April 30, 2010
Check out Lance’s latest blog, LD On The DL, here. Or read it below.
—————————–
As many of you know, several months ago a Northwest flight overshot its intended destination by several hundred miles. The NY Times did an article about this, click here to read it. I copied the NY Times article and changed some nouns and adjectives. Below is the result.
It is work of fiction, and in no way details actual events.
—————————–
Experts Puzzle Over How Show’s Lighting Stopped
New York – On Friday, investigators sought to explain why a Light Board Operator and his Assistant running “Carmen” at The Metropolitan Opera stopped initiating cues in the middle of Act Two when they should have during Wednesday night’s performance.
The board operators said they had been involved in a heated discussion about union policy and lost track of where they were in the script.
Skepticism about the explanation resounded through theatre and opera circles, which collectively wondered whether the pair had fallen asleep.
“What did they say? What went on? What was the subject of discussion — or weren’t they talking?” asked Andron Icus, a veteran Italian general and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts which often sponsors such performances.
“I can assure you none of us was asleep,” one of the Board Operators told NY1 on Friday night. He declined to comment further.
Two officials from the MET said that Wednesday’s performance had been the first of the day for both operators, who had not been on the clock for approximately 17 hours.
Instead of initiating cue 24, which begins the famous “Flower Song” in Act Two, the lighting, a rig with about 144 lights and several moving yokes, remained the same for the duration of Act Two and Three despite repeated calls from the Stage Manager and other Stagehands in the area as well as e-mail and text messages from the union dispatchers. Finally, when the opera was half way through Act 4, the Board Operators responded, according to the show report from the MET. The cue sequence continued and ended safely, a full 90 minutes after the actual curtain call.
The Board Operator and Assistant have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Both passed breath analysis tests to check for alcohol, according to the show report. When the cue sequence finally ended, the report said, the Assistant turned to a waiting Producer and gave a “two thumbs up” sign through the light booth window.
Officials at the National Endowment for the Arts said they gave a preliminary listen to the show headset recorder on Friday afternoon, but that may not provide any answers. The recorder, which runs continuously throughout a show, has only 30 minutes of sound at any one time, and records over itself. The officials said they would interview the individuals over the weekend and would have something to say as early as Monday.
Officials said that the last communication with the Board Operators was at 7:46 p.m., Eastern time, and communication did not resume until 9:14 p.m., a gap of 88 minutes, a long time for a commercial performance in the continental United States that has not had a system failure or whose wireless headset is not tuned to the wrong frequency.
Board Operators normally wear headsets with microphones, or they transfer the Stage Manager’s audio to a loudspeaker. Unless the headset was tuned to the incorrect frequency, “if you’re awake, you’re going to hear,” said the former crew chief of a major union Local, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
More than a dozen Stage Managers, Assistant Stage Managers, and Production Assistants tried to contact the Operators, said Dion Ysus, a spokesman for The Metropolitan Opera. “It was all hands on deck,” Mr. Ysus said. One Production Assistant made 13 attempts at contact, an official said.
When the lights should have been changing, they were still stuck on the previous scene, according to TKTS, a company that provides real-time tracking of shows based in the New York area.
Two opera aficionados credited an Assistant Stage Manager with calling the operator’s attention to their error.
The show, meanwhile, had been going so smoothly that Ryan Kirk, an audience member, said he never suspected a problem until after the the scene change, when the lights remained on.
“When the lights stayed on, that’s when we thought something was wrong; they told us to take our seats,” Mr Kirk, 35, of Midtown West, said in a telephone interview. At one point during the show, he said, he had overheard another audience member ask when the lights would be dimming. He said he had heard the usher respond: “I really don’t know. I’m sorry.”
The MET is under construction, which has led to some delays. Even so, some audience members interviewed Friday said they had been aware the lighting was not right.
“In Act 3 we weren’t in a ‘deserted rocky place at night’ as the program had indicated, and that’s why it wasn’t adding up in my mind,” said Bac Chus, a real estate agent from Woodbury, VA. “Why are we still lit like the Inn in Act 2 and nobody’s saying anything?”
A spokesman for the MET, said: “We will continue to look at many things, as we do in any incident. We look at fatigue. We find out if there were any conversations in the light booth that would be distracting.”
If the Board Operators did fall asleep, the incident would add to concerns by IATSE over worker fatigue, which it argues has become a major problem as a result of cuts that have taken place since the October 2008 market crash.
After reading news accounts of the flight, Mr. Kirk, the passenger, said he was flooded with concerns about the Board Operators’ inattention. “What if this had been Tosca or Aida?” he said. “What else might have happened?”
Lance Darcy is a Designer and Programmer for Tinc Design & Productions, based in New York City.
Posted by tinc_admin
April 30, 2010
April’s Tinc Tuesday, “Bringing The Power,” was a huge success. Tony Kambic of Lex Products, the industry leader in portable power, gave an incredibly informative and engaging lecture about all things electrical.
We learned how power is created, and the different distribution systems we’re likely to find out in the field. We learned why the rules are the way they are, complete with a brief history of the ubiquitous outlet. Tony touched on volts, amps, and resistance, as well as how it pertains to our industry. From cable gauges to plug types to why 3 phase power is used, it was an evening filled with cool info regarding the stuff we electricians should know, but don’t always.
Lex also supplied some great equipment to help Tony demonstrate his points, and it’s always nice to play around with gear without the time constraints of load-in and load out.
Afterwards the gang drank wine, ate cheese and crackers, while we chatted about industry issues.
A big thanks goes out to Lex Products, a HUGE thanks goes out to Tony for his amazing presentation, and an even BIGGER thanks goes out to those who attended. See ya next month!
Posted by tinc_admin
April 19, 2010
Who really needs a production company? With all the lighting, video, scenic, and labor companies in addition to the plethora of shops who have tons of gear, is a production company really, absolutely necessary?
Well, let’s see.
Production companies are great for consolidating labor, typically the most expensive aspect of a job. Multiple vendors on site hiring their own labor can lead to wasted billable hours.
Production companies are integral for planning an event’s technical elements and handling all the logistics. Some events are simple, but many these days are not. It’s good to have someone making sure tab A fits into slot B.
A good production company should always be finding the best price, best equipment, and best solutions for a client’s unique job and budget. With the myriad of shops and vendors across the country, knowing who to call makes all the difference — whether we’re talking about boat racing games in Anaheim or LED screens in SoHo.
Some events may not require a production company. However our industry continually grows more complex, requires greater organization, integrates sophisticated technology, and demands concise design … well … there’s just not an app for that.
Give us a call, you’ll be glad you did.
Posted by tinc_admin
April 15, 2010
Check out Lance’s article here or read below.
_____
While I doubt any scientific survey has been conducted, I think a poll of our industry’s union and non-union workers would show the vast majority label themselves as “freelancers.” And why not? It certainly feels like we’re freelancers. We pay for our own tools. Unless we’re part of a union, we receive no benefits from our various employers, and we have various employers. There is seldom a guarantee of continual work. And the only person paying for our continuing education is us. Clearly we are freelancers! Right?
This past January the company I work for started a continuing education effort for NYC’s freelance community called Tinc Tuesdays – a series of classes for freelancers by freelancers. The first topic was this question of whether or not any of us are actually freelancers, and the answer was a bit surprising. In the eyes of New York State’s Department of Labor and the IRS, none of us are. So this creates some confusion: we are neither employees or independent contractors, and at the same time, both.
The business of paying people in these United States is no easy task. Most employers hire another company to handle it (ADP or Paychex are common), and for good reason. Between the the various taxes, insurances, and rules there’s a lot that can be messed up. The state and federal government take a dim view of this, and the potential fines for miscalculations, even innocently, are steep. Ironically, despite all this complexity there are only two legal ways to pay a person: W2 and 1099.
The IRS and Department of Labor classifies W2 workers as “employees.” They can be further subdivided as part-time employees or leased employees, but we’re splitting hairs. Employees in New York State have certain perks, like unemployment and disability insurance, workman’s compensation, and the employer matched Social Security payment. All these extras cost the employer between 10% to 15% more than the stated hourly wage, though that does not include workman’s compensation or disability insurance policies, which in some states (like New York State) are required. Full-time employees with a benefits package cost even more by an order of magnitude, mainly because of health insurance. However, we’ll save that discussion for another day.
Conversely, a 1099 worker does not have any perks whatsoever. The “independent contractor,” which is the government’s classification for these people, costs what he or she costs and no more. They cannot file for unemployment, and if injured on a job site their employer has no obligation towards any immediate medical expenses or long term care. Legally speaking, a freelancer is defined as being an independent contractor. If you are paid on a W2, you are not a freelancer in the eyes of the government.
Paid as employees, our industry’s labor isn’t getting the deductions they deserve. Employees can only deduct work related expenses on a Schedule A, while independent contractors can use a Schedule C – which is preferable in lowering one’s taxable income. So our freelancers spend money on business expenses, but only get a percentage of the deductions they should.
Furthermore, people paid as employees have a more difficult time joining freelancer organizations, like The Freelancer’s Union, because they aren’t paid primarily on a 1099. This makes access to affordable healthcare, which is not provided by the various employers, difficult or prohibitively expensive.
Those of us primarily paid on fees (designers, PMs, etc.) have a tough time in either scenario. If paid as an employee (W2), the bulk of the fee is lost to taxes. If paid as a independent contractor (1099), we have no access to the safety nets, like unemployment, while everybody else does. Why should a wage electrician have access to unemployment or workman’s comp. but not a lighting designer?
Many fee-type people feel economically forced to start companies to gain a modicum of control over their taxes and liability; also paying a company is a whole lot easier in every conceivable way from the employer’s perspective. Unfortunately, this is no free ride. Start-up costs, which are substantial in New York City, are required to form even a simple Sole Proprietor LLC. Ongoing expenses, like liability insurance, cost money whether there’s work or not. And in an ironic twist of the knife, officers of a company are not allowed to claim unemployment. Unless you’re making pretty good money on fees, it does not make fiscal sense to form your own company. In down years, these expenses can lead to bankruptcy.
Businesses have a hard time knowing which classification to assign to various workers. The guidelines distinguishing a 1099 versus W2 worker are intentionally vague, but that opens the door to abuse. Furthermore, positional disparities complicate the issue. “The same job performed at different organizations can lead to classifying that same worker differently,” is a mind-boggling quote from an actual IRS agent, when asked for a ruling on what we call a freelancer. So is a deck electrician for a show an independent contractor or employee? Usually an employee. How about an A1 for a band on tour, or anyone on tour? Probably an employee, though not always with a benefits package. A scenic painter? Programmer? Depends on the gig and responsibilities. Where is an ESTA-like organization to help us make sense of this?
Despite all this, I think we do a lot right. The bulk of our labor is covered in case of an accident or hardship. Union membership or other organizations are helping to bring healthcare to the “freelancer” lifestyle, which is making it a sustainable career path. However, this nebulous existence between employee and independent contractor should be cleaned up. I sometimes fantasize about all of us sitting down with the Department of Labor and saying, “Look, nobody’s leaving this room till we figure this out.” This new class of worker, our class of worker, is what the economy wants and needs: they’re nimble, flexible, responsive to changing conditions, and incredibly mobile. It benefits them, businesses, and the economy to give our freelancers the tax credits they deserve, the protections every American worker should have, and the tools to make this a sustainable lifestyle.
Lance Darcy is the head designer at Tinc Design & Productions, based in New York City.
Posted by tinc_admin
April 9, 2010
How is electricity created?
Why would you choose a fuse over a circuit breaker?
Are ground wires really necessary?
What’s the difference between a 3-phase Wye and 3-phase Delta System?
What is a floating neutral?
Why are certain connectors used for certain fixtures?
Is GFCI a disease?
Join us as Tony Kambic of Lex Products – the industry leader in portable power – talks about all things electrical for our industry.
See Lex’s training equipment, speak with their tech, and learn a lot more about the business of funneling electrons. These are the fundamentals every electrician should know!
Tuesday, April 27th
6:30 Doors
7 PM – Seminar and Discussion
8.15 PM – Wine and Cheese and Networking
$20 (Cash or Charge)
RSVP appreciated, but not required
36th Street Studios
260 West 36th Street
(Between 7th and 8th Avenues)
3rd Floor
Special Thanks to:
Click on the Tinc Tuesday Logo at the top of the page for more info.
Posted by tinc_admin
April 8, 2010
Check out Lance’s article here or read below.
_____
Before Fashion Week we bid on a job. Ryan and I gathered the necessary materials and sent out the bid. A day later we got an angry phone call from the potential client. The conversation went something like this:
“This price is ridiculous. What’s wrong with you people?”
“Well, we think it’s fair. You’re asking for a lot to be done in an incredibly short amount of time which, as we discussed, requires more people and makes labor costs much higher.”
“You pay your people?”
“Our background is in freelance, and we believe strongly in paying people living wages. We can’t ask people to work for free.”
“But I’m [a moderately well known fashion designer] and was [X]th place on [a mildly popular fashion TV show]! I don’t have a problem getting interns! I’ll have my people do it for free.”
“Interns aren’t qualified to do this work.” Long, awkward pause.
“Never mind. I’ll hire a different company.” Click.
I then began noticing the glut of unpaid staff on fashion job sites and I began to wonder, who exactly benefits from all this free labor? Is it the intern, the employer, both, or neither?
Does the intern benefit by providing his or her services for free? There is one big question to ask: Is working for free today an investment which will deliver returns tomorrow? There’s no data to suggest or predict what the amount of uncompensated time invested today will yield in dollars tomorrow. Instead, immediate compensation takes the form of “contacts,” or, “experience,” none of which pay the rent but do alleviate the employer’s expectation to provide some type of compensation. Anecdotally, many interns believe working for free is a great career stepping stone, however I think serious research is lacking to verify this commonly held belief. I would like to see data that delineates quantitatively what this intern’s investment payout is likely to be. Only then can we say with absolute certainty that contacts and experience have any actual worth, beyond comforting employers.
On the other hand, is the employer benefitting? Basic economics of supply and demand are clearly in play. With such a huge amount of cheap supply, a lot of people willing to work for free, demand stays pretty low. Thus, rates stay pretty low. Free labor drives down the price of paid labor. That benefits companies, and not interns once they decide to become part of the paid labor force.
Furthermore, mounting evidence suggests companies are over hiring interns. Maybe the bad economy is to blame, but it’s hard to imagine an economic climate where businesses would shun free labor. The New York Times published an interesting article (click here) about some common abuses, which seem to provide the intern with neither contacts or valuable experience. They do, however, provide the employer with cheap, abusable labor for a fraction the cost … or none of it.
Ultimately, I do not think it’s a total win for employers. Interns are not necessarily qualified labor, and need constant supervision and re-training due to the high turnover rate. However, free labor is still a pretty sweet deal for the bottom line.
Is it possible for both interns and employer to benefit from each other? Surely there must be altruistic companies who do feel it’s important to educate the next generation. But without controls or regulation how is one to separate the good from the bad? I’d like to offer two test questions for all those considering unpaid internships.
Question One: how much is the designer, organization, theater, or company investing in you, the intern? Are they providing housing, per diem pay, transportation, or some living expenses? If so, what is that amount in dollars? If the answer is zero and you’re getting paid in contacts and experience, or just experience, take a hard look at the internship and approach it skeptically.
Question Two: if the designer, organization, theater, or company had to pay their interns a living wage, would they be an economically viable entity? If the answer is no be careful you’re not signing up for mind numbing grunt work they can’t afford to pay anyone else to do.
Perhaps nobody benefits from internships, not intern or company. If the two test questions listed above are both “no,” I think a lose-lose dynamic can easily be created. The intern who pays for everything ends up investing actual dollars and uncompensated time (a double whammy) today for access to contacts and experience, which may (or may not) lead to money tomorrow. Furthermore, the intern is working at an deluded organization that isn’t even economically viable, which begs the question how can the intern find paid work if his or her employer can’t either?
I think the reasoning behind internships is steeped in the American ethos of “Work hard and you will achieve,” right after a line about, “…paying your dues.” The romantic notion can easily be abused. The idea of being in close proximity to [your craft here] eventually leading to paid work may be ubiquitous, but is certainly far from conclusive. Safeguards, intelligent questions, and a skeptical attitude may go a lot further in the long term than contacts and experience.
Posted by tinc_admin
