Author Topic: Stage Management For Ice Show  (Read 4198 times)

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Rebelsw/oapplause

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Stage Management For Ice Show
« on: Feb 17, 2009, 10:30 pm »
Hello, I have just been hired as a stage manager for a new ice show at my local amusement park for the upcoming summer. As an assistant stage manager, I am responsible for the calling of the show. However, the entire show is on a time code or time track and is synched with all lighting and sound effects. For those of you with experience, what is a stage management position like and what duties does the job entail? My manager was a stage manager on Royal Caribbean for an ice show, and said it will be very similiar. He will be sharing this information with me at a later date (the park doesn't open til June) but I want to do some research and be fully prepared for my first day of work. I have alot of stage management experience in theatre, but this is the first gig I have applied for that isn't directly involved with theatre. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it!  :)

Sincerely,

Rebels

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Re: Stage Management For Ice Show
« Reply #1 on: Feb 18, 2009, 09:20 am »
I've called time-coded shows before and people often ask me how it's different from a traditional show.  In the past I've used the analogy of flying a plane.  In a traditional show, you're calling each cue, giving standbys, etc...  Think of this as flying the plane manually using each control lever, pedals, etc...  With a timecoded show you're taking a more passive role, think of this as autopilot.  The computer is taking commands based on what's been programmed.  With autopilot on a plane, you've still got to have intimate knowledge of all aspects of the flight in case something goes wrong, and the same is true with a timecoded show. 

Will you be running the automation?  Calling a show to automation will take a bit of adjustment.  If you're a technically minded person that adjustment should come a little easier.  Basically, instead of calling the cue and the operator or stagehand taking the cue, you're simply going to be telling everyone what is happening.  A good example would be something like "Stage Lift A moving in 3...2...1...moving".  You'll have a timecode display at your call station and you basically call backwards based off of the time when the cue will happen.  That's a very general overview of my experiences, if you have any more specific questions feel free to post here or PM me.
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Rebelsw/oapplause

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Re: Stage Management For Ice Show
« Reply #2 on: Feb 19, 2009, 05:03 pm »
Does the stage manager also warn other technicians who are manually operating equiptment? For example, would I still warn and give standbys to the four spotlight operators in the show?

 

riotous