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TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
EDITOR’S NOTE
PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
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How much preparation does it take
to become the best in the world?
For Michael Phelps, the most
prolific Olympic gold medalist of all time,
it takes about two to five grueling hours
per day, every day. That’s how much time
he spent in the pool to prepare for eight
Olympic events totaling less than 30 minutes
in the water. His daily preparation
time exceeds his performance time by
more than 2,500 percent.
On Top of Your Game
PLSN
If you work 40 hours a week, then
you would have to put in over 100,000
hours of preparation to train like Michael
Phelps. Impractical you say? Well, only if
you have a life. But clearly, some preparation,
training, polish, or brush up is necessary
to improve your game, whatever it
may be. Greatness falls in no one’s lap, not
even the physically gifted Phelps, whose
six-foot, seven-inch arm span is three
inches longer than his height. He works
doggedly to pursue his goals.
You don’t have to work like a dog,
but with moderate effort you can be top
dog. For example, by writing for about
an hour a day, you can finish an entire
book in about three years. By running
for about nine hours per week, you can
train for a marathon in about six months.
And by studying for about 20 hours per
week, you can get through college with
a full load. I know this because I did all
of these things…with the possible exception
of actually studying in college.
That wasn’t my strong suit. But that all
changed when I started working for a
living and there was a paycheck at stake.
Then I realized that the road to the top
of the career ladder runs right through
the library.
By RichardCadena
An Hour a Day
Keeps the Cobwebs at Bay
The brick walls are
there to keep the
other people out.
Reading is Fundamental
PLSN
If there is one thing you can do today
— right now — to get a good grip
on the next rung of the ladder, it would
be to read all you can about things that
relate to your job and to the industry. For
some of us, that’s an obstacle that can’t be
overcome because it requires effort. For
others of us, it’s an opportunity because,
as Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture
said, the brick walls are there to keep
the other people out. For those of us who
want it badly enough, the brick walls let
us prove it.
If you’re ready to prove how badly you
want to rise to the top of your profession,
then crack some books, put in some extra
effort and start climbing every brick wall
that you encounter. Here are some specific
reading recommendations for the particular
professions listed below:
• Lighting Designers: A Practical Guide to
Stage Lighting, by Steve Shelley; Stage
Lighting Design, by Richard Pilbrow; Light
Fantastic: The Art and Design of Stage
Lighting, by Max Keller
• Lighting Programmers: The Automated
Lighting Programmer’s Handbook, by
Brad Schiller
• Master Electricians: Overcurrents and
Undercurrents: All about GFCIs, AFCIs, and
Similar Devices, by Earl W. Roberts; Automated
Lighting: The Art and Science of
Moving Light, by Richard Cadena; Practical
Dimming, by Nick Mobsby
• Lighting/Sound/Video Technicians:
Rock Solid Ethernet, by Wayne Howell;
Practical DMX, by Nick Mobsby; Control
Systems for Live Entertainment, by John
Huntington
All can be found at www.plsnbookshelf.
com.
Greatness falls in
no one’s lap.
There may or may not be an Emerald
City at the end of the Yellow Book Road
— there are no guarantees. But following
the road is richly rewarding in and
of itself. Reading and learning is enjoyable,
satisfying and it gives you a sense
of self worth. And it certainly can’t hurt
your chances of ascending the steps of
your career.
Free Live Web Event
PLSN
If the idea of moving up the career
ladder appeals to you, then join me in a
free live Web event entitled “The Future
of the Live Event and Performing Arts
Production Industry: Meeting the Challenge
of Technology and Change,” hosted
by Creative Stage Lighting on Thurs.,
Sept. 18 at 3:30 p.m. (EST).
To sign up, visit www.creativestage
lighting.com/events/2008/rcadena_
webinar.html. It will be the first in a series
of Webinars designed to help you
train for the Olympics…or for other career
goals.
The Publication of Record for the Lighting,
Staging and Projection Industries
Publisher
Terry Lowe
tlowe@plsn.com
Editor
Richard Cadena
rcadena@plsn.com
Editorial Director
Bill Evans
bevans@plsn.com
Managing Editor
Frank Hammel
fhammel@plsn.com
Associate Editor
Breanne George
bg@plsn.com
Contributing Writers
Vickie Claiborne, Bree Kristel Clarke,
Stephen Ellison, Phil Gilbert, Rob Ludwig,
Kevin M. Mitchell, Bryan Reesman, Brad
Schiller, Nook Schoenfeld, Jennifer Willis
Photographer
Steve Jennings
Art Director
Garret Petrov
gpetrov@plsn.com
Graphic Designers
David Alan
dalan@plsn.com
Crystal Franklin
cfranklin@plsn.com
Web Master
Josh Harris
jharris@plsn.com
National
Advertising Director
Gregory Gallardo
gregg@plsn.com
Account Manager
James Leasing
jleasing@plsn.com
Production Manager
Linda Evans
levans@plsn.com
General Manager
William Hamilton Vanyo
wvanyo@plsn.com
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Projection, Lights & Staging News (ISSN:
1537-0046) Volume 09, Number 8 Published
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