Author Topic: FORMS: Your own format or director's?  (Read 5654 times)

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planetmike

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FORMS: Your own format or director's?
« on: Mar 22, 2010, 12:21 pm »
I'm sure everyone has developed their own style and format for the forms they generate for shows. Has anyone had a director mandate/request strongly the stage manager use the director's format and style for a form? It's not a big deal, but it was a surprise for me when this happened to me recently.

Libby

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Re: FORMS: Your own format or director's?
« Reply #1 on: Mar 22, 2010, 12:53 pm »
What forms does the director have that they want you to use? Contact Sheet/Scene Breakdown (stuff that gets distributed to everyone?) or things like run sheets and such?

planetmike

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Re: FORMS: Your own format or director's?
« Reply #2 on: Mar 23, 2010, 12:16 am »
The contact form is the only one right now. So, not a huge deal, but doing the work twice is a little annoying. As we get closer to opening, it would be a big deal if for some reason the director wanted info in some other format. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever had this happen before.

2B

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Re: FORMS: Your own format or director's?
« Reply #3 on: Mar 23, 2010, 02:18 am »
Interesting that the director would feel the need to comment on the format of your contact list. I would understand if it were the rehearsal schedule and he/she were having difficulty reading or comprehending it. Surely the director has bigger things to be concerned about. Was their problem a heirarchy listing issue perhaps, was their nose out of joint? (personally I go with an alphabetical listing, as my team and I will be the ones using it the most, it should be functional not necessarily a billing order !) Anyway...

The only times I've been requested to use a particular pro forma have been when I have been hired by long established companies with established stage management departments run by a senior stage manager. This makes sense for companies in rep; returning cast and crew get used to where they need to look for information, the head of stage management can trust that you're completing and distributing the relevant information as well as the information that the production company as a whole are expecting to receive etc..

But otherwise, as long as the document is clear, concise and relays the correct and relevant  information, I don't see that it should be a problem. I too would be shocked if the director asked me to reformat a contact list, but I would be open to discussion if it were a suggested change regarding how he/she is having difficulty reading the rehearsal schedule.

Rebbe

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Re: FORMS: Your own format or director's?
« Reply #4 on: Mar 23, 2010, 10:13 am »
I have had requests from directors regarding the format of Character/Scene Breakdowns, and occasionally cheat-sheets for them to track specific items.   I think it’s unusual for a director to want you to change the contact list to suit them, but it’s not out of line, since they do use that document.  Is it obvious to you why they want the change?  If not, I would definitely ask, since it may be something worth considering as an improvement in the future.  I do find it common that different theaters have standard formats that they want me to use for contact sheets and rehearsal schedules.  If a director or theater asked me to modify running paperwork, and I felt my version was more useful, I would probably have a conversation about it rather than changing it against my better judgement.  I also think that if the director does approach you requesting changes during tech, it’s perfectly fair to say you will get to it after tech priorities are dealt with.
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