#techblr old

[stagefoot]

ASM: Would you like a sticker?

Me: (obsessed with stickers) *somehow making the sound of 🤩*

ASM: *reaching for a sticker* No, you deserve a sparkly sticker

Me: 🤩🤩🤩

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

can anyone recommend a DVD drive that I can plug into an iPad? mine has a lightning port, not USB-C, which is where I'm getting hung up, because every single one I find is only USB-C

[bunnydevs]

[hideyseek]

!!!!!!

[daemonhxckergrrl]

extremely loud incorrect buzzer

this version of WhatsApp worked 2 hours ago. it repeatedly gave me notifications that it would need to be updated every day for the last week.

it didn't die of old age, it got forcefully disabled.

(obligatory PSA: update your shit for security reasons pls, it's important ! I'm just mad about artificial limitations like this that most likely precede some nefarious policy change or gross new feature)

[costumersupportdept]

It probably varies from person to person, but would you say it's worth it to go to school/grad school for technical theatre or would it be enough to get experience at community theatres/find an internship and go for it?

It really depends on what you want to do and how good your pre-existing network is. I wanted to teach, so I sort of needed the MFA, especially if I want to be faculty somewhere someday. 

If you’re a good student/you like “school” and all that comes with it, I would think it would probably be worth you going to college at a place that has a good reputation for technical theater, but my caveat would be that IMO, you should NOT go to a conservatory school. I was at grad school with conservatory-type undergrads, and they were literally the worst-rounded folks I’ve ever run into at a university. There’s something about having to be able to write and debate literature and know how biology works at a college level that will always come back to help you ESPECIALLY in technical theater-if you’re doing props you’ll have a basic idea of different science flasks, if you’re doing electrics you’ll have run into literary descriptions of different lighting and had to think about them, if you’re in costumes, good god, history classes are literally half the backbone of what we do. 

If you’re not a “studenty” person, I think the internship/apprenticeship route might be the way to go, but be aware that since folks are so primed to think of college as the font of all knowledge, you may have a harder time getting in/finding one. I would also say that unless you live somewhere with just exceptional community theater, I would aim a little higher-I would try for the internship with a bigger place to learn, as opposed to the community theater where you might be in charge, but might be making it up as you go (which, to be fair, we all do on some level, but usually with some previous experience behind it) 

I know PCPA in CA does some actual apprenticeship type programs, and the IATSE union (although sometimes hard to break into) does a fair number in some cities, but in others may just put you on the list as a box pusher for load in/load outs and let you sort of work your way up (if you’re in a city that doesn’t have a formal IATSE hierarchy like NYC or LA, you’ll have a chance to meet and talk to a lot of folks-TALK TO THE PEOPLE DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO-make sure you know the riggers if you want to rig, or the sound folks if you want to do sound, and if you show up on time and work reasonably cheerfully, you’ll start getting asked if you want to help with other more specific non-box pushing stuff) 

As far as grad school, there are a lot of opinions. The one I give most often is to actually go DO what you want to do before you do grad school. If you’re a costumer, go work as a stitcher/shopper/assistant for 1-2 years before you commit to grad school, because not only does it look better, but you start to learn where your focus really is and lets you “specialize” better if you want to. Also, keep in mind that while MFAs are becoming more and more required to work in academia, and more and more common in higher level theaters, they’re not yet a formal requirement to work a lot of places, and a lot of places also try to promote from within, so at this point with enough experience you still can (at this point) work your way up to TD or ME someday even if you come from being Joe Screw Turner on the floor. 

[thoughts-of-a-stagemanager]

Friend: Have you ever had any supernatural experiences?

Me: What, like ghosts?

Friend: Yeah

Me: *laughs* Honey, I’ve worked in theatre. Those things are haunted as hell. I’ve been in 100+ year old theatres alone late at night and in the wee hours of the morning. Of course I’ve experienced supernatural things. And I don’t even believe in ghosts. But if you’re in a theatre long enough, you start to question that.

Friend: Damn Okay. I had a faucet turn on once without anyone touching it but, you win, mingling with angsty theatre ghosts.

Me: Theatre ghosts don’t mess around.

[stage-ninja]

When you turn around to move the last prop on stage but the cast has already taken care of it

[source4our-blog1]

My family: you do tech right? Can you fix my computer

Me: I do theatre tech. It's a different--

Family: cool so how do I open email?

[that-sound-guy]

The best part of community theatre is the awkward sexual pairings of actors of VASTLY different age

[one-true-houselight]

Hi

From strike today, I’m modeling a tie line head band paired with a styrofoam hat from ETC LED ERS fixtures[’s boxes]!

[whatislifebesidesrehearsal]

Adult Sound Tech: The sound lead jokingly told one of the techs to shut up

And I turned and opened my mouth

And nearly said "that's not very [Old Highschool] of you"

submitted by @manicpixiemonster

[bunnydevs]

[screamingblogger]

Hey I know I’m 100 percent a dsmp blog right now but are some of my old techblr mutuals still around out there??? I’m just finally allowed back in the theatre and I’m thinking about y’all right now hope you’re all doing well and are maybe getting theatre work back :))

[daemonhxckergrrl]

I take pride in my primary computer embarking on its 9th year; I take pride in my old PC having reached its 10th birthday; I take pride in my first kit built PC being 15 this year; I take pride on my main keyboard being 8 this year; I take pride in my first ever PC being 19 and maybe older; I take pride in my oldest synth being 33 years old.

[costumersupportdept]

Hey Tumblr, I know you're a long shot on this one, but I also know that bits of Techblr are still floating around out there, and heck, someone might have a rich dead uncle.

After 10 years of paying my dues as a costumer in the industry, after surviving being a Live Entertainment Professional during COVID, I finally got a chance at my Dream Job: I'm now a costumer working for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

If you're a theater person, you also already know this, but COVID decimated theaters. A lot of small theaters went under entirely, and even the big guys are holding on by their toenails. Despite everything, we're now one of those: we've been told that without a significant amount of help, our season will end this year in the beginning of July, not in October like it's supposed to, and folks are saying "well, there *might* be a 2024 season, we have to see how it goes."

Tumblites, I love this job. I like 95% of the people I work with, I'm the closest I've ever been to my 70+ year old parents, I'm in a union and I'm being paid an actual honest to god living wage. We do really interesting (and important) shows, and set a lot of standards/things to strive for for other theaters as well.

If you have anything you'd be able to give, rich uncle or not, I'd love it if you could.