Random work video. Fitting a PRG Best Boy followspot conversion kit.

The Best Boy is an in-house light developed by a company called PRG. Besides being a very good moving light it can also function as a followspot with a wide range of modes including stand-alone with manual positioning by a followspot operator, semi manual with a set of features controlled locally and some controlled via the lighting network and remote operation, where the operator uses a monitor and control system to operate the light remotely.
In this candid work video you can see me fitting one of the conversion kits for semi-manual control. When I get a bit frustrated it's because the calibration on the touch screen sometimes drifts and it makes it hard setting the lights address on the touch screen. I'm going to be digging through the menu when I get a chance to see if there's a touch calibration facility.
Filming is courtesy of Graham Gaw who runs the followspot department. (12 followspots on this particular job.)

[@lowtierhuman69]

I find this kind of behind the scenes stuff so fascinating. Thanks!

[@dragondude94]

I need more videos of Clive's beard flapping majestically in the wind

[@8bpspfreak2]

And the next day there will be a game on Google Play and Appstore called "Flappy Beard" where you have to guide Clive's magnificient beard through a jungle of....pipes? or whatever that stuff in Flappy Bird is :D

[@RCCentralmain]

+8bpspfreak2 I know what game I'm making next in unity.

[@taliakuznetsova7092]

do it

[@OvhanDevos]

I would love to see more of these, also that place is beautiful.

[@JerryEricsson]

WOW, brings back memories of when I served with The Old Guard in the DC Area back in 1976, our nations bicentennial celebration took place that year. I was with the Headquarters Communications and Electronics Section, we were charged with the setup and operation of the theatrical lighting and Stage Sound equipment, so we would be crawling around on catwalks and such setting devices sort of like the grandfathers of the ones you were working on in the video. When working on such things we were dressed in white coveralls instead of the traditional uniform of The Old Guard, the Dress Blue Uniform of the US Army. This many years before the rest of the Army received that uniform.

[@RIXRADvidz]

Clive I hope when the Robot Revolution comes they recognize you as one of the good guys, even though you take gadgets to their guts, you have a heart about what you're doing. something at 02:41, as all the technical readouts were blipping by and then just an ''OK'' it made me think that this working gadget was comfortable with you diddling around with it's bits enough to work right the first time, for you. even your work is a comfort video for some of us. thanks for always putting something good on the wwweb.

[@sparkyprojects]

'Follow spot' takes me back to school, (i did stage lighting as a pupil) old style Furse spotlight, metalwork teacher made a double tang bar, woodwork teacher made a couple of file handles, this was assembled and fitted on the screw on the back of the light that held the access door in place, looked like a headlamp with handlebars, so we called it 'the motorbike spot' :D

[@userPrehistoricman]

I hope that light can do warm white...

[@ppdan]

Configuring units with dip switches was so much more fun and you didn't need to power up the unit!

[@BigClive]

You don't need to power up these either. If you press a wake button the internal processor boots up on a battery pack and lets you adjust parameters and the address.

[@ppdan]

Nice feature.

[@tartletboy]

Hey I think these videos would be really interesting as a fellow stage tech. I don't see a lot on youtube of guys like us doing installs like this and I think we all would enjoy seeing them! I really liked your VL teardown videos btw! Maybe get your hands on an LED video wall next time? I've been wanting to see how they operate for a long time and I think your viewers would get a real kick out of it!

[@BigClive]

The LED video walls aren't that exciting inside. Just identical densely packed PCBs smothered with LEDs on one side and with drivers on the other side.

[@tartletboy]

I'm mostly curious how that many drivers are handled as a whole. Like how do you deal with millions of LEDs like that?

[@tartletboy]

I will check that out! Thanks for letting me know!

[@BigClive]

You deal with them in lots of identical chunks of pixels. Keep in mind that a video wall is usually much lower resolution than the screen in front of you right now.

[@shukenten4191]

Im actually really interested in doing a job similar to this. Do you have any idea how one would go about doing so, and if you need any specific qualifications? Thanks in advance :)

[@ElGatoLoco698]

That light is pretty cool. You need one for a teardown. Can you pick one up at Poundland for a few pence? hehe

[@tonysansom]

No, it would be a pound :-D

[@DasEtwas]

it would be 500 pounds xd

[@musiteufel]

For this lamp it would be something around 5000 pounds

[@afroninjadeluxe]

And its looks like a dozen of them on each side of the arena.

[@douro20]

I would thought more like 10k. This thing has a 1.5kW lamp in it. The lamp alone is almost 300 UKP.

[@wilhobbs207]

Thank you Clive for a nitty gritty work video. I love these. And Godspeed to your brother. May the wings of the gods carry him across the salt safely. I'm enjoying a g,ass of Laphroig quarter cask right now.

[@wilhobbs207]

Oh...and who is handling the camera?

[@wilhobbs207]

+Wil Hobbs Duh...read the description.

[@wilhobbs207]

+Wil Hobbs Octopus beard in action! :-)

[@Novalight2550]

Those 60 frames a second feel so smooth.

[@comedyhunter]

Clive out in the real world! Strange seeing you away from your bench.

[@joshonthetube]

Give our thanks to Graham, this was very interesting. Quite the view from up there, too!

[@hansthoft0645]

At first i just thought this was an electronics channel, primary disassembling pcb's and stuff. But now moving lights once again! I freaking love this!! More of this please!

[@iPelaaja1]

Its always amazing to see behing the scenes at places like this.. And nice to see Edinburgh too :) I live 1.5 miles walk from the castle :)

[@packratswhatif.3990]

Now that's the kind of lighting system I want on my vehicle - like Star Trek phaser canons.

[@mattvalcarc]

cool video! it's really interesting to both see the man behind the videos once in a while and to see a more profession side of things. not that I don't love teardowns of poundland eBay items

[@KOakaKO]

Last time I played around with something like that was some 'trackspots' about 16 years ago. It's amazing to see just how far the technology has advanced in that time. These 'Followspots' you're working on are obviously light-years ahead of the small bit I know about the older trackspot lights.

[@GoldSoulTheory]

Graham did a great job with the long panning shots of the city :)

[@JacksonParodi]

I must say I rather like the juxtaposition of the beautiful panning view of the city being accompanied with the muffled frustrations of the bearded man in Bigclivedotcom

[@hizip123]

Please do more videos like this Clive. They are some of your best!

[@F1nWarri0r]

I've now seen Clive's beard blowing in the wind in 60fps. My life is complete.

[@templebrown7179]

Thanks go out to Graham Gaw from me and I'm sure all your fans, Clive. Very cool to see you at work!

[@markukblackmore]

Oh wow a video oot and aboot. Superb. Massive thumbs up. I always suspected Clive was the kid who fetched the overhead projector for teach!

[@leonkernan]

Am I the only one shocked to see Clive has a cameraman now?

[@mudkiptyler]

He built a robot from Tesco parts.

[@leonkernan]

I'll bet there at least one Poundland thing in there.

[@iPelaaja1]

+Leon Kernan Yeah there is, on Nicolson street about a kilometer from where he is :)

[@aaronlindros6048]

+iPelaaja1 You seem to misunderstand. It was a comment about at least one part bought from Poundland being in the robot mentioned above. The comment was not asking if there were any Poundland stores in the vicinity.

[@iPelaaja1]

***** Oops, haha, so it is, I was tired when reading that! Of course you mean that there is a Poundland part in the robot ;) Maybe I missed the word "thing".. Haha, in any case, its pretty funny thought that he builds a robot from Tesco and Poundland parts ;)

[@ghostraider4312]

You should make more work videos! Interesting stuff

[@mixolydian2010]

Amazing location! Thanks for the little window into your work life helps put into context your great YT videos. Take it easy.

[@hene193]

I just love that beard! You look just like those wise electricians in the good old days. I mean those who fixed radios and television sets in the 60's...

[@jamesrbrindle]

Interesting bit of kit and didnt know you were in the A/V industry too. Will have to look up the PRG range.

[@BigClive]

PRG really just manufactures the lights for its own use, but I believe they may be selling them to other companies now. www.prg.com/

[@AmusementLabs]

Your job is so cool! Keep up the great work mate! 👊👍

[@scottfirman]

I always figured you worked your way up in your job,thats quite a ways up. The weather still must raise hell with the electronics,humidity,cold,corrosion probably sets in on that suff eventually. I found this stuff called corrosion X that works great on delicate electronics like servos, circuit boards and all electronics. I use it on my RC boats,planes and anything electronic ( even my solar yard lights) and it works great. I even threw a rc brushless motor,esc and battery as well as servos treated with the stuff and everything worked even in the water. No puff of smoke,nothing. Can you imagine how great it would be on what you work with Clive? I bought it on line. I use it mainly on my RC boat,but I have one plane with pontoons and water gets up inside everything because of prop wash. No worrys and it dont eat foam ( I have an Apprentice) . Its a great lubricant also. I hosed a brushed motor down with it and ran that right after hosing it down with CorrosionX no shorts,its non conductive.

[@BigClive]

We can't put anything like that near these lights because of the optics. They're designed to deal with small amounts of rain splashing, but the bulk of the protection here is the strong angled canopy overhead.

[@trillian-g]

on-site videos are my personal fav!

[@1pcfred]

Man, listen to the wind whistle through that beard!

[@chuckboyle8456]

Outstanding video Mate! The Edinburgh Tattoo venue is always a spectacular feast of lights and pipes, was there for the Trafalgar 200 celebration.

[@EastyUK]

THanks for the video mate. There is so much interesting tech around us we rarely get to see in detail. Great to see it and how it integrates into the larger setup.

[@twocvbloke]

Ah the Edinburgh tattoo time again, where I find the behind-the-scenes more fun most of the time cos I like techy stuff like this... :D

[@XOIIOXOIIO]

Damn, a stadium in a castle that's fucking awesome. Also that magnificent beard jovially dancing in the wind lol

[@cigarobsession]

Awesome vid! I was a follow spot op many moons ago for a couple years!

[@trailmix3185]

Nice to see you here Bryan! I love your content, Thumbs up! :D

[@putbinoot]

sparkin up the castle, doing lighting rigs looks interesting.

[@BrunoPOWEEER]

Oh.. that reminds my previous AV job.. setting up and operating these super cool but sometimes "tricky" devices =]

[@kevinhardisty6465]

Love these lighting set up vids. Always wonder how they work and are set up. I'd love to see more

[@XeroVMK]

more of this would be fun. you have such a good voice to listen to and it is always fun to watch professionals in their work :)

[@orionpryme]

I'm here thanks to the bit you did on ashens video and now I'm hooked.

[@hrxy1]

this is the best vid for agez more like this facinating very interesting and to see u in action rather than blah is very good too. more like this pls

[@poppypiesdad1]

Nice one Clive, Waves from a rooftop on Princess St repairing air con units .

[@BigClive]

You'll be getting lots of work in this weather.

[@chrisryan3770]

That's a long way down to Princess Street gardens from up there! Think I'd want a parachute!

[@Carnivorecorey]

Would love to see more of these sorts of videos. Specifically more with these sorts of lights. Love the videos big Clive!!!!

[@FailedSquare]

now i understand why you do so many lighting teardowns

[@oldmanhuppiedos]

A nice impression of your work. Hang in there quite a bit The Best Boy´s

[@Alexandra-Rex]

Very stable footage, almost felt like a gimbal was used.

[@BigClive]

It was. I'll ask Graham to film some more stuff.

[@Gnomesenpai]

You should do more of these!

[@bitteroldskunk]

Beautiful skyline

[@BigClive]

We're on top of a hill so there's a spectacular view all round. And equally spectacular weather like horizontal wind and rain as a result.

[@alexw3686]

Cool to see where you work!

[@digitalbroadcaster]

Well I'm glad it isn't just me who has issues with seemingly offset touchscreens. I ended up buying a cheap touchscreen stylus and my accuracy has improved. I use mine to set up various helicopter feature film cameras (I'm a camera tech) though so the touch areas are even smaller. Why don't manufacturers just adopt the Sony spin-press wheel method and save us all the trouble of multiple data input attempts!

[@mdamaged]

3:34 Clive just wiped out an entire city block.

[@RockyBergen]

My girlfriend is being headhunted to do LED Display work. I will be sure to share this with her.

[@4pThorpy]

For a brief second I thought i was a video about you firing an RPG :'(

[@SiskinOnUTube]

Great view, up there in the gods.

[@frollard]

The coolest feature would be if you could manually operate the bestboy and have it remotely control all the other spots with careful inverse kinematic trig to have ALL of them point at one spot.

[@frollard]

Was thinking the same -- only trouble is retroflective = visible to audience IR = blinded by the bajillion floods and spots gps cleverness = delay and probably not precise enough Either way, automatic or semi-automatic I think it would be neat...unless that one operator screws up and then all the spots are on the wrong spot.

[@BeerTower]

There are systems used in theatre that use radio-based TDOA multilateration (Stagetracker and TiMax) to automatically pan each performer's mic channel as they move around the stage. The same technology is also used for sport player position tracking (Chyron ZYX). They're pretty accurate, down to a few cm, but I'm not aware of anyone actually using them to control a moving head light, though.

[@AeroMad91]

+frollard +frollard I suggest looking up a fantastic system called BlackTrax which uses IR based tracking. Believe Eurovision and more recently Muse have used the system with no problems :)

[@honkamaster]

hehe funny thing. I'm following your channel from Finland and atm I'm on holiday in Edinburgh. Suprised that the view looked familiar. :D

[@hacknician5068]

Nice view of outside from that cat walk.

[@spamy6661]

My dad does the same thing you do, he works in the Shaftesbury theatre in london!

[@TheRobertSt]

Fun to see you at work Clive! That was nice weather, wonder if you don't get your fair deal of bad weather roo...

[@BigClive]

The weather can be very violent here.

[@iN00bT00ber]

Damn Clive - 720p at 60fps? Beautiful.

[@maicod]

very cool to see you @ work Clive

[@AlpakaWhacker]

I was confused where this was at first, you forget how close to the sea that part of Edinburgh is when you're at street/ground level but as soon as the camera panned round slightly to show the stands, I didnt even need to see the castle to know what/where it was :) It's pretty cool to see you working on this :)

[@sachk00]

Alpaka, you watch bigclive? Also why haven't you uploaded and what shaders do you use?

[@jameslaidler4259]

Was absolutely pouring rain summer of 2008 when I was there, so I didn't recognise a damn thing. Lol.

[@AlpakaWhacker]

Sacha Korban Of course I watch him :P I haven't uploaded (recently) because I haven't felt enthused.

[@davidworsley7969]

Summer is the rainy season in Scotland,as are spring and autumn,in winter it snows.

[@jameslaidler4259]

Lol.

[@zaprodk]

That yellow OLED-display on the conversion kit is like sex on a stick :D

[@douro20]

And it's made in the US, individually by hand!

[@onewheelnut]

good video, we need more like this,very interesting

[@darkdaz]

i do like your videos and the ones of the random work videos lol :) and ur tips and so are really handy :) keep what the good work

[@azazel1667]

hey Clive is the beard a static risk. jokes aside love the vids

[@jayzo]

I wonder if he grounds it?

[@azazel1667]

+afxinfinitee idk it seems like a massive static "battery" that if he slips it could destroy an ic. but in all seriousness we are talking about an electricians beard. wtf

[@WaltonPete]

It doesn't appear in the slightest bit static - it was moving about all over the place, especially in that wind! 😜

[@jameslawrence8734]

it is a self charging capacitor

[@LWolf12]

Maybe he tucks it into one of them anti-static bags things like graphics cards come in.

[@TesserLink]

looks like a fun job.

[@lwilton]

Clive, you need your own pocket RDM pendant so you can set addresses and parameters on the lights without having to deal with their own touch screens. :-)

[@pirate6955]

super cool. great view of great stuff.

[@BadgerFall]

Should have done an Edinburg meetup! I can see my house in this video!

[@travisalan]

beautiful castle.

[@chronicgaming3280]

hi Clive thanks for another great vid :)

[@azyfloof]

Seems weird seeing more of you than just your hands :P Kinda like seeing Ashens without his hideous brown sofa. By the way, your beard is looking magnificent :D

[@DarkySabertooth]

that is actually pretty neat, i know i been slowly getting into dmx controllers even orders a usb dmx lighting controller for around $20 ish off ebay to try some things.

[@Remmes]

Oh I remember this from the tattoo videos :D awesome.

[@ElliotJackson26]

Hey Clive, Can you make more videos about industrial lighting, videos setting up for the Tattoo?

[@LWolf12]

That was pretty interesting to watch.

[@rmd2387]

Beautiful view!

[@thelol1759]

Stunning view!

[@markhodgson2348]

Finally I'm getting the tattoo videos suggested to me

[@nathandean1687]

oh wow we get to see big clive. in his natural enviroment. at last. we can. see how he works an plays.

[@thrillscience]

Nice, but where's the Vice of Knowledge? And what's inside that light? Maybe you can install an eBay color wheel light up there, too!

[@BigClive]

The Best Boy is amazing inside. Lots of PCBs and absolute encoded motors all round the light path. I do want to make a video about it, but need permission for this light first.

[@yam83]

That's a hell of a view.

[@punksweeper4678]

Hey! The production company I have the distinct fortune to have a full time job with cross rents from PRG often!

[@regpollock9403]

Interesting to see castles. In NA we spend hundreds of millions of $ building, few years later we spend tens of millions destroying them.

[@stephenkerr2646]

going there for the friday 5th show ,should be good ,go every year.

[@kaggez]

more of thees videos! Thanks

[@sighpocket5]

Really nice view.... Thanks!!

[@revmpandora]

very cool. what a view!

[@JamesP6084]

What a handsome chappy!

[@nexaentertainment2764]

This was really interesting

[@leosedf]

More! More!MOAR!

[@ridonculous8374]

very good cameramen!

[@UltimatePwnageNL]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing really wrong with the touchscreens, it's just that the touch layer and the display are quite far apart so your viewing angle shifts your perceived touch location in relation to the display. At least that's what i found to be the case with cheap smartphones and outdoor terminals like self serve gas stations.

[@BigClive]

Some units are accurate and some units are WAY off by a whole button or more. They really need calibrated.

[@subigirlawd_7307]

sensei is so awesome!