TH 2399
Production Practicum II
Assistant Master Electrician
2 cr.

Ethan Hollinger

Office: MPAC 110
Phone: 218-726-7807
Email: eholling@d.umn.edu

Course Objective: To provide students with practical experience working as an Assistant Master Electrician on a UMD Department production.

Learning Outcomes: Assistant Master Electricians will develop skills in reading and analyzing lighting plots and paperwork, creating schedules, and general skills in theatrical electrical implementation. Assistant Master Electricians will also gain leadership skills through assisting load ins, and working collaboratively with the other production departments.

Expectations: The student must meet all expectations as specified by the course instructor.

Evaluation: At the end of the semester, the instructor will assign a letter grade for the student work based upon predetermined expectations.

Learning Objectives:
- Develop fluency in understanding and explaining theatrical lighting terminology and paperwork.  
- Develop leadership skills through crew management.
- Define and explain the role of the assistant master electrician.
- Collaborate effectively with other production areas.
- Assist in the execution of effective implementation schedules.

Course Requirements:
- Meet with Master Electrician to discuss light plot implementation and potential difficulties.
- Meet with Practicum Instructor prior to each work session.
- Help maintain paperwork and plot changes.
- Manage practicum students.
- Ensure proper implementation and integrity of lighting design.

Job Description:
The Assistant Master Electrician helps mount the lighting design for implementation, load the system in, implement changes discovered during tech, maintain the system throughout the run, and strike the system after the run. The AME may be asked to works with the Programmer, Lighting Designer, and/or Stage Manager. The AME will also work, as requested with Scenic, Properties, and Costume departments to collaborate on specific effects and the timing of general implementation.

Specific Duties
Pre Load-in:
- Help access plot for work flow, fixture counts, circuit counts, color and template counts.
- Look for problems in implementation
- Help determine problems that will need to be implemented in collaboration with Scenic.
- Help determine Universe and Address layout for intelligent fixtures.
- Help determine power distribution for intelligent fixtures.
- Help determine layout of lighting network.
- Discuss practicals or electrified prop pieces with Scenic, Properties, and Management as requested.
- Help create load in schedule for realistic deadlines with Focus and Tech in mind.

Load in:
- Help manage load-in.
- Help implement plot.
- Help implement lighting Network.
- Help address intelligent fixtures.
- Help facilitate in-house tech position for console.
- Help maintain paperwork for dimmer numbers.
- Help maintain any changes to paperwork or plot that come up during load-in.
- Help implement electrified props or practicals.
- Help access color and gobo inventory and needs.
- Help implement spot lights and spotlight color as needed.

Pre Focus:
- Help troubleshoot rig.
- Help cut and frame color and gobos.
- Help sort and distribute color to hanging positions

Focus:
- Help run focus.
- Help ensure all workers and designer are on task.
- Facilitate all fixtures being focused as needed.

Tech:
- Help implement designer notes.

System Check:
- Help instruct board ops and spot ops on system check.
- Help run system checks each instance of rehearsal or show

Strike:
- Help determine strike plan in collaboration with practicum instructor and Scenic.
- Help run strike.
- As part of strike, help hang, circuit, patch and focus rep plot.

Seeing a Run Through:
The AME is generally not required to see a run-through of the show.

Dress Code:
The AME will dress in shop appropriate clothes. Close toed and closed heeled shoes, no loose clothing, no loose hair.

Technical Rehearsals:
The AME is not typically required at technical rehearsals, however, the AME may be asked to manage system checks before the rehearsals begin.

Dress Rehearsals/Performances:
The AME is not typically required at technical rehearsals, however, the AME may be asked to manage system checks before the rehearsals or performances begin.

Strike:
Generally, Strike is held on the Sunday afternoon after the Saturday night performance. There are the odd productions which close on a Sunday, which means strike will commence immediately after the final performance. The AME may be asked to run strike sections.

Grading:
Final grade will be determined by the Instructor after consulting necessary production team members with regards to how well the duties listed above were executed.