The Survey of Costume Design and Technology Programs again seeks updates. Information will be compiled during November, and the new edition should be online by December 1, 2008.

The survey consists of information from approximately 145 colleges and universities in eight regions of the country. Information concerning the faculty and staff, degrees offered, and focus and strength of the program is presented. Students interested in pursuing costuming at the undergraduate or graduate level may contact individuals for further information or go to the school's websites.

Take time to review listings here. Click on online resources; and choose the Survey of Costume Programs. Programs that have not updated their information within the past two years have been dropped from the survey in an effort to keep the information as accurate as possible. If a school has been dropped, come back! Or, to join the survey for the first time, fill out the questionnaire within the survey. Questions may be directed to Judy Adamson, jadamson@email.unc.edu.

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Two draft control protocol documents are available for public review on the ESTA website through November 24. The draft documents and their supporting public review materials are available here.

BSR E1.27-2, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Practice for Permanently Installed Control Cables for Use with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) and USITT DMX5121990 Products, describes the recommended types of data cable to be used in permanent installations to interconnect lighting equipment that complies with ANSI E1.11-2004 (DMX512-A) or with USITT DMX5121990. It also makes recommendations for how the cable should be installed and connected. The recommended practice, when finally approved as an American National Standard, is expected to be useful in helping guide electrical contractors unfamiliar with entertainment lighting systems on the proper way to install a DMX512 data cable system.

BSR E1.20 - 200x, Entertainment Technology--Remote Device Management over USITT DMX512, is a project to revise the existing RDM standard, ANSI E1.20 - 2006. There are some errors in the published document that need to be corrected; the project is only to correct those errors, not to add new functionality or to change existing functionality. The public review document is a two-part document that first lists all the proposed changes and then shows those changes as they would appear in a revised version of E1.20. Only those pages with changes are part of the review document. The other pages would not be changed from how they are in the existing ANSI E1.20 - 2006.

The review end date for the two documents is November 25. The review has ended when that day is reached. Comments should be submitted before that date.

For more information about the public review, contact Karl G. Ruling, Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001; phone 212-244-1505; fax 212-244-1502; or e-mail standards@esta.org.

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The IATSE and National Production Services Inc have modified their current collective bargaining agreement to call for journeyman riggers employed by National Production Services Inc. to pass either the Theater or Arena Rigging Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) exam by December.

National Production Services Inc. is a leading provider of rigging services at luxury hotels and resorts throughout Florida and northeast Texas.

Anyone interested in becoming a Certified Rigger-Arena, Rigger-Theatre, or Entertainment Electrician, can find the candidate handbooks, applications, and eligibility requirements at etcp.esta.org. For more information, send an e-mail to certification@esta.org, or call 212-244-1505.

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ESTA, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association, has been honored with the 2008 CITT/ICTS Honorary Membership Award. The award is bestowed on an individual or organization not actively involved in technical disciplines of the Canadian live performance industry, but who has contributed significantly to the development of technical disciplines within Canada. The contribution can be seen through the recipients’ decision-making, influence, and philosophy within the community or by showing themselves to be a longstanding friend of the Institute.

CITT/ICTS recognized ESTA’s contribution to the entertainment industry in North America and its ongoing collaboration with CITT/ICTS over the years, notably with the Entertainment Certification Program (ETCP) which was cited for raising awareness about the need for better training and for ongoing professional development opportunities in Canada. ESTA also was recognized for providing the industry with valuable standards as well as research data and recommendations relative to stage technology.

The award was presented at the CITT/ICTS Rendez-vous Conference in Ottawa on August 16.

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