Some lessons learned this past weekend

In my last post, I determined to stop writing about the people at the engagements I've worked at. Additionaly, I also decided to write what I learned while working those gigs. Unhappily, the lessons I learned all centered on this one gig where everything just went wrong.

I was sent in with my crew, with only one task: Set up a projector, a projection screen, and a Sony Playstation 2 so that the kids could play the popular game Dance Dance Revolution. This meant that I had to be ready before any guests arrived, but also meant that I was only working for an hour during the gig before packing it all away. In fact, I learned later on that this game was the only game that the guest of honor wanted for her party.

We had arrived a bit late but I still managed to have everything assembled with 15 minutes to spare. The only thing left was to adjust the projector so that it would fill the projection screen. As I started to adjust the angle of the projector, the video from the playstation stopped being displayed on the screen.

I started to fiddle with the wires, thinking that I must have knocked something loose. After discovering that they were still connected, I replaced the video wire to see if it was the issue. Still nothing on the screen. At this point, I noticed the projector was getting very warm. It didn't concern me because I knew this particular brand of projector, and knew that it had a tendency to run hotter than other brands. Throughout my testing process, I could still hear the audio coming out of the Playstation.

As I continued to trouble shoot, moving the wires around, changing from RCA adapter to S-video cable, the guests started to filter into the room. The kids all jumped up and down in excitement over the prospect of playing this game. I told them that I wasn't ready yet, and it would be up in a few minutes, trying to stall for some time. The projector decided that now was a good time to shut down. I could smell that burnt circuit smell and I knew that I would need another projector.

Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, we weren't assigned a back up projector. So, with this going on, I told my emcee what had happened. He called the production manager to see if we could get another projector. The emcee handed his cel phone over to me, and I was asked to explain what had gone on, which I did. I also explained that I had powered up the projector at the warehouse to make sure it worked before leaving.

He got off the phone with me and called his boss, who also was the owner of the company. And as the saying goes, as the trouble starts rising, the brown stuff starts rolling down hill. I received a phone call on my cel phone from the owner, who asked me why I didn't bring a back up after I had explained again what had gone wrong. I observed that I wasn't assigned a back up and wasn't told to ever bring one. He told me that I should always have a back up. He got off the phone and called the warehouse manager to bring another projector to me.

He called me back and told me to call the warehouse manager to make sure we were on the same page. He also told me that I now had to run the game during the entire party. This meant that instead of packing up and leaving early, I was stuck until the party ended. Which meant that my plans for the evening were now derailed.

The warehouse manager was on his day off, which he had decided to do a gig of his own so that he could make more money than the company paid him. So, when I called him as I had been directed to do, he was upset and yelled at me for not taking a back up. This was the same guy who had admonished me not to take equipment I wasn't assigned. Eventually, he got there, and the second projector worked fine.

After this fiasco, there were two things I learned. One is to always bring a back up even if you know the equipment works, and the second is to know that some rules are made to be broken. The latter lesson is something that disappoints me, since I may discover that by breaking this particular rule will earn me more trouble from the warehouse manager. Especially since it is his job to make sure we bring everything in the first place.

As for the evening plans, I made it there in enough time to participate in the festivities with my friends at a barbeque, even if there wasn't as much food left. Sometimes you just can't win.