Last Updated: 9/1/20



The Event Technology industry is really pulling together during this downtime, and one of the brightest beacons during all of this is the efforts being made to help those in our industry learn as much as they can while being isolated.



We figured the best way to keep track of all the courses being offered was to create an updating list that we can add to. We’ll be scouring the web for new classes, but we’ll need the help of our readers, too! We will update this list daily! And if you know of anything missing, let us know!

Here are all the classes being offered for free right now:

Lighting Courses

Vectorworks Spotlight Essentials Seminars (Code: MAGNUM) – 100% Discount on Vectorworks Training.

ETC Connect Courses – Temporarily free to the community

ETC EOS Training and Workbooks – More free training material from ETC

ETC & High End Systems Study Hall – ETC and High End Systems launch live events on Study Hall featuring webinars, Q&As, and round tables led by both our employee experts and our friends around the industry.

Vista by ChromaQ – (New Content just announced!) Intro class to Vista 3 as well as an advanced programming class

on Vista

Vista by ChromaQ Webinars – FREE Vista 3 lighting and media control training webinars

Obsidian Onyx Classes – ONYX & NETRON weekly online training classes

Chamsys MagicQ Training – Video classes

Chamsys Live Webinars – You can sign up for the live training on Tuesday mornings

Chamsys “Stuck at Home” Programmers Challenge – Provides lighting pros with more than a creative outlet during slow times, it also offers a chance to win a new MagicQ MQ70 console

Astera Academy Webinars – Astera is holding several webinars (4) over the next few weeks. They are free and open to all.

High End – Learn Hog4

Strand Console Training – Free

Chauvet Live Tech Talks – Tune in at 2pm (est) every Thursday for a “LIVE” stream Tech Talk series hosted by CHAUVET Professional Product Managers!

Avixa CTS Certification Courses – Free through June 12

USITT Teaching Archive – FREE online resource for teachers in areas of technical theatre and live entertainment

Avolites Online Learning – hosting live learning sessions on their Facebook page for both their Titan and Ai platforms

Gaffer Systems 3D Modeling – Free training for their 3D Modeling/Visualization software

LightWright6 – Free through June 1, 2020 – Helps designers and electricians record and keep track of the vast amount of data needed to install and maintain a lighting installation.

Capture Student Edition and Demos – Great for creating small rigs that lighting designers can play with, will link with Nomad offline relatively easily

Drafty App – CAD Tool with a few tutorials

Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) – Light & Color Courses

LightWright – Temporary license for students who do not have access to their institution’s labs or licenses

ARRI Academy’s Lighting Systems Control – Goes over the basics of digital lighting control technologies

Zero88 – Free video training

TAIT IQ Training Video Series – free online training courses for iQ Powered by NAVIGATOR

grandMA Training

MA University – Intensive training for all MA products. We are working with MA Lighting to offer a limited number of readers access to the full MA University training for free

grandMA2 Tutorial Series – Youtube videos created by MA Lighting

grandMA3 Tutorial Series – Youtube videos created by MA Lighting

Christian Jackson’s MA2 Console Resource – Great tutorials on programming a show on grandMA2

Audio Training

HARMAN Professional University – Audio, control, and networked AV certification courses

JBL CBT Calculator Training – Video tutorial

Crown Amplifier Training – Video Tutorials

QSC QSYS level 1 – Always free. Great certification for an Audio Tech

Dante level 1 and 2 (maybe 3) – Always free. Great certification for an Audio Tech

AVID – 90-day Temporary Licenses for students attending institutions which use AVID products (Pro-Tools, Media Composer)

QLab4 – FREE Temporary license to teachers and students. (educational email address required)

Mic Pool’s QLab Cook Book – Templates and clever programming guides

Shure Online Audio Institute – Wired systems, wireless system, Networking basics

Stage Research – FREE access to their library of applications (SFX, ShowBuilder, RF Guru, RF Scanner) with “SUPPORTARTS” discount code

Waves Soundgrid Certification – Online Courses

Yamaha – Pro Audio Training

Rational Acoustics Webinar series – developers of Smaart, the industry leading system measurement and acoustical analysis platform

Neumann Webinars – Basics of microphone technology

DAS Audio Webinars – Topics include EASE Focus 3 – Acoustic Prediction and System Design; DASnet – System Monitoring and Control; DASaim Workflow; Introduction to Software and Systems, Level 1; and Advanced Software and Systems, Level 2.

L-Acoustics Daily Webinars – Free – L-Acoustics demos, trade shows and events around the world.

D&b Audio Webinars – The d&b team would like to create space for open conversation, to listen to technical questions and comments, exchange thoughts and ideas, and ultimately fill as many knowledge gaps as possible. You have to sign up and unfortunately, space is limited.

RCF Audio Academy – Free training

Sennheiser Professional Audio Webinars – covers many topics, from beginner to advanced levels, on subjects in both our Business Communications sector as well as our Pro Audio sector.



Filmmaking Resources and Training

Moviola Filmmaker Video Courses – designed to equip you for professional filmmaking as quickly as possible.

LiteGear Live – hosting panel discussions, educate, and discuss all things related to Set Lighting.

Websites With Tools and Training

Chauvet Lighting Insights – Lighting Designers share insight into their work

USITT Teaching Archive – a publication of teaching resources for theatre technology

Learn Stage Lighting – David Henry’s site dedicated to teaching stage lighting

Dante Certification – Learn how to network Dante for audio and get certified – for free

Lighting Trainer – Posts geared towards learning lighting

ARRI Master Classes – Watch all Master Classes on MZed for free, and 25% discount for our certified online courses on MZed (for a limited time)

Production Training – Brand new Peer-to-Peer training website. This looks VERY promising

The Rigging World – Helpful articles about rigging safety

The X-Laser Website – Educational content for laser work

Gear it First – Tutorial videos geared for the mobile entertainer, completely free

Online Lightlab tools – Lightlab and Education Tutorials

Creative Conners Resource Page – Free resources and training for Conners products

A4I.tv | Rigging Trussing Television – Engineering & safety practices

RF venue – Wireless training

LightConverse Tools 2020 – FREE – a new specialized 3D design program focused on stage design of all types and sizes

Disguise – giving everyone 6 months FREE access to Designer software until the end of September

Doug Fleenor Design – White Papers and Best Practices

Actsafe Certification – Live Performance Electrical Certificate

Actsafe Motion Picture Safety 101 – General Safety Awareness

Arch Toolbox – Architectural drawing standards and references

LiveDesign Webinars – On-demand presentations from industry leaders on a WIDE variety of topics

Control Geek – Online video lectures designed to be supplemental material for “Show Networks and Control Systems” presented by the author, John Huntington

Crestron Technical Institute – moved several courses to online interactive classes so you may continue your pursuit of knowledge

Powersoft E-Training Courses – free webinars that focus on Powersoft products

Practical Show Tech – hosting a webinar or two per day with some big names in RF Coordination and some other topics.

ControlBooth Event Calendar – adding scheduled webinars as fast as we can from all the resources below.

ControlBooth Resources – adding prerecorded videos and material that you can access anytime

USITT Webinars – Lots of new theatrical design & tech webinars every week.

Chicago Flyhouse – A ton of free rigging training

ETC “On Headset” – Practice your programming skills in real time as you listen to award-winning Lighting Designer Ken Billington direct his lighting team for the production of New York City Center Encores’ Me and My Girl.

Lighting Designers Sharing Helpful Information

Christian Jackson – Some of the best tutorial videos you’ll find on Youtube. Plus, his photography is AMAZING!

Mike Wood – Love this guy. He’s been busy hosting weekly webinars and doing weekly hangouts every Wednesday at 8pm EDT on ZOOM

Educational YouTube Channels, Videos, and Playlists

Lighting Challenges – From the guys at LearnStageLighting.com – A playlist of different lighting challenges and how to solve them

Blackout Lighting Console – Developer of the Blackout Lighting Console App for Film/TV/Commercials. Very informative videos.

DMX 101 Tutorial – Great playlist with DMX tips

Dance Lighting Designer Round Table – A round table discussion about lighting for Dance

Jennifer Tipton on Edward Hopper – Theatrical lighting designer Jennifer Tipton discusses the use of light in three paintings

Jennifer Tipton working with Jerome Robbins – One in a series of video interviews with people who were touched by Jerome Robbins’ life

Paule Constable on Lighting the Matthew Bourne Swan Lake – Paule Constable, New Adventures Associate Artist and Lighting Designer for Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake 2018/19 tour, discusses the ideas behind her designs.

Al Crawford, Alvin Ailey Lighting Designer: Breaking Barriers – provide a discussion of the art of lighting design as it is relates to hybrid design

TEDx-Science and Magic Illuminating the Stage with Lighting Design – Learn about the hidden art of theatrical lighting design and the ways that light affects our everyday lives.

The Role of Lighting In Theatre: Don Holder – Mr. Holder discusses his work as a lighting designer in theatre, opera, and dance.

American Theatre Wing: lighting design – A technician, an artist, a magician… What does a Lighting Designer do in the theatre?

Lex Products Cable Coiling Video Series – Become an expert at coiling cable in your down time

L-Acoustic Webinars – A collection of their past daily webinars. Lots of great info here.

Arduino programming – Great Youtube playlist with Arduino programming training

FB Groups with Helpful Information

Everything Stage Lighting – Group created by the people from https://lightingtrainer.com/

Rigging Math Made Simple – Post questions or comments about Rigging

AV Educate – Training and collaboration

Twitter Hashtags to Follow

#AVintheAM

#AVHappyHour

#AVTweeps

Subreddits with Great Information

/r/lightingdesign – This isn’t specifically training, but there is a LOT of helpful and interesting information in this subreddit.

/r/TechTheatre – A community for all production designers and technicians

/r/livesound – Dedicated to those who work in the live sound profession

/r/filmmakers – Filmmakers, directors, cinematographers, editors, vfx gurus, composers, sound people, grips, electrics, and more meet to share their work, tips, tutorials, and experiences.

Twitch Streamers with Helpful Lighting Content

Riksolo – Live streaming MA2 busking showfile programming work

Podcasts

Lighting Talk with the Lumen Brothers – Lighting designers discuss lighting education and the art of stage lighting design

Lighting Nerds – Design, lighting, production, technology, and sarcasm

LD at Large – Stage and Theatrical Lighting in the modern world

General Learning

Duolingo – Language Learning – Highly recommended

Code Academy – General coding tutorials

Khan Academy – General Education from Preschool to College level classes

Fusion 360 – Tool for 3D modeling, design and manufacturing. Tutorials to Follow

DaVinci Resolve Training – Video editing and color correction software. Completely Free to use.

Coursera – Many college courses listed for free through September

Wrapping Up

As you can see, there are a lot of useful learning tools for our industry, and they’re all free right now. Let’s all use this downtime to start learning as many new skills as we can, and when the gigs come back, we’ll be more prepared and valuable than ever!



And if you haven’t seen our Social Distancing Gig Guide: Tips for the COVID19 Downtime, you won’t want to miss it. We’re combing all the tips and useful resources we can into one place to help everyone in our industry get through these challenging times.

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