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Messages - Bwoodbury

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1
The Hardline / Re: How did you get your card?
« on: Jan 27, 2014, 04:53 pm »
I got my AEA card on a contract without any EMC weeks on a production called "Breast in Show." It was a musical that was supposed to be "the vagina monologues for breast cancer." It wasn't.

My schedule was such that the next thing I did was a full season at Lyric Opera Baltimore, which required me to sign an AGMA contract.

So I ended up getting both cards in one, expensive month. Thanks, 4As!

2
Tools of the Trade / Re: POLL: Paperwork Ownership
« on: Jan 21, 2014, 01:30 pm »
PDF is the only way I share or submit paperwork.

If I'm sharing with a student it requires them to at least go through the process of recreating the paperwork and thinking about how/why I might have done something.

If it's a company and they want to use my template, they have to ask me.

It also has my name embedded in the footer, so anyone publishing or posting would automatically be acknowledging that I made it.

3
Tools of the Trade / Re: POLL: Paperwork Ownership
« on: Jan 15, 2014, 08:31 pm »
Having just finished 9 weeks of copyright law so I can have a master's in Arts Admin, I wanted to point out that, depending on your tax status, there is a middling-to-strong chance that the theatre owns your show-specific paperwork under the work-for-hire section of the copyright code.

4
I did one unpaid internship my senior year for 3 credits and it was really important for me. I was a pretty big fish within the university environment and it helped me figure out what I was going to need to work on as I graduated. They covered my parking so that I did not lose any money being there, and by work hours corresponded with the credit hours.

Once I graduated I only worked for pay. I did work one gig where about half my pay went straight to gas, but after that I moved out of my parent's house and HAD to take work that paid me enough to live. It's served me pretty well.

People keep saying they don't live in New York, and I don't, but I also don't think it's fair to use that to gauge whether it's possible to get paid for your work. It's hard everywhere, but it's worth the effort.

5
I agree that anyone that has physically worked on the show should get credit. The ASM credit in a program- AEA or no- is an important marketing material. No one has ever been less than apologetic about leaving me out and I have also always had a relationship with either the PM or SM where I could ask about it in advance. It's easy for an SM to ask that question because it's no skin off their back if the answer is no.

6
I just have to shout out to MB and the knife in the hand gig. Good times.

7
Employment / Re: Corporate SM Gigs
« on: Aug 20, 2013, 02:35 pm »
I work as an SM for corporate gigs as they fit in between theatre gigs. But I too broke in via a connection. I recommend you start asking around and see if you know someone that knows someone. I found it's hard to break in by directly sending resumes.

8
Tools of the Trade / Re: Bullet Journal
« on: Aug 20, 2013, 02:32 pm »
I do something like this, but I separate calendar and to do. I color code my calendar and my to do list with the same colors: one for grad school, one for freelance work, one for networking, etc. Events go in the calendar and to do items and notes go in a spiral notebook. I recopy the to do list once too much is done for me to read clearly - about every three days.

I don't use checkboxes. Instead I indicate who or what needs to be involved in the to do item. examples:
If it's something that's all me it will say "B-pull old report notes"
If it's reading it says "Read-ACLU 1-4, 270-277"
If I need a person it's "Greg-email about publication"
When it's done, it just gets a single line through it, so I can still see what I've accomplished if needed.

9
Introductions / Re: Hello from Washington, DC!
« on: Aug 04, 2013, 05:39 pm »
Always glad to have another DC area SM on board. Welcome!

10
I don't have trouble with spouses or pets, but couches? I have been in the same apartment building in the DC metro for almost 3 years. I signed one lease and then moved to a bigger apartment and am now in the middle of a second year-minimum lease. And it's really hard to take out of town work sometimes. I spent all of last November out of town on 4 separate gigs and I spent the whole time terrified my apartment was on fire. The money in that instance was enough to be worth it (and all my travel and housing was provided by the company), but it's hard to justify leaving to work when I'm just going to use the money to pay for stuff I'm not using.

And speaking of dallas' bed-omen, any time I completely restock my fridge with perishables like a civilian, I get a last minute gig that takes me out of town or into an 80 hour week.

11
The last show I worked on with music had half hour music calls in lieu of having a rehearsal. So, we just had a half an hour rehearsal everyday. I was the ASM on the show, so I'm not clear if that needed to be approved by AEA or not. This was on an SPT contract.

12
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Working with Dogs
« on: Jun 18, 2013, 12:08 am »
Agree with whatever everyone says above. I suggest a crew member to float with the handler in case something goes wrong or they need emergency treats/water/whatever.

13
I put general maintenance notes in the report. They are usually not actor specific -- something like "there was some line trouble pages xx-xx" or "in scene whatever the singers hit off spike"-- and then a general sentence about the show's pace. All relevant to those on the distribution list and all things that the actors already know.

BUT I also put all of my calling notes in the report. I think it's important to be clear about what happened in the performance. I do not include specific line notes or blocking/intention notes. I address those directly with the actor either at the end of the show or via email, depending on the cast's preferences.

14
The Green Room / Americans for the Arts 2013
« on: Jun 11, 2013, 11:34 pm »
Is anyone else going?

15
Also, first aid lasts a long time, but AED/CPR expires every year in most places. Might be worth it to re-cert early if it means you can do it for free.

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