NEW YORK, NY—The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) Council has announced that the Navigator Automation Class at Fisher Technical Services, Inc. (FTSI) has been approved as an ETCP Recognized Training Program. FTSI’s four-day course gives students an overall view of the principles of entertainment automation systems and teaches the basics of how to configure and program an automation system using FTSI’s “Navigator” hardware and software.
The course is taught by Dana Bartholomew, a vice president of Fisher Technical Services, Inc., who has over 26 years of theater automation experience, including Siegfried and Roy, O, Le Reve, Aladdin, and many others. Dana is one of the foremost experts on both Navigator software and practical installations. Dana is involved with the development of industry standards as a member of ESTA’s Rigging Working Group. At Fisher Technical Services, Dana has been integral to the design, manufacturing, and installation of everything from single winch installations to large scale, 100+ axis spectaculars.
The course is designed for practicing professionals as well as the novice looking to develop a greater understanding of automation. With a maximum class size of eight students, the course covers mechanical system components, network architecture, safety systems and considerations, motion control techniques, system programming tools and instructions, console operation, and basic troubleshooting, with examples and exercises provided for all students.
