2. Pick a color and place it over the flash of your camera.

3. Take pictures.

You’re going to see some pretty neat results. You can make it look like you have a filter studio at your finger tips, and all you did was use a little swatch book and a little creativity!

Well, that’s about it for this actress. I hope you enjoyed reading about how cool gel is. Stay tuned next time to rambling about gaff tape. We here at StageSpot LOVE gaff tape.

Sincerely,

Sarah Tuffs

www.StageSpot.com

“Your friend in the entertainment business!”

Well,  being on tour can be great! However, it can also be miserable.  Depending on how it is for you. It mainly depends on the type of person you are.  You have to be the type of person that is easy to get along with and not easily irritated by others , as you will be sleeping, eating, traveling, and working with the same people all the time. Now, before I get started I know someone who tours will read this and say this is nothing what its like.  Well every tour is different.  It depends on the company you have been hired with, if you are traveling around in a van, or in a bus and truck doing one nighters, or maybe you get lucky if you are on a full pink working 4 weeks stops.

Traveling, it’s kind of a given you will be traveling all the time.  Some people see the idea of this job traveling all over and getting paid to do it, nothing could be better. This doesn’t mean you will be visiting the Alamo when your in San Antonio.  It means you will be inside a theater all day. I have been to so many cities all across the united states, and when I can revisit them for a second time and not know it until I walk into the theater, then it all comes back. You will get to see the outside of the venue for about 45 minutes while you scurry out to find that random place to eat, that is in walkable distance.  No getting in your car after work and decompressing.   You will be walking to your tour bus or hotel with smelly socks, waking up at 7am to do it all over again.

Local crews, these guys can make or break a city for you.  You know your in trouble when your locals have been pulled out of the homeless shelter, or even more fun prison.  There is nothing that makes me laugh more than sending the guy on your electrics crew to go help audio, because your pretty sure he pooed himself. Especially when you hear the call on radio 5 min later, “Carpentry I have an extra person I’m sending him over to help you”  There is also something really uncomfortable about telling prisoners what to do when there guard standing ready with riffle. But you get used to it. The best local crews usually are professionals working in major cities, any military outfit, then college students if your playing a campus. You get to learn a lot about people, managing new crews everyday.

You can make a lot money while on tour, while having very little out of pocket expenses.  But realize the money isn’t so great hourly.  Weekly you can make anywhere from the low end of $35o a week to the high end of $3000 a week. Just remember,  realize that you work 80 hours a week and you never get to go home.

I know this sounds like a lot of negative things about touring. In reality I loved it. It does get tiring after a while but, I have built some of my best friendships from tour, I even have friends that have met their wives on tour. It’s a great experience, and there is nothing like it. Just make sure you are one of the poeple that can hadle it. It’s hard work, and remember no one wants to work with someone who is complaining.

Gary Weintraub – Member IATSE ACT
Vice President
www.StageSpot.com
“Your friend in the entertainment business!”

iStageTools Icon

Stagespot is starting to create a suite of I-Phone applications that will be helpful to our fellow lighting technicians.   We would love to put all information that technicians need to know in the palm of their hand. One application that can do it all.

The first tool we will be building in this suite is a color gel converter. Using the complete list from Rosco, Lee, Gam, and Apollo, this tool will be helpful in making the decision of what color and manufacture you can substitute for the color you just ran out of. The converter tool will be complete with a color swatch sample and a way to order more gel.  We are also toying with creating an application that will include a search-able list of gobos with thumbnail images from all major manufactures stock gobos.

The following are tools that we want to have included in this all in one application:

• Gel Converter – Described above
• Gel Cut Sheet Calculator – Determines how many cuts you get per sheet and how many sheets to buy to complete your plot.
• Gobo Image Finder – Search-able gobos by category and names, with thumbnail images.
• Gobo Size Finder – Answers what size gobo does my light take.
• Lamp Finder – Answers what lamp does my light take.
• Beam Calculator – Gives you information of how large your light will be at what distance.
• DMX Calculator with dip switch-layouts – Helps you find next DMX address and converts to dip switches.
• Power Conversions – Basic electrical calculations used in theater.

Any other ideas for tools you would like to see us include?

Gary Weintraub
Vice President
www.StageSpot.com
“Your friend in the entertainment business!”