News & Notices
Announcements
Education Commission Seeks Poster Ideas
Clever classroom projects and ways to help make academic life easier are the types of things the Education Commission wants for its Poster Session at the Cincinnati 2015 Annual Conference & Stage Expo in March. Students are also encouraged to submit poster ideas.
Posters are a great way to share ideas with USITT peers and to become a more active member of the Institute. Submitting a poster is a great way to meet new people, connect with others that share interests, and to fulfill scholarly publication requirements for faculty on a tenure track.
A jury made up of Commission members will review poster submissions. Those accepted will be notified by the committee chair.
Click here for details on the submission process.
Broadway Green Alliance Rewards College Creativity
Be a captain of creating greener college theatre and see your efforts rewarded next March.
The BGA College Green Captain program is modeled on the successful BGA Broadway Green Captain program, in which a cast or crew member of every Broadway production volunteers to serve as a BGA liaison/go-to member of the production for all things green/ environmentally friendlier. College Green Captains are self-selected members of a college or university theatre department who are committed to greening one or more of the department's productions.
To sign up, visit : http://www.broadwaygreen.com/college-green-captains/
Rewards include tickets and interaction with touring and Broadway shows, and more.
November 15 Deadline for CD&T Poster Submissions
The deadline to submit an abstract for the Costume Design & Technology Poster Session is November 15.
Tips and techniques with costumes, hair, and make-up from designers, technicians, teachers and students are welcome. More information on the process is available here. Submissions can be made at awards.usitt.org/SubmitPosterSessionProposal.
All submissions will be blind juried by the Costume Poster Selection Committee for presentation at the 2015 Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio. Proposals should be in the form of an abstract -- a brief, concise summary of the information included in the poster, no more than 200
words.
Questions can be directed to Jeffrey Lieder, lieder@bard.org.
Special Discounts for USITT at AES Convention
Discount pricing is available for USITT members planning to attend the AES Convention and trade show October 9-12 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Use the special code here (www.usitt.org/aes) to receive free access to exhibits plus special events, and discounts for complete Conference registration.
USITT will have Booth 1139 at AES's trade show this year, so stop in and say hello.
Behind the Scenes Hits Half Million Mark
Behind the Scenes recently crossed the half million dollar mark in funds awarded since it began issuing grants to entertainment technology professionals in need due to serious illness or injury.
The grants awarded reflect the organization's diversity and include individuals working in every type of job in every sector of the entertainment industry: stagehands, electricians, riggers, audio, scenic artists, costumers, make-up and hair stylists, grips, gaffers, camera operators, DPs, designers, stage managers, and technical directors.
Leonard, a soundman, echoed the response of many Behind the Scenes grant recipients when he wrote, "I am the sound man - that guy whose name you may not remember. I couldn't believe that when I needed help, Behind the Scenes was there and didn't turn their back on me. I am the crew guy, not the superstar. Without Behind the Scenes I would not have made it - that's a fact. I can never thank them enough for their help, and I can never thank them enough for the compassion they showed me in my true time of need. What an honor it is to be part of this community. It is a feeling that I can't describe. For everybody who contributes to Behind the Scenes, thank you. You helped save my life."
For more information on Behind the Scenes or to make a donation, visit behindthescenescharity.org.
Submission Deadline October 15 for Lighting Compendium
There is still time to submit projects to be considered for the updated Practical Projects for Teaching Lighting Design: A Compendium being compiled by the Lighting Design & Technology Commission of USITT.
Compilers are looking for projects useful in teaching both the practical and artistic aspects of lighting design. These projects can range from concept papers, research, practical design projects, paperwork techniques, consoles, electricity, cueing, color, and equipment -- including undergraduate through graduate level projects.
Visit www.aldtoolkit.com/compendium to download the submission form. Return the form and all applicable photos to: LightingDesignProjects@gmail.com. A panel of editors will review and select the final projects. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2014.
Once the compendium is updated, USITT plans to offer it as a hard copy in a three-ring binder at the USITT Store during Annual Convention & Stage Expos and as a print-on-demand/downloadable option throughout the year.
Bill Sapsis Keynote for PLASA Rigging Conference
USITT Fellow Bill Sapsis will be the keynote speaker at the fifth annual PLASA Rigging Conference October 6, alongside the PLASA London Show at ExCeL London.
The event will have seven sessions in one day, as opposed to the previous eight over two days. At the first session, Mr. Sapsis will share his experiences and insights from a 40-year career in the entertainment rigging industry. He is a past member of the USITT Board of Directors, and is currently a member of the ETCP Council and chair of the Rigging Working Group for PLASA NA. Mr. Sapsis received the 2012 EVA Swan Award - ESTA's highest honor - and is on the advisory board of the New York City Technical College. He also co-produces the highly acclaimed North American Theatre and Engineering Conference in New York. His rigging seminars have garnered worldwide recognition.
Registration is open and the delegate rate includes refreshments throughout the day, lunch, and networking drinks at the close of the conference. For more information or to register, visit www.plasariggingconference.com.
Standards Up for Review
Two standards are now available for review on the PLASA website.
BSR E1.19 - 201x is a revision of the existing American National Standard, "Recommended Practice for the Use of Class A Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) Intended for Personnel Protection in the Entertainment Industry." It is available for review through September 29 and offers guidance on how to select, install, use, and maintain ground fault protection devices with nominal 5 mA trip settings in the entertainment industry to protect persons from shock and persons and property from fire.
BSR E1.30-11, EPI 33 -- ACN Root Layer Protocol Operation on TCP is a draft standard available for review through September 15. It is a Profile for Interoperability (EPI) to be used with ANSI E1.17, which is commonly called "ACN" for Architecture for Control Networks. EPIs related to ANSI E1.17 specify how conforming implementations are to operate in particular environments or situations in order to guarantee interoperability. This part specifies the operation and formats for the ACN Root Layer Protocol operating on TCP.
For more information, contact Karl G. Ruling, PLASA technical standards manager, 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 609, New York, NY 10036 USA; 1-212-244-1505; standards.na@plasa.org.
Deadline for Director-Designer Showcase Extended
Applications for the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase 2015 grant applications are now available online. The Intent to Apply deadline is September 5, 2014, with awardees notified in December. For guidelines and applications, visit operaamerica.org/Grants.
This unique program for emerging directors and designers allows applicants to connect with potential producers of work. Collaborate with a team of creative professionals and develop an opera production proposal that could lead to the next career step.
Finalist teams will receive funds to further develop their production designs and present them at Opera Conference 2015 in Washington, D.C., in May. At the previous Director-Designer Showcase, held in 2013, over 80 opera producers attended the presentation and more than 18,000 viewed the live stream. Each finalist team will also be featured in a six-month exhibition at the National Opera Center in New York City. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity, open to all opera and theater artists regardless of membership status with OPERA America, by applying at operaamerica.org/Grants.
Please contact Edmundo Quinones, artistic services coordinator, at EQuinones@operaamerica.org with any questions.
