San Diego, CA
Entertainment Electrics
Two-day class covering basic to advanced electrics, power distribution, electrical safety, codes and regulations for beginning to advanced lighting, audio, and video techs and production electricians.
December 5, 2024
Las Vegas, NV
Setting Up, Testing, and Troubleshooting Lighting Control Systems and Networks
Setting up and testing a lighting control system used to be relatively simple, but it’s becoming increasingly complex, and networking plays an integral part. If you want to advance your career in this industry, then it’s a good idea to know how to set up, test, and troubleshoot lighting networks, including DMX, Ethernet, and Ethernet-based protocols like Art-Net and sACN, and how to use RDM to quickly configure and remotely monitor your equipment. This course covers all of those bases with an emphasis in hands-on activities and learning.
December 6, 2024
Las Vegas, NV
Sustainable Power Distribution for Live Event Production
Learn about the latest advancements in sustainable power technologies and how to integrate them into your live event setups. You will be guided through the fundamentals of solar collection, battery storage, inverters, and energy management. You will gain insights into designing systems, anticipating power needs, and equipment selection. Through engaging discussions and real world examples, you will discover strategies for de-carbonizing your stages and optimizing energy consumption. We will also address the importance of safety protocols and compliance with industry standards. By the end of the class, you will be equipped with the knowledge to design and implement sustainable power distribution systems that align with environmental goals without compromising the quality and reliability of live event production.
December 7, 2024
Las Vegas, NV
Setting Up and Monitoring Portable Power Distribution Systems
It’s easy enough to run stinger cables (a.k.a. a single or an extension cord) to power an audio console, video projector, lighting instruments, or an entire stage, but is it safe? Is it reliable? The safety and reliability of a portable power distribution system depends on every link in the chain. Given the way we toss around our equipment, the way to throw it in a road case, run it along the ground and step on it, run over it with forklifts and golf carts, leave it outside all day long to bake in the sun, day in and day out, there are usually hidden weak links that could devolve into major problems. But we can get ahead of potential problems by learning to spot those weaknesses using the right tools for the job, and by monitoring the system during operation. This one-day class is designed to walk through best practices for setting up and monitoring portable power distribution systems so that they are safer and more reliable.
December 16-20
Boston, MA
Power Distribution and Electrical Safety for Live Events
This 3-day class includes hands-on training in electrical power distribution, electrical safety, and basic rigging with Ethan Gilson, ETCP Recognized Trainer. The first two days covers electrical power distribution, electrical safety, and practical power distribution, and the third day is a combined class with rigging.
January 6-7, 2025
Orlando, FL
Two-day class designed to accommodate a wide range of skills and experience, starting with basic electricity, circuit laws, and theory, and building towards more advanced topics including power distribution, power factor, and harmonics, with an emphasis on electrical safety, the use of PPE, codes and regulations, grounding and bonding, and GFCIs. Other topics: DC electricity, terminology, basic circuits, Ohm's law, DC power, AC electricity, impedance, AC power, phase angles, power factor, 3-phase power, harmonics, electrical safety, imminent danger, human reaction to electrical current, lockout/tagout, arc flash, arc blast, boundaries of protection, categories of meters, codes and regulations, portable power generators, transformers, HMTs, grounding, enclosure ratings, over current protection, GFCIs, and more.
January 8, 2025
Orlando, FL
Setting up and testing lighting control systems for live event production used to be pretty simple, and it’s increasingly becoming more digital and networked. This 1-day class covers DMX, RDM, Ethernet and Ethernet-based protocols, and how to set up, test, and troubleshoot DMX, Ethernet, and Art-Net systems. Bring your laptop (PC or Mac) for networking exercises.
January 22, 2025
Anaheim, CA
NAMM Entertainment Tech Summit: Powering the Stage
Electrical Safety: Electrical power distribution comes with hazards, but they can be mitigated with the right precautions. The first precaution is understanding the hazards.
Voltage Drop: Ohm’s law says that when electrical current flows through a conductor, it drops voltage. Consequently, the voltage applied to a load is less than the supply voltage. How does that affect the operation of the equipment?
Power Requirements: Understanding and predicting power requirements is the most important job of a live events technician or electrician. How do the equipment specs help us with our circuiting and power requirements?
Grounding and Bonding: Faulty grounding is the most common cause of electrical stage mishaps. What is faulty grounding? What is proper bonding? Why do they matter?
Cabling: Cords and cables are made for specific purposes, and they have limited ability to carry electrical current. Where do you go to find the ampacities of cables, and what factors would influence that?
Codes and Regulations: In North America, electrical codes dictate how we should be distribution power on stage. What are the codes, how do they work, and why should we comply with them?
