For many, four days of USITT is simply not enough. Why not extend your Conference experience? Arrive in Houston early and get hands-on with one of our Professional Development Workshops (PDWs).
These extra-cost items will take place March 30 – April 4 in Houston in conjunction with the 60th Annual Conference & Stage Expo.
PDWs offer opportunities for in-depth learning on a range of topics from light repair, puppetry arts, and embroidery, to console training, OSHA safety, and local tours. Workshops are offered as half-day, full-day, and two-day programs.
Don’t miss out on these intimate, firsthand workshops and tours designed to enhance your skills and provide tactile opportunities. Below you will find this year’s offerings. Please note that some PDWs occur on or over multiple days. View full descriptions, credit opportunities, and cost by clicking the title of each PDW, respectively. When you find the one(s) you love, register early as many have participant limits and will fill quickly!
Creating Hand Puppets — March 30 & 31
Attendees will gain insight into the ritual of puppet creation and manipulation from an international perspective of puppetry arts. Attendees will make a hand-manipulated soft sculpture foam puppet from a character of their design.
OSHA 10 General Entertainment Safety — March 30 & 31
This customized OSHA 10 Training is brought to you by the IATSE Entertainment and Exhibition Industries Training Trust Fund and USITT as a part of the alliance between these organizations and OSHA. The OSHA 10-hour program provides a variety of training on general industry safety and health regulations for both entry-level and experienced workers.
Control the Show: Lighting, Sound, and Show Control Networks — March 30 & 31
An in-depth workshop on show networks and their protocols. Participants will get the chance to network lighting, sound, and other show control systems together using real show hardware.
A Tour of Local Houston Performing Arts Facilities — March 31
Join the Architecture Commission for a guided tour of several local Houston Performing Arts facilities. Along with your fellow USITT attendees, you will be given insider tours of several different performing arts venues in the downtown Houston area.
ETC Eos Family Training Level 2: Enhanced — March 31
Are you ready to move beyond the basics with your Eos family console? Build the skills you need to take your programming to the next level. This class will get you going with more details of programming with moving lights and LEDs. It will introduce you to the rudiments of Magic Sheets. The class will take you up the next step to programming like a pro.
Kryolans Make-up: New Technology, New Techniques — March 31
This is a two-part workshop, lecture, and demonstration by make-up artist Jos Brand. It will be a structural overview with Kryolans newest make-up products and techniques in comparison with the classical ones.
Historical Cutting on a Dress Form — March 31
Participants will explore the art of cutting historical costumes in 3D on the dress form. This useful pattern drafting skill allows costumiers to instantly see the historical dress come to life. The workshop will investigate initially cutting in muslin basic block pattern, progressing to an 18th-century court dress (sack gown, as produced in Spitalfields in London’s East End) and a Victorian Ballgown bodice with decorative pleating and ruffles.
Introduction to BIM Software — March 31
Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools and software has become increasingly prevalent within the architecture, engineering, and general industry construction fields. As members of a specialty industry which many times operate alongside the general industry its is important to be aware of and become proficient in the tools of their trade. This workshop will provide an introductory lesson in Autodesk REVIT as well as briefly explore other BIM software. Sample workflows of importing, manipulating, and communicating within REVIT will be used throughout the course of this full-day workshop. Thanks to IMAGINit for bringing us this workshop.
Dataton Academy WATCHOUT Training Presented by SHow Sage llc — March 31 & April 1
Dataton Academy is a comprehensive two-day class that covers the latest WATCHOUT developments and tools for creating spectacular multi-display shows. Dataton Academy is appropriate for beginners, as well as experienced users interested in enhancing their WATCHOUT skills and proficiency. WATCHOUT training covers basic and advanced topics and is designed to give attendees a clear understanding of WATCHOUT – its strengths, key features, applications, and possibilities. In this hands-on interactive class, you will be able to hone previous skills while learning new ones, workflow solutions, and common troubleshooting practices.
ETC Eos Family Training Level 3: Intermediate — April 1
The Level 3 class will teach even experienced programmers about features of their console. This class is perfect for programmers who feel proficient with the functions covered in Levels 1 and 2 training and ready to learn more detailed concepts. This class is intended for people who have been programming, know the layout of the desk, and can always learn a few more tips and tricks.
An Embroidered Bag: using machine embroidery to design and make a costume staple — April 1
Participants will design and construct a machine embroidered reticulated Victorian handbag, utilizing commercially available embroidery designs manipulated with design software. During the first part of the session, participants will design the embroidery for the bag, by choosing commercial design motifs and manipulating those motifs to an individual design. In the second part of the session, participants will sew the embroidery and construct the bag. Participants will leave the session with their bag.
Busking with the Eos Family of Consoles — April 2
Of course, you can busk on the Eos platform. Don’t know how? This session is for you. Learn from a master his tricks and tips for approaching non-linear playback by deploying magic sheets, pixel mapping, fader configuration options like a priority and background priority, fader controls options, effects masters, timing masters, and more. This session will help you learn how to set up your system and what content you need at your fingertips to be ready for anything.
What’s New in the Eos Family’s Latest Software Or Working in an Augment3d Environment — April 2
Eos software is constantly evolving. Join us to see how the latest software combines the power of 3D control and augmented reality to allow Eos users to design and program from a new perspective. Explore this exciting new tool and other additions to the Eos software in the past year.
Moving Light Repair — April 4
Attendees will spend the day getting hands-on training in the maintenance and repair of moving lights from a team of highly experienced technicians, lead by Carl Wake from German Lighting Products. The unique features of both arc lamps and LED luminaires will be addressed.
Model Making: Tips and Tricks for Tiny Things — APril 4
This session introduces model making tips, tricks, and techniques collected from miniature hobby formats and includes advice on best utilizing newer technology such as 3D printers. This session will explore a conversation of materials, techniques, and ways of exploring space in different types of the model from sketch models to finish color models. The workshop includes a discussion of the pros and cons of working, movable pieces, and how to present a model effectively.
