Author: Lori Rubinstein

Posted on by

InCord Supports BTS Safety Net

InCord Supports the Behind the Scenes Safety Net

InCord recently made their annual donation to Behind the Scenes reflecting a percentage of profits from sales of their Theatrical Safety Netting Systems. The systems (https://incord.com/theatre-division/) are hand-crafted in the USA by skilled artisans, safety tested to exceed all applicable industry standards, and are custom designed by professional engineers to perfectly fit your orchestra pit and/or protect your stage and house operations according to your technical and aesthetic requirements.

Joe Menhart, InCord’s Theatre Division Sales Manager, commented, “We are delighted to provide this support to BTS especially when so many more are in need due to the ongoing global pandemic. Our hearts go out to all those who benefit from the grants and resources provided by BTS.”

Rick Rudolph, the Chair of Behind the Scenes, commented, “InCord’s obvious commitment to safety through their netting systems, is further demonstrated by their desire to provide a financial safety net for their colleagues who are ill or injured. We thank them for their ongoing commitment and, in particular, for honoring that commitment during this difficult time for so many in our industry.” 

Posted on by

Light Touch Designs Supports BTS

Light Touch Designs Supports BTS with
Speaking Fees and Online Training

Behind the Scenes is very pleased to announce that Light Touch Designs Inc has become its newest Pledge-a-Service member by pledging fees from speaking engagements and online training to the charity.

Light Touch Designs Inc is a Chicago-based design firm supplying lighting design services to the corporate meeting and special event industry. Owner Michael Sharon, a 30 year veteran of the profession, is happy to share his knowledge of design, programming and Vectorworks drafting with the community.

Upon making his commitment to the charity, Michael commented, “As freelance workers in a high-risk industry, we are all just one accident away from financial ruin. BTS has provided a crucial safety net to help people back on their feet. In times of pandemic, when we are all working to share knowledge and keep the industry alive, it seems right that I should take my teaching income and put it back into the community.”

BTS Foundation Chair, Rick Rudolph, commented, “We were so pleased when Michael contacted us about joining the program. As he rightly guessed, funds are needed now more than ever to care for our colleagues’ physical and mental health. This industry has always been a family and Michael’s desire to help those in most need during this time is a shining example of that. There is so much wonderful online training and webinars happening right now and we hope others will follow Michael’s example of giving.”

Posted on by

Chauvet ReSet Fund Extended to December 31st

CHAUVET Professional Teams Up to Launch ReSet Fund
to Help COVID-19 Impacted Lighting Designers, Technicians

CHAUVET Professional announced that it will be donating up to $50,000 in funds to help live event industry members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CHAUVET Professional “ReSet Fund” will help fund grants to industry members through Behind the Scenes, a charity focused on supporting entertainment technology professionals.

CHAUVET Professional is donating $25,000 to start the fund; and will match donations up to an additional $25,000 from participants who buy special fundraising “ReSet” jackets, truss gloves, and other merchandise. All money raised will be used to support entertainment technology members and their immediate dependent family who are seriously ill or injured, and to fund emotional wellness resources and training.

“Like everyone, we have felt the sting of this pandemic,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “We’ve watched with admiration, respect and empathy as members from every segment of our industry have struggled bravely during this difficult period. Many of them, are not only customers, but friends, and this is our way of showing them our support now and as we bring back live events together.”

Fundraising merchandise will be on sale at the CHAUVET Professional road shows, beginning in Dallas today. Merchandise will also be available through the company’s website (https://www.chauvetprofessional.com/resetfund). The matching challenge will close December 31 with additional activities planned in 2021.  The final donation will be made in December.

“It’s always been the mission of Behind the Scenes to bring hope and help in times of need,” said Rick Rudolph, Chair of the Behind the Scenes Foundation. “Partners like Chauvet Professional understand this and we are so pleased to have their support. Providing industry members with a lifeline and with tools and resources to help them maintain physical and psychological wellness is critical.”

“Our goal is to get these funds into programs that provide hope and support as our industry prepares for the good to come,” said Chauvet.  “The sun will shine again on our industry — and we want to do all we can to ensure that all the great professionals we have worked with are part of that future. We ask everyone to join in lighting hope.”

Click here to purchase your ReSet Fund items now!

Posted on by

Decorate Your Home with Unique Holiday Decorations

Decorate Your Home with Unique Holiday Decorations

Holiday

Add some unique holiday decorations to your home this year and support your colleagues who are seriously ill or injured as well as Behind the Scenes’ new Mental Health and Suicide Prevention initiative. These ornaments have been generously made and donated to Behind the Scenes by Mike and Sue Wood, so every penny goes directly to helping your colleagues in need.

Have cutouts of your favorite tools hanging on your tree this Christmas by choosing from a crescent wrench, shackle, paintbrush or scissors as well as holiday designs. Available in 3” round acrylic disks in red (in keeping with the WeMakeEvents theme) or clear. There’s a BTS ghostlight etched on clear acrylic. And we’re introducing the Ghostlight Tree, a garlanded Christmas tree with a ghostlight star that’s available in three styles: etched on clear acrylic, as an LED night light in multi color or solid blue, and as a portable mini LED with remote control that will brighten any room or window with the holiday spirit.

For those celebrating Hanukkah we’re offering the portable mini LED with an etched menorah topped with a ghostlight shamas candle and a Star of David night light in multi color or solid blue.

The holidays are just around the corner so don’t delay and add some holiday cheer to your home today! And while you’re there, check out the BTS Holiday Cards, created by industry designers specially for the charity, available in card packs of 10 and as e-cards.

 

Posted on by

Spread Cheer with BTS Holiday Cards

Spread Cheer with BTS Holiday Cards

main_holidaycards_2020

The 2020 Holiday Cards are available at the BTS Boutique. More than ever, it’s important to let family, friends and colleagues know you are thinking of them and these unique holiday cards say it perfectly. They are also a personal and inexpensive way for a company to keep in touch with its customers and let them know “You are important to us.”

This year we are offering new file formats and customization options for the electronic cards and an expanded array of price points starting at just $20. These join our printed card packs of 10 with a standard greeting.

Six wonderful new designs are featured this year. Robert Mark Morgan and Lynn Muniz join returnees David Gallo and Robert Mendoza, and Scenic Art Studios has contributed designs by Michalyn Monson and Angelina Vyushkova.

Sending a BTS holiday card helps spread the word about the charity and lets your recipients know it’s important to you to assist industry colleagues who are seriously ill or injured as well as support the Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.

Card pack quantities are very limited, so order yours today! Printed cards will be shipped in late November. Electronic card orders will be taken until December 18th. 

Click here to order your cards

Posted on by

LRLR Attempt Record Setting Ride to Benefit BTS

LRLR Attempt Record Setting Ride

Two of the Long Reach Long Rider founding members, Greg Williams and Wayne Rasmussen, recently attempted a wildly ambitious charity motorcycle ride dubbed “Autumn Extravaganza.”  The plan was to ride in all 48 contiguous states within 10 consecutive days.  

They almost did it.

Greg Williams, lead rider for this adventure explained what happened, “We were so very close, but Mother Nature thought otherwise. There was snow in Maine and New Hampshire at the beginning of the ride. In the Midwest we encountered cold temperatures and high winds, which wasn’t fun. But it was the ice on I-90 in Montana that convinced me it was time to call it quits.”  Greg’s motorcycle, Ice Dancer,put it this way: “I was on my side bouncing off the median and Greg was sliding down the highway on his back. It wasn’t like we had a choice or anything.”

The ride began in Kittery Maine on October 17th and ended 10 days later in Montana on October 26th, just 1 state shy of #48. In between the two intrepid, and very cold, riders experienced:

  • 7,000+ miles riding on the route
  • 4,000+ miles riding to/from the route
  • 15.5 days – riding
  • 1 snow day – not riding
  • 2 ice days  – also not riding

Autumn Extravaganza was conceived to help raise awareness and funds for Behind the Scenes, an industry based charity that not only provides financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals in need due to serious illness or injury, but also makes available mental health tools and resources through its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative. 

Lori Rubinstein, Executive Director of Behind the Scenes noted, “We are so grateful to Greg and Wayne for their valiant attempt to complete the 48-state/10-day challenge. The Long Riders are an amazing group of people with a longstanding commitment to caring for those less fortunate than themselves. Please show your support by making a donation at behindthescenescharity.org/lrlr.”

Greg and Wayne are safely home (all protective gear and bike guards worked as designed!) and thinking about when to try this ride again. Ice Dancermay have the last word on that, “I’d be happy to try that route again, but let’s wait till summer.”

Greg has posted a full account of the journey here  http://lrlr.org/

It’s not too late to support the LRLR 2020 Autumn Extravaganza!

Posted on by

John Huntington Supports BTS With His New Book “Introduction to Show Networking”

John Huntington Supports BTS With His New Book
Introduction to Show Networking

To kick off the release of his new book Introduction to Show Networking, John Huntington is giving away 100 copies. Fifty copies will be given to out-of-work backstage workers who fill out a form saying why they would like a copy and how the shutdown has affected them. The first still-employed workers who donate $25 or more to Behind the Scenes and submit documentation on his website will also receive a copy.

Here’s a description of the book: 

“Introduction to Show Networking covers the basics of how Ethernet networks provide a platform for entertainment control and audio/video media distribution for concerts, theatre productions, corporate and special events, cruise ship revues, wrestling shows, houses of worship, museum presentations, fountain spectaculars — any kind of show presented live for an audience.

The book’s bottom-up approach was designed with show technicians in mind, starting with the basics and then moving up through cables, network switches, and layering, and on through Ethernet, and network components like TCP, UDP, IP and subnet masks, all with a practical focus. More advanced concepts are introduced, including broadcast storms and VLANs, along with show networking best practices.

Closing out the book is a network design process demonstrated through practical, real-world examples for lighting, sound, video, scenic automation, and show control networks. An appendix covering binary and hexadecimal numbers is also included. This easy-reading book draws from Huntington’s Show Networks and Control Systems, the industry standard since 1994, but is completely re-focused, reorganized, and updated.” 

The offers end at 9:00am on October 26. The book is expected to ship in November. 

https://controlgeek.net/blog/2020/10/01/giving-away-100-copies-of-my-new-book-introduction-to-show-networking10

Posted on by

LRLR 2020 Autumn Extravaganza

The 2020 LRLR Autumn Extravaganza

Greg "Chrome" Williams and Wayne "Razz" Rasmussen

The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) and Behind the Scenes announce the LRLR 2020 Autumn Extravaganza – a bonus ride to help those who need it most. 

The Autumn Extravaganza is a one-time event and will feature 2 members of the original LRLR, Greg “Chrome” Williams and Wayne “Razz” Rasmussen, riding in all 48 contiguous states over 10 consecutive days.  The ride, which will be “Iron Butt” certified, begins in Kittery, Maine on October 17th and ends in Missoula, Montana on October 26th. Along the way the intrepid duo will be joined by other veteran members of the LRLR.  To date over a dozen riders have signed up to ride for at least part of the route.

Lori Rubinstein, BTS Executive Director, noted, “Rather than sponsor a particular rider, we’re asking supporters to make a pledge per mile.  It can be a penny, a quarter or any amount you wish.  The Autumn Extravaganza will cover 7,170 miles.”

Autumn Extravaganza organizer Greg Williams commented, “These are extraordinary times and we felt an extraordinary ride was needed.  This ride will continue to support the Behind the Scenes charity and help it carry out its mission, ‘To provide financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals, or their immediate dependent family, in need due to serious illness or injury’.  The ride will also support the BTS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.” 

As it is with the traditional LRLR rides, the riders will pay all of their expenses.  100% of your donation will go to the Behind the Scenes charity.

For more information on the Autumn Extravaganza, please visit  http://lrlr.org

Click here to support the LRLR 2020 Autumn Extravaganza

Posted on by

#BeThe1To Help Save a Life

#BeThe1To Help Save a Life

The Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative has rolled out a number of suicide prevention tools as part of joining the #BeThe1To campaign run by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and its partners. These tools are available at btshelp.org/bethe1to.

Our survey of the industry revealed that most people want to help if they see someone at risk for suicide but they don’t know what to say or do, or are afraid they will make things worse or damage their relationship with the person. Evidence shows this is not the case and it is critical to reach out.

The first part of the campaign is called “Know the Warnings Signs” because the more familiar someone is with the warning signs of suicide the more likely they are to recognize them. We have created posters listing some of the key warning signs in English, Spanish and French and they are available for download in 3 different sizes. The posters are a very simple design so they can be easily printed out and posted on call boards, notice boards, breakrooms, and anywhere other company or safety information is shown.

The second part of the campaign is the #BeThe1To poster which lists the five steps that can be critical to saving a life. The more familiar everyone is with them, the more comfortable they will be taking those steps. These posters are available in the same sizes and languages with the addition of a JPG for sharing on social media. They also include a QR code which leads to additional information. Each of the five steps is very straightforward but acting on them can sometimes be daunting. This additional information provides guidance and practical examples for each of the steps and is available as a PDF or PowerPoint presentation.

During these difficult times for our industry, when so many are dealing with anxiety or depression and struggling to maintain their mental and emotional health, it’s important that everyone takes the time to become familiar with this information. Learn how to recognize the signs of distress and what you can do to help save a life.

Posted on by

The Long Reach Long Riders Complete the 2020 Kazoo Relay Ride

The 2020 Long Reach Long Riders 
Kazoo Relay Ride Across the US

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, California
Portland Head Lighthouse, Portland, Maine

The Long Reach Long Riders are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the 2020 LRLR Kazoo Relay Ride. The ride was the LRLR response to the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the US and the world.

“We knew we couldn’t hold a traditional LRLR ride due to the virus,” noted ride organizer Greg Williams, “but we also didn’t want to abandon the charities at a time when they really needed support. We came up with the Relay Ride to give riders an opportunity to participate in the ride and the public to support it.”

The Kazoo Relay Ride was dubbed the Just Breathe ride, in honor of Cris Dopher, one of the LRLR founding members who passed away in September after a long battle with Cystic Fibrosis.  Bill Sapsis recalled that “Cris’s courage, humor and bike parking skills are legendary among the LRLR and the Relay Ride was the perfect way to acknowledge the impact Cris had on our lives.”

The ride, which raised over $45,000.00 for Behind the Scenes and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, consisted of small groups riding for a day or two with an oversized kazoo ‘baton’ and then passing the baton to the next group of riders. It began at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero, CA and finished at the Portland Head Lighthouse in Portland, ME. 

Ride facts:

  • Number of days to complete the Relay Ride: 14
  • Number of riders, passengers & chase car crew: 38
  • Number of relay legs: 8
  • Total mileage: 4,838 miles
  • Longest relay leg: 1,060 miles
  • Shortest relay leg: 141 miles                       

The Long Reach Long Riders would like to thank everyone involved with helping make this very special ride such an amazing success; our organizers, riders, chase car crew and especially our 200+ sponsors. 

Learn more at www.lrlr.org.

Click here to support a rider on the 2020 relay ride  – donations are still being accepted!