Help Fight Breast Cancer by Buying Gel

We are half way through October which just happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As an industry, how can we help support the cause. Outside of the industry, there are a number of ways to help, but what about within the industry?

In steps Apollo Design.  During the month of October, Apollo Design is donating a portion of their sales of pink gel to the Vera Bradley Foundation to help fight breast cancer. Everyone can use a little pink in their life.  Help support the fight against Breast Cancer by purchasing some pink gel today!  It’s as easy as contacting you local Apollo dealer and saying give me PINK!

#LDI2010: Are You Prepared?

Can you believe it, we are already in October!  That means that the LDI Show is right around the corner in Las Vegas.  In just a couple of weeks, everyone from around the industry will converge on Las Vegas to learn, grow and see some damn cool stuff on the show floor.  But the question I have for you is, are you ready?

Any LDI veteran will tell you that trade shows are a load of fun, but also a huge amount of work. A good amount of time at a trade show will be talking and networking with people from around the industry.  Have the battle when meeting new people is making that first impression and making it a good one.  I’m not going to go into lengths about how to act or what you should be doing as the golden rule covers that, “Due onto others as you would have them to do to you”.

A part of networking and meeting others is providing them a way to get in touch with you.  Over the course of a three day trade show like LDI, we meet and get introduced to a number of people.  Remember all of these names and information is hard to do from memory.  That is why a little bit of analog technology still prevails in every business and industry around the world, the business card.

Not only is a business card still a must in this day of 24/7/265 digital connection, but a good business card design is a must.  If you haven’t done so already, what are you waiting for?  Get on it, get you business cards designed and printed, you only have a couple of weeks! Printers require a couple of days to print business cards, and even if you go through an online digital printer, you still need to leave in time for them to get shipped to you.  Time is running out!

Here are a couple of helpful links to get you going:

Help designing business cards

Business card examples

Some online digital printers for less expensive business cards:

Vista Print

Moo.com

Do you have any suggestions or advice?  How about a good place to get business cards online.  Share what you know in the comments section.  Mucho thanks!

Occupational Hazard: Our Eyes Are Pretty Important, You Only Get One Set

Something we don’t think about to often is our own health and well being.  Sure, we know that things hurt, get a pain here or there.  But honestly, when was the last time you went to the doctor? I’ll be the first to admit it, I hate “wasting” time to go see the doctor, I have WAY more important things to do.  Is that really the right response though? Note to self… get a physical!

As a lighting professional, what do you consider to be your most valuable asset? Your knowledge of products, programming abilities?  What about one of your five senses like sight?  Think about it, if you couldn’t see, could you perform your duties as you did with your sight? It’s kind of tough.  We work in an industry where we need to be able to see what we are producing.  Whether that be the awesome lighting arials or drafting a plot on the computer. We need to be able to see what we are doing.

Here is where I want to offer some advice.  I have been pounding away on the computer a heck of a lot lately for some long stretches of time. I think today I stared at the computer for a good 14+ hours.  It’s not to uncommon to have marathon lengths of time on the computer these days.  It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do have a helpful hint to help save your eyes and your mind.

While at the computer, remember this simple phrase, every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  I just happen to call it my 20 cubed method. What this does is forces your eyes to focus on a distant object.  When our eyes focus on something like a computer monitor, they tend to stay set to that focal range causing our eyes to get tired  We let our eyes set in, and our mind take over.  Kind of like putting our eyes on cruise control by staying in focus and not having to adjust.  We also tend to blink less while focused on our computer monitor thus drying out our eyes.  Combine the less blinking, dryer eyes and less eye focusing movement, it’s no wonder why we rub our eyes after long periods of time at the helm.

I learned about the 20 cubed method some years ago while drafting away in the dungeon of a computer lab in college.  If you draft or work on computers at great lengths of time, your eyes randomly begin to tear or start getting really tired.  Ever get a headache or blurred vision after awhile? Those are warning sign.  Your eyes are TIRED, give’em a break. Your starting to get Asthenopia or Computer Vision Syndrome, better known as eye strain.

When you say it like that, eye strain, it sounds less thrilling or harmful, don’t be that gullible. Lasting vision problems can occur if you don’t take care of your most important tools, your eyes. Simple preventative steps to helping insure your vision last for a while just might be worth it.  OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has put together a huge list of suggestions and tips while working in front of a computer.  Not only will these tips help save your eyes, but your body as well. If you only add one of these tips to your daily life, you’ll begin to feel better.  Take care of yourself, you only get one chance at this crazy thing we call life.

Tips for Applying for an Internship

My favorite time of year is fast approaching here in Washington, DC, the time where hordes of high school and college students descend upon Washington as interns.  I have meet some interesting people over the years that were interns.  Heck, even my wife was an intern! So on with it…

Are you looking for an internship in the Entertainment Technology Industry?  City Theatrical has put together some worth while information on how to land a great internship.  It’s a listing of five things you need to know. The list is great advice. As an add-on to number 4, do not be late.  I want to pass something on that I learn early on from of all places, Acting 101 about being on time.

To be 15 minute early is to be on time.

to be on time is to be late.

to be late is to be dead.

Just some helpful advice. ;)  Here are the five things you need to know about landing an internship from City Theatrical.

Thank CT!

FREE Month Long Registration for PLASA 2010

Everyone likes free stuff right?  Well, if you are on the fence about attending the PLASA show at Earls Court in London England in September, PLASA has some good news.

At the beginning of January 2010, PLASA is offering FREE registration to gain access to the show floor.  All you have to do is register on the site before the cut off date of February 11, 2010. Visit www.plasashow.com to register for FREE!!!