The Billington Files
Practice your programming skills in real time as you listen to award-winning Lighting Designer Ken Billington direct his lighting team for the production of
New York City Center Encores’ Me and My Girl.
Instructions
- Download the first show file (ENCORES! Me and My Girl Episode 1 start cue 0 2020-02-29 15-22-14.esf) and open it on your console.
- Follow along, type in what Ken tells you to do. If you don’t understand the direction for any reason, don’t worry, just skip it. Sometimes the instruction only makes sense if you’re actually there, and sometimes he’s using shorthand with his programmers. Often the programmer chimes in to specify which preset or color palette to use, but if not, don't worry about it, it's not critical to our pretend show.
- At the end of each episode, save the show file.
- If you choose to start at an episode other than at the beginning, download the appropriate show file, and go to the cue indicated in the name, which is the last cue in the particular file. (e.g., Billington MMG Episode 5 Cue 56.esf).
Program Notes:
- These show files have most programming tools and
actual color palettes stripped out, feel free to merge in your own (most
programmers bring in some of their own macros, magic sheets, and palettes).
- The files have been edited to make it easier for
one programmer, so if you're typing along, you're playing the parts of both
Greg and Chad.
- When Ken calls for a light to be in a particular
color, it's shorthand for color palette so color 54 is color palette 54. Ken
brings an extensive and thorough knowledge of color system to speed his process
(and no, we aren't including his real color palettes in the show!).
- The shortcut to Intensity Block a cue is
"Cue X Shift+Block Enter.”
- If Ken asks to "clean it up,” it's lighting
patois for cleaning up partial blocks. The age-old method of "Block Enter
Block Enter" still works, but there is also a soft key, "Autoblock
Clean."
- This was programmed on an Eos Ti, but any Eos
family console works for the exercise.
Me and My Girl Production Credits
Many thanks to the designers and crew both featured on the
recordings as well as behind the scenes.
Lighting Designer: Ken Billington
Associate Lighting Designer: Aaron Porter
Moving Light Programmer: Chad Lefebvre
Conventional Programmer: Greg Chabay
Production Stage Manager: Nancy Pittelman
Assistant Stage Manager: Caskey Hunsader
Assistant Stage Manager: Cody Renard Richard
Director of Production: Mark Mongold
Master Electrician: Evan Vorono
Audio Engineer: Augie Propersi
We welcome your feedback! Please send any comments and
suggestions to the ETC Education Center at education@etcconnect.com.