Author Topic: Spike Tape Problems  (Read 19176 times)

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isha

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Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #15 on: Apr 15, 2006, 06:34 pm »
too true...slow set changes drag down a show waaaayyyy too much! I know from experience it feels great to execute them perfectly in less then 7 seconds....I think that motivates the most..to know that you did something perfectly...but thats just my 2 cents...

oh, and rosmary..di you ever go to south medford?
~isha

sam_the_man

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Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #16 on: May 25, 2006, 10:11 pm »
I had the same problem that you had.  Our T.D.  had a roll of what looked to be clear gaffers tape, and that stuck to the carpet.
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567Go

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Re: Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #17 on: Aug 26, 2006, 02:26 am »
An excellent alternative to using packaging tape over spike tape to seal it down is to get mat tape for gymnasts.  It's usual use is to hold down gymnasts mats or wrestling mats, so it is very strong.  This heavy duty clear tape works much better than the usual packaging cellophane tape.  It also is more durable, and doesn't shred.  You can find it online or in sports stores.

MarcieA

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Re: Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #18 on: Aug 26, 2006, 11:10 am »
An excellent alternative to using packaging tape over spike tape to seal it down is to get mat tape for gymnasts.  It's usual use is to hold down gymnasts mats or wrestling mats, so it is very strong.  This heavy duty clear tape works much better than the usual packaging cellophane tape.  It also is more durable, and doesn't shred.  You can find it online or in sports stores.

Interesting. I was a gymnast for 12 years and we never used that. We actually used gaff on our mats! (That was before I started theatre and learned the many other wonderful uses for gaff tape.)
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stagemonkey

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Re: I agree with Heath...
« Reply #19 on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:26 am »
Quote
Don't assume that you have to spike mark everything just because stage managers always spike mark everything. Spiking isn't the goal. Accurate, repeatable performances are the goal - and if your tolerances are wide enough, you might not need spike marks at all.

It's nice to hear this sentiment from another stage manager. Personally, I detest spikes and will do almost anything to avoid using them onstage.

I'm on the same page here, I hate too many spike marks cause hten the stage starts to look like an airport runway.  I will put down more spikes prior to opening cause I know it helps the LD's focus but sometimes you can tell where something goes just by where floor paneling meets up.

stagemonkey

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Re: Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #20 on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:28 am »
I once had a friend call in a favor and ended up on her running crew during teach week of a show she was SMing (someone had broken their foot or some other injury).

I was paired with what was probably a fairly intelligent young man to do all of my scene changes with. Being on the other side of the relationship, I discovered that the biggest issue with crews is that they typically lack the sense of urgency that we stage managers tend to have. Although it drove me crazy to try to get this guy to get ready and remember what we had to do before each change (of which there were many), I learned a lot about how to motivate crews.

What I suggested to the SM was that we have a separate rehearsal for the crew to run changes so they can feel important and comfortable.  Also, she got the director to announce the night before at tech that the show was running X amount of time, which was too long.  The next day, post our separate practice, the SM announced how much time was shaved off due to the run crew.  It can't work for every show, but sometimes just making it a race against time helps tremendously.

This is what I was always was told was the idea behind a Dry Tech.  No actors just crew and you would just go thru all the scene changes prior to teching with the actors.  This way the crew has an idea whats going on and you don't have to call all the actors to sit around while the scene shift is explained to the crew.

Mac Calder

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Re: Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #21 on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:44 am »
I find it is generally not the deck crew that lack the urgency on shows I work on, but rather the actors. IMO the actors should be off stage asap, they should not slowly meander off stage. For some reason (maybe it is ego) many actors seem to think they can take their time. I have only been on the deck for 1 short run show and navigating a table onto a stage whilst there are actors getting in the way is not easy - by the end of the week I wanted to borrow my dad's cattle prod and start zapping. I now have a healthy appreciation for the often overlooked deck crew.

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Re: Spike Tape Problems
« Reply #22 on: Aug 27, 2006, 11:46 am »
Unless the actor is really stalling, I remind myself that 1) actors can't move til the ghosting is out, not just the lamp 2) actors are moving from brightly lit to totally dark, while crew is moving from less dark onto more dark - I have had actors who are legally blind and had to be escorted off, or laid landing patterns in glowtape on the floor - and the crew has to adjust around such things - it's amazing how creative you can get when you have to get around actors whose eyes haven't adjusted  or can't move fast enough - and of course, we can suggest better actor exist to make all our lives easier.