Showman Fabricators

Showman Fabricators Celebrates Donyale Werle’s Tony win for Peter and the Starcatcher

Tony Awards After Donyale Werle’s win for best Scenic Design for a play at the Tony Awards last night, Showman Fabricators, who worked to bring the show to Broadway, sent an email to congratulate Donyale Werle on her Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play for ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’. Saying “Building this set was an honor and pleasure.”

Read on from their email this morning…..

BRAVA!! to Tony Award winning Set Designer Donyale Werle for her work on ‘Peter and the Star Catcher’.


Best Scenic Design of a Play was 1 of 5 Tony Awards ‘Peter’ won last night. Donyale is very conscience about the environmental impact of  her designs and material choices. We could not have been more proud to have built this show for her. Congratulations to Donyale as well as David Benken, Technical Supervisor and Patrick Eviston, Production Carpenter.  And Donyale, thanks for the shout out during your gracious acceptance speech!

Set Designer Donyale Werle at Showman Fabricators

Donyale Playbill

Playbill came to Showman and took a tour through the sustainability-conscience design and fabrication process of ‘Peter’ with Donyale Werle.  For more information about the show, visit Peter and the Starcatcher.

Highlights of ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’


Click the video to view some of the highlights of ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’.  Also visit the Showman and ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ facebook pages for additional video’s and information.

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LDI 2011 Green Product Award goes to ArcSystems house light

A large crowd of LDI2011 attendees and exhibitors gathered for the annual LDI awards ceremony and cocktail reception, held this year on Saturday, October 29 at 5:15pm in Orlando, FL, where LDI marked its 24th year.  The Best Green Product Award (sponsored by Showman Fabricators): ArcSystem house light manufactured by GDS.

The ArcSystem is a new range of LED auditorium lighting fixtures that are truly dimmable from 0% to 100% using the wireless ARC Mesh protocol for control. This allows you to retrofit the ARC system without the need to rewire your auditorium.

The ARC system comes in a range of options for both recessed or surface mount, single cell to multi-cell including 1,2,3,5 and 8 cells. The optics are available in a range of beam angles including 19deg 24deg and 37deg. Using high efficiency optics and LED’s, GDS ARC system is able to produce a CRI in excess of 93 with a range of colour temperatures.

Video Chat in Artistic Endeavors

skype-iconIt goes without saying that the travel associated with our artist endeavors is not the most sustainable. I’ve been to so many conferences this last year, mostly traveling by plane. Next week I’m off to Europe where I’ll be staying in Copenhagen for COP15 and Wooloo.org‘s New Life Festival, but I’m also headed to London for the Future Arcola Launch and, it’s looking like Prague as well, to check in with a project for the next PQ in June of 2011.

I personally love traveling. I feel guilty, yes, but I love going places. I also feel there is no substitute for in-person discussions. The spontaneity and intimacy of direct contact is important and this is easiest to accommodate face-to-face and in the flesh. And, even when it’s not about having a one-on-one, there is also that just showing up most of the time is a big deal. I maintain that our “success” with the CSPA is due to persistence and “showing up”.

Two weeks ago, I was in Orlando for LDI for a full day of Green Sessions for the show technology crowd put together by Bob Usdin and Annie Jacobs from Showman Fabricators. There I had the chance to meet Bryan Raven of White Light in the UK again. We had been on a roundtable panel at the Theatre Materials/Material Theatre conference at the Central School of Speech and Drama‘s Center for Excellence in Theatre Training in April of 2008. That previous conference was also when I was able to meet, and have a drink with, Ben Todd from Arcola. Ben, who was not able to come to Orlando, and was instead in Stockholm (maybe you saw his post early this week) , was present via a video chat to talk about Future Arcola.

With the ubiquity of broadband connections, more and more people seem to be relying on video conference/chat technology to get other busy, high profile, greener guests to be able to be in two spaces at the same time. And, as it tends to shake out, the resident technophile/ show technologist, I get the pleasure of making a lot of them work.

Google_Talk_icon_by_hungery5Last night, at California Institute of the Arts I set up a video chat audition for guest artists that will be in residency at REDCAT, CalArt’s downtown LA space. The Artists of Invasion from the Chicken Planet, are based in New York and, though of no sustainable intention, weren’t going to fly out to audition some of our actors to use in their residency for two hours.

The day before, we had tested the connection. We used the same computer with the same software on the same network (hardwired into the wall) that we’d use the next day. We tried Skype, which was too choppy, garbled and had a couple seconds delay that made it less than ideal. We then switched to iChat with AOL Instant Messenger accounts and after realizing another computer being connected was preventing a decent video link, it proved the smoothest and most immediate.

So last night, when we moved the computer into the room that we would be conducting the auditions in, we configured the machine the same way, but were not able to make a connection on iChat. Skype had the same issues. At the prompting of a student director who was assisting, we tried Gtalk Video chat. It ended up working immediately and with excellent quality.

Earlier in the year, at Earth Matters on Stage (EMOS), when Moe Beitiks had tried to link up Brent Bucknum to present his bio-remidative work via video chat, we tried ooVoo, which we gave up on in favor of iChat again. We had almost just given up, but I only thought to use iChar from the decent chats I had experienced with my brother-in-law who was living in Edinburgh at the time. Also at EMOS we had a video conference in the University of Oregon library with a panel in London arranged by the Ashden Directory, which used their dedicated video conferencing package.

aim_logo_2.jpgIn both situations the video wasn’t great, but we could sort of communicate. The Ashden Session involved each end of the discussion/video conference going into another room to watch a video and then coming back to discuss together. But there was lag and the video wasn’t particularly clear. The Brent Bucknam session was not bad, but very one-way. For Green Day at LDI, the audio was great, but in one session, with Seema Sueeko from Mo’olelo Performing Arts, the video was minutes behind the audio connection.

Having now had extensive experience with video conferencing in less than ideal situations, I do long for the day when we’ll be able to turn on whatever client we’re using to video chat and it works smoothly and immediately, let alone with high resolution. But, that day isn’t particularly close. There are a lot of variables in the way of making that happen. Network connections, equipment, client servers, client and local network traffic, sunspots, radio waves and the phases of the moon. Even when we tried to eliminate as many of those variables in Eugene as possible, it still didn’t work ideally. Or, what was ideally was not enough to convince.

Will our broadband video connections be able to save us the footprint of air travel for conferences and internationally collaborative meetings of the mind? Not yet. There might be some expensive corporate system out there, but we lowly green artists aren’t going to hold our breath waiting for that. Oprah’s skype seems to work fine, but I’ve never had such luck, so I leave that package just to replace my need for international phone calls.

I’d still rather sit and talk to you, especially when we aren’t both staring at our monitors in our Pajamas.

Also yesterday, Enci Box of Rebel Without a Car Productions came to speak to my and Leslie Tamaribuchi’s class, Sustainability Seminar. She can to talk about producing a short film as sustainably as possible. This included not using cars and transporting everything by bike with the help of the LA Greensters (green teamsters). She made the trip from East Hollywood, in the center of Los Angeles, to the edge of the county, where CalArts resides in Valencia, without a car. She came up on a Metrolink commuter train, biking from the station to campus. She and I had worked out the options for getting there and she had the time to dedicate to coming up. Also, she was lucky to had met a guy who regularly made that journey to visit his girlfriend at CalArts and could relay the benefit of his experience. She then went back home, via bike. all roughly 30 miles of the trip. Coming up to CalArts, it took 2 hours. Returning was supposedly going to be one and a half hours. All for a 45 minute presentation.

I suppose we could have had her “skype” in (even if we don’t typically end up on skype), but having her there in-person was a much greater thrill and much more in the moment for the students and for her. Instead it took dedication to not leaving a footprint, and finding alternatives to get to the class. I’m very much indebted to Enci for making the journey, which some might say was epic, to present for a fraction of that travel time. But, I think it far surpassed our alternatives.

Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators Announces First LDI Green Awards

Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators, who organized LDI Green Day and the awards for best green product and best green production at this last year’s show in Orlando, is seen here announcing the recipients of those awards.

As a judge for the awards I had the opportunity to get into some great conversations about the products that were are weren’t on the show floor the weekend before Thanksgiving. I also got to ask questions about products that WEREN’T on the show floor.

We’ll be posting more from our LDI wrap-up before Miranda and I are off to Copenhagen to cover the arts festivities around COP15, primarily New Life Copenhagen by wooloo.org,  and maybe get over to Arcola for the launch of their new facilities.

If you need to catch up on all of the greening of LDI here are some links for you to check out:

https://www.sustainablepractice.org/2009/11/19/2009-green-day-ldi

https://www.sustainablepractice.org/2009/10/28/ldi-and-sustainability-part-i

https://www.sustainablepractice.org/2009/10/26/how-green-is-green-no-orangutans-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-scenery-aug-2008

https://www.sustainablepractice.org/2009/09/28/green-awards-at-ldi

2009 Green Day LDI

GREEN Day:
Greening in the Entertainment Industry

Thursday, November 19, 2009 – Room# N322
Join LDI in going GREEN! A full day dedicated to what the industry is doing—and can do—to reduce its carbon footprint and be environmentally smart!  A special full-day conference organized in conjunction with Showman Fabricators, as LDI “goes green.”
Sessions open to all LDI full-conference badge holders, and four-pack or eight-pack tickets.

PLUS: The Green Technology Today Showcase on the LDI Show Floor: November 20-22

9:00am-9:30am:

Welcome and Kick-Off
Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators kick off Green Day with an overview of what’s happening in various aspects of the industry.

9:30am-10:30am

GD01 Why Bother? A Session for Skeptics!!!!!
Is there a Crisis?  The facts are indisputable when you see this evidence. Why is Greening in the entertainment industry important?  Beyond just the immediate carbon footprint of an event, talk about the ultimate payoff: Getting your audience to be green in their lives.
Learn about the 4-D’s, and how to deal with skeptics.

Speakers:
Paul Reale, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Green Allowance and trained speaker from Al Gore’s The Climate project will present the undeniable evidence from the Inconvenient Truth with updates on today’s global climate.

11:00am-12:30pm

GD02 Green Standards: Alphabet Soup
LEED, CRI, Greenguard, FSC, Greenlabel, VOC, MERV, 3 R’s, CFC’s, Carbon Offsets: A whole new language has evolved around greening. What does it all mean? More importantly, what standards are useful for the entertainment industry? We’ll look at how to weigh claims and benefits in materials, products, and practices.

Speakers:
Josh Allen, Theatre Consultants Collaborative
Seema Sueko, Moolelo Theatre
Mitchell Kurtz, AIA, LEED AP
David Weiner, Scenic Designer
View Green Products from the LDI Show Floor

What are manufacturers and suppliers offering that are green?  LDI exhibitors are invited to showcase their products that can contribute to making productions greener and more sustainable.

AC Lighting • Apollo • Clark Transfer • Creative Stage Lighting • Doug Fleenor Design • Gekko / PRG • Green Scene / Pro Tech • Iluminarc • Rose Brand • Rosco • Showman Fabricators • Stageline • Tomcat

Coordinated by: David I. Taylor, ARUP

2:00pm-3:00pm

GD03 Breakout Brainstorming Session:
This roundtable discussion will seek out Best/Better Practices being used around the country, in a completely ‘hands-on’ traditional brainstorming session with post-its and white boards. At the end of the session all ideas will be compiled and posted on a website. Bring every idea to the table no matter how crazy.

To focus attention, there will be three separate groups:
* Lighting / Sound / Projections
* Scenery / Staging / Props / Costumes
* Buildings / Facilities / General Operations

Introduction: Bob Usdin
Coordinators: Bryan Raven, White Light Ltd, Ian Garrett, Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts
Speakers: Bryan Raven, White Light Ltd, David Duell, Jonathan Deull, Laurel Dutcher
Scenery/Staging/Props/Costumes Coordinators: Annie Jacobs, Showman; Peter Monahan, Rose Brand
Buildings/Facilities/General Operations Coordinators: David Taylor, ARUP; Curtis Kasefang, Theatre Consultants Collaborative

3:15pm-4:30pm

GD04 Closing Session: The Proof is in the Pudding:
A look at projects from the past year that incorporated some green projects (productions, events, buildings, theatre companies, etc.) followed by a general discussion of where the entertainment industry can and should go to be green.

Speakers:
Bob Usdin, Showman Fabricators
David Taylor, Arup
Charlie Duell, Clark Transfer, Touring Green and Broadway Alliance
Katie Carpenter, Green Media Solutions
Meredith Bergmana, Green Media Solutions
Ben Todd, Arcola Theatre


How Green Is Green? | No Orangutans Were Harmed In The Making Of This Scenery | Aug 2008

This is an excerpt from Robert Usdin’s article for Live Design in April, 2008. Remember that November 19th is Green Day at LDI and they’re looking for nominees for green production of the year.

“No Orangutans Were Harmed In The Making Of This Scenery.” That was a proposed slogan that came out of a brainstorming session during a green marketing seminar held recently at Showman Fabricators. As a New York commercial scene shop, we have made a commitment to sustainability over the last few years and used this seminar as an opportunity to help with future plans. Another idea was edible scenery, but we wont go there. Fortunately, there are many established green practices that have become standard at Showman and other shops, so orangutans and edible scenery can be left out of the marketing plans. Showmans EMS Environmental Management System is a detailed roadmap, structured in two parts, charting a course for personnel to act green. The first part outlines best practices, and the second part provides clients with solid options to greatly lessen the environmental impact their projects have. Getting the word out is the first of many steps to encourage clients to think beyond what theyve always done.

via How Green Is Green? | No Orangutans Were Harmed In The Making Of This Scenery | Aug 2008.

CSPA October 09 Newsletter

Newsletter #3 is here! The quarterly is on its way out the door as well. Weve got a couple of very important events coming up as well and I hope youll join us for them. For those in technical theater, were helping Showman Fabricators with their Green Day 2009 at this years LDI conference in Orlando. And if that wasnt big enough news, well also have people on the ground in Copenhagen for COP15 and Wooloo.orgs New Life Festival.

All of the information on these developments is below as well. With all of this going on, wouldnt you considering joining the CSPA?

Ian Garrett & Miranda Wright
CSPA Directors

CSPA October 09 Newsletter.

Green Awards at LDI

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LDI – the country’s foremost entertainment industry trade conference – and Showman Fabricators – NYC’s largest and most diverse scenic fabrication shop – are teaming together to bring to the forefront sustainability of the Entertainment Technology field.

Green Awards

One method to accomplish this will be to present two Green Awards at the LDI awards ceremony.  The two awards are the Best Green Product Award and the Best Green Show/Project Award.  These awards, in their inaugural year, will bring a focus to companies who have made strides in the greening of the entertainment technology field.

If you have participated in any shows or projects which have taken steps to create a greener production value, we invite you to nominate the show or project.  We are not limiting the award to shows of a specific size, but rather encourage all those involved in shows or projects which have been able to integrate some measure of sustainability into their production to nominate that production.

nomination process

If you know of a show or event that has made strides, the nomination process is simple.  The linked form will need to be filled out.  Please be as descriptive as possible, and if you need additional space feel free to extend to a second page.  This form is due by October 8th.  Additionally we will require a 2 minute or less electronic presentation (either PowerPoint or video) that will be used at LDI.  Some presentations may be incorporated into the Green Day panels at LDI, and all events will be on display for three days as part of a Green Technology Today Showcase – a booth about sustainability which will be on the tradeshow floor.  These opportunities will give those in the entertainment technology industry a chance to see what you are doing.  This presentation will need to be submitted by October 27th.

criteria

Projects will be judged on several criteria including their originality, use of green techniques, environmental impact, and message to an audience.

awards

Both awards will be presented at the LDI awards ceremony on November 21st however you do not need to be present to win.  LDI will feature the award winners in their magazine and on their website.

questions

Any questions can be directed to Bob Usdin (718.935.9899 or busdin@showfab.com).
For additional information on LDI please visit www.ldishow.com.

Forms

LDI Green Awards Announcement and Nomination Form

LDI Green Awards Nomination Form

2009 Green Day

GREEN Day: Greening in the Entertainment Industry

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Join LDI in going GREEN! A full day dedicated to what the industry is doing—and can do—to reduce its carbon footprint and be environmentally smart!  A special full-day conference organized in conjunction with Showman Fabricators, as LDI “goes green.”

Sessions open to all LDI full-conference badge holders, and four-pack or eight-pack tickets.

PLUS: The Green Technology Today Showcase on the LDI Show Floor: November 20-22

9:00am-9:30am:
Welcome and Kick-Off
Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators and the Broadway Green Alliance kick off Green Day with an overview of what’s happening in various aspects of the industry. Featured speakers include David Taylor, Arup;

9:30am-10:30am
GD01 Why Bother? A Session for Skeptics!!!!!

Is there a Crisis?  The facts are indisputable when you see this evidence. Why is Greening in the entertainment industry important?  Beyond just the immediate carbon footprint of an event, talk about the ultimate payoff: Getting your audience to be green in their lives.
Learn about the 4-D’s, and how to deal with skeptics.

11:00am-12:30pm
GD02 Green Standards: Alphabet Soup

LEED, CRI, Greenguard, FSC, Greenlabel, VOC, MERV, 3 R’s, CFC’s, Carbon Offsets: A whole new language has evolved around greening. What does it all mean? More importantly, what standards are useful for the entertainment industry? We’ll look at how to weigh claims and benefits in materials, products, and practices.

View Green Products from the LDI Show Floor
What are manufacturers and suppliers offering that are green?  LDI exhibitors are invited to showcase their products that can contribute to making productions greener and more sustainable.

2:00pm-3:00pm
GD03 Breakout Brainstorming Session:

This roundtable discussion will seek out Best/Better Practices being used around the country, in a completely ‘hands-on’ traditional brainstorming session with post-its and white boards. At the end of the session all ideas will be compiled and posted on a website. Bring every idea to the table no matter how crazy.

To focus attention, there will be three separate groups:
* Lighting / Sound / Projections
* Scenery / Staging / Props / Costumes
Buildings / Facilities / General Operations

3:15pm-4:30pm
GD04 Closing Session: The Proof is in the Pudding:

A look at projects from the past year that incorporated some green projects (productions, events, buildings, theatre companies, etc.) followed by a general discussion of where the entertainment industry can and should go to be green.

Green Pavillion

What are manufacturers and suppliers offering that are green?  LDI exhibitors are invited to showcase their products that can contribute to making productions greener and more sustainable; in conjunction with The Green Technology Today Showcase on the exhibit floor, presented by LDI and Showman Fabricators. For information on how to participate in this session and The Green Technology Today Showcase:rusdin@showfab.com. Click here to download the Green Pavilion form

via 2009 Green Day .

LDI is Going Green

LDI 2009
November 19-22
Orlando, Florida

LDI GREEN DAY
Full day conference consisting of multiple panels that focus on Green Topics for the Entertainment Industry will be presented on Thursday, November 19.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY TODAY SHOWCASE -PRESENTED BY LDI AND SHOWMAN FABRICATORS
A booth on the exhibit floor that exclusively displays Green products. This showcase will be a first of its kind opportunity to bring together Green products specific to the entertainment industry.

GREEN AWARDS SPONSORED BY SHOWMAN FABRICATORS
This years LDI will be the inaugural year for two Green awards at the LDI awards ceremony.

  • The Green Product of the Year will be chosen from exhibitors in the Green Technology Today Showcase.
  • The Green Event/Show of the Year award is open for submissions from anyone in the entertainment/ live event industry. This award specifically spotlights and celebrates a show or event which was able to integrate sustainability into its production.

For more information and to register for the conference please visit www.ldishow.com or contact Bob Usdin at Showman Fabricators (rusdin@showfab.com).

Sponsored by

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