DPI:

How do you document your work on a show? Video, pictures, ground plans? Wiring diagrams? Written instructions?

Hal Eagar:

If I'm building the show and running it, I rarely get around to any real technical documentation, but if I'm handing it off to someone then I try and do as much as possible. And when I pack up and back up a show I try to do at least a nice long text description of the setup.

I've tried taking photos of a setup, but it always seems useless. The video of what the piece looks like is really useful though. It may not help you remember any of the tricks of the video system, but it's great for trying to recreate the piece.

I really like to color code my wiring diagram, and I seem to almost always have the flash
IDE open on my computer so I'll end up doing a wiring diagram with little
handmade graphics of the video devices in flash. I also like to build it in layers, so you can
output a diagram of all the VGA cable, and of all the composite cable, and of
all the computer cable separately.

I figure I really ought to be using a drafting program but, it works so far.

But at least 50% of the documentation is just in a textual description of how everything should work, and what order to do things in.

And if possible what things to check if something is going wrong.

This checklist is really useful, I tend to do a lot of over the phone trouble shooting. Some of them from show I had nothing to do with, but on a show I put together, I can save myself from even getting that call by making a good trouble shooting list. But really making the lists helps work out the best way to break down the system into sections and isolate a problem, to the point where it's easier to trouble shoot a problem on a system you have never seen before. It's a really good exercise.

As for documenting my work for work samples, everyone wants to see "video" since I do "video design" but video in stage work rarely looks good re-videoed. But I often end up with good photos. It's a problem, but if I'm allowed to submit an edited piece I mix in some of the stills where you can see what it really looked like a bit more. But as for how to make that video or photo's I don't have any sage advice.  It's really hard to capure, just try don't put it off untill the last minute.