Random Resources

The past few days I have traveled quite a distance with regards to topics I have been thinking about. Its a good thing, and I have much to write about here when I have a little time to sort out how each thing relates.

Until then, a few small bits of information and resources:

http://www.elshine.it/inglese/magictapes.htm is a link to a company that has "magic tape". Of course my first thought went to glow tape. While glow tape (and even glow paint) used to be the coolest thing around, LED's have quickly become very useful backstage, and even in select places onstage - or in the back of the house for dancers. I see the magic tape being most useful backstage as well, perhaps in competition to rope lighting as well. However, though no price is listed, I suspect that until the litepad, cee-lite, and similar products are around a little longer they won't be priced in an affordable enough range for most theatres.

http://exhibitricks.blogspot.com/ is a blog I have been reading lately. While written with a exhibit point of view, some entries are useful theatrically speaking as well. One blog mentions thistothat.com (an adhesive web page that gives you advise on the proper glue dependant on what 2 materials you are using) as well as cool tools, which is a, well "cool" site as well. The site also has a link t o an article about prototyping: http://www.orselli.net/Proto_Article.pdf

Prototyping is something that doesn't occur as often in theatre as I think it should. More often we try something, and if it appears to work, we use, it or start over, but he don't often mock something up to test prior to the start of building the "real" object. While time and money are always factors, it can be argued that the time spent in development (research and design and prototyping) would be worth labor and material costs later in the process when time is more precious and money is already being stretched tight.

Another interesting blog (though even I will admit that it is a stretch to be a true TD resource_ is at http://www.musematic.net/. But, museums and theatre share some things in common, build techniques, patrons, culture and so forth.