Author Topic: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?  (Read 14028 times)

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dallas10086

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #15 on: Mar 10, 2010, 08:40 pm »
I was just playing around, seeing how these google sites worked.  But can you only view the site if you have a google account? 

Not necessarily, you just have to 'register' with Google. I have my email address as the sign-in.

geoffsm

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #16 on: Mar 11, 2010, 01:56 am »
I love using a google cal for rehearsal schedules, that way the whole cast can check it and it can be updated without using new stacks of paper every time.

I'm using Google Calendar for the season that I start in May.  It's nice because the artistic director, TD, and myself are authorized to make changes, whereas the actors and rest of the staff can view everything once they are invited.  Of course, I'm still generating separate schedules for the actors, just so that I can include more detail and make things a bit clearer, but the online calendar gives everybody an instant overview for convenience.  It also helps that I can sync it to my blackberry relatively easily, as can anyone else in the company with smart phones, etc.   

dallas10086

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #17 on: Mar 13, 2010, 07:38 pm »
Well, we're into tech week and I would have to say the experiment with Google Sites was a 50/50 success -

It turned out to be an invaluable resource for the production team. Everyone used the site at least once, either to upload documents or download them, and having the calendar and contact lists online turned out to be beneficial. The producer for the show said he has plans to make this a permanent fixture for future teams on several more complicated shows coming up, specifically Rent and Annie.

Unfortunately it wasn't as successful on the cast's end. For the first half of rehearsals I only did the online callboard, which after it was updated would send an email to cast members. But several of them, even after reminding them twice to subscribe to site changes, did not subscribe; and after one time when they didn't get the callboard updates, I switched to personally emailing the callboard. I didn't want to take a chance of another missed rehearsal when we had just a month to rehearse. Every rehearsal was precious! Another problem I had was syncing Google Calendar with Sites; even when I had given an actor permission to view the calendar, Sites would say they weren't authorized to view it. The only solution I found was to make the calendar public rather than private. From the feedback I received I believe if this problem hadn't occured so early on and for so long the actors would have used Sites more.

Overall I'm really glad I tried it, even if it wasn't 100% successful. Were this another show with more rehearsal time, or a musical that would require more people in more than one rehearsal space, it may have gone differently. I'm glad that the end result meant that a theatre will be using Google Sites for their production teams and that I was able to introduce the process to them. I will definately be trying this again as soon as I am able.

Since we've abandoned the actors version for now, I am able to send invites for those that would like to view the site. PM me if you would like to take a look at it and I will add your email address to view it.

sgoldsbo

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #18 on: Jul 09, 2010, 01:28 pm »
I used Google Sites to set up virtual callboard for my last show. I used it to post rehearsal reports, a contact list, a script (it was in development) a weekly rehearsal schedule and a calendar. I think it was pretty successful, although there were a couple of members of the production team who still wanted rehearsal reports emailed each night - I just set up a separate email list to those select few.

My company is very tech savvy so I'm lucky in that people are already used to going online to check things. It wasn't a huge transition for us. I did hear that people appreciated having a central location for all information. And I appreciated receiving fewer calls asking when designers could stop by :)

I would call it a success - and I'm planning on using the same system for our next show.

MatthewShiner

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #19 on: Jul 09, 2010, 07:42 pm »
Unfortunately it wasn't as successful on the cast's end. For the first half of rehearsals I only did the online callboard, which after it was updated would send an email to cast members. But several of them, even after reminding them twice to subscribe to site changes, did not subscribe; and after one time when they didn't get the callboard updates, I switched to personally emailing the callboard. I didn't want to take a chance of another missed rehearsal when we had just a month to rehearse. Every rehearsal was precious! Another problem I had was syncing Google Calendar with Sites; even when I had given an actor permission to view the calendar, Sites would say they weren't authorized to view it. The only solution I found was to make the calendar public rather than private. From the feedback I received I believe if this problem hadn't occured so early on and for so long the actors would have used Sites more.

In the end, setting up a mailing list to push out e-mail of daily call and/or reports is nill cost and nill work load issue.  And, again, PUSHING information is always better then making someone come to it.
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AdamJ

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #20 on: Aug 17, 2010, 11:02 pm »
My school is switching all of our email systems to be google hosted this year. I am hoping that i can use a google page really effectively because everyone will already have the account required for it. Yes, I am still going to be pushing the information out to everyone, and using a traditional callboard in the theatre, But i think having this as a site where people can go to check stuff that may no longer be on the physical callboard, or back pages in their email will be a positive thing.

CRVerdusco

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #21 on: Aug 22, 2010, 01:36 am »
I have been using Google Sites (and google pages) for about 4 years now for hosting Digital Callboards.  I would have to agree it is a lot easier for the cast if the information is pushed to them.  Whenever I move to a new venue they are often hesitant of using the sites but quickly change their minds.  Most recently I was in residency and therefore set up a master site for the entire season.

One of the easiest ways I found to push information was to set up the subscribe feature to my own e-mail then with filters and mailing lists it would automatically e-mail everyone on the mailing list.  The other way to deal with this problem is have members subscribe to the RSS feeds that google just started to host.

I do remember the problem about google calendars but got it working in the end, I will have to look to remember what I did.

If anyone has any questions or would like to check out my sites just send me a PM and I'll send you the links.

MatthewShiner

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #22 on: Aug 22, 2010, 01:47 am »
Again, why is any of this better then just sending out an e-mailed version directly to a contact list?
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AdamJ

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #23 on: Aug 22, 2010, 02:30 pm »
I Wasn't saying that a site was going to replace emails to a contact list, But be a second place that someone could look if they needed to. I think it's always better to have multiple was to get the information they need. And with a site, you could host documents and drawings that the designers could upload and get from eachother instead of having to ask around and wait for replys.

dallas10086

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #24 on: Aug 24, 2010, 06:19 pm »
As the project proved, when it comes to callboard information, always push email. If you're going to do Google Sites, do it for the production team.

gotracigo

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #25 on: Jun 11, 2013, 05:53 pm »
Hey, folks.  I know this thread is a little old, and google calendar and sites have changed a bit since then, but I thought I'd start here, and a mod can split to a new thread if they want. 

I'm working on a Google site which is intended to house our full production calendar for our department.  I've figured out how to embed all of the calendar feeds from the multiple google calendars (there are cals for rooms, theatres, shows, meetings, etc.) but when I do that, a few things happen:  I lose the month / week / day agenda tabs on the top right. (This hasn't happened to me before when I've done this and I don't know how to fix it.)  But the ongoing trouble is that Google doesn't appear to allow a calendar list on one side where you can toggle among multiple calendars.  Anyone have insight into this?  I'd also be interested in other (free) options that google can feed to. Any ideas?
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Branden

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #26 on: Jul 10, 2013, 12:29 pm »
The University I attend uses Google Sites as a internal intranet.

Each show has it's own section, which contains all the company materials, and is updated like a virtual callboard. It also contains SM resources, like emergency medial forms, templates, and such documents, as well as master calendars of all the rehearsal spaces, reservation forums, notices, etc.

It's become a really useful tool, and I'd like to use it in my future professional exploits. Of course, everything is still emailed; but this is a newer form of the 'rehearsal hotline'. We also still have a hard copy callboard.
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gwynnetx

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Re: TECHNOLOGY: Anyone else using Google Sites?
« Reply #27 on: Jul 11, 2013, 02:18 pm »
I used/am using Google Drive for a lot of production related things with the musical I am currently SM'ing.  I used it to create a costume measurement form that the actors could fill out on their own or that I could fill out when I measured them at rehearsal.  The data can then be translated to spreadsheet form that the costume designer can access.  It will also serve as a way to collect measurements in one place and create a database of sorts that can be accessed by the costume designer for upcoming shows.

I also used a form as a rehearsal sign in "sheet".  Actors stopped by the stage management table as they arrived, clicked on their name and clicked submit.  This can be accessed by me or the director as a spreadsheet, complete with time stamp to show arrival time.  Other documents include prop lists, light cues, contact sheet, conflict info, cast and crew agreements, sign ups, cleaning rotations, ground plans, rehearsal reports, etc.

The theatre uses Google calendar to post rehearsal times.  The calendar is imbedded into the theatre's website so that it can be checked online at any time.  I have access to it and can add, delete, or change times and dates which will be immediately reflected on the theatre's website calendar.

This theatre doesn't usually use Google Drive or Sites to create/store information, but it has worked well for this production.  I have learned to check the "include text in email" box every time I email something from Drive, though, because some people don't have a gmail account and don't want to make one or are just more likely to actually read what's been sent if they don't have to go to a separate site.