Author Topic: SM Team Hierarchy  (Read 7429 times)

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KaBooM

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SM Team Hierarchy
« on: May 15, 2014, 03:00 pm »
Hi all,

As a college Junior I have had a little professional expereince working in outside venues, but have been able to find no answer to my question: What is the hierarchy breakdown of an SM team, between PM, PSM, SM, deputy SM, ASM? Everywhere I look, it has seemed to depend on where you work and what type of show or venue exists. Is there an industry standard??

Best,

KBM
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MatthewShiner

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2014, 03:21 pm »
In America . ..

PSM (AEA)
SM (AEA)
ASM (First) (AEA)
ASM (Second) (AEA)
ASM (Third, fourth, etc) (AEA)
Production Assistants (Non-AEA Position)
Intern (Non-AEA Position - Educational)

Then you have subs in there

I think that would be as close to industry standard - but again there is a lot of adjustment for individual organization.

Would be the typical break down
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

RuthNY

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2014, 09:30 am »
This is the casual language for the usual hierarchy, yes, but please note that Actors' Equity only acknowledges the terms "Stage Manager," and the different numbers of "Assistant Stage Manager." The term "Production Stage Manager" appears nowhere, that I know of, in any AEA rulebook or materials. It is an honorary title conferred by the producing organization, and AEA does not require the use of this title. Also, every theatre or organization calls the non-AEA members of the SM staff by different titles. There is no real consistency there.


In America . ..

PSM (AEA)
SM (AEA)
ASM (First) (AEA)
ASM (Second) (AEA)
ASM (Third, fourth, etc) (AEA)
Production Assistants (Non-AEA Position)
Intern (Non-AEA Position - Educational)

Then you have subs in there

I think that would be as close to industry standard - but again there is a lot of adjustment for individual organization.

Would be the typical break down
« Last Edit: May 16, 2014, 09:33 am by RuthNY »
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MatthewShiner

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2014, 05:06 pm »
Yes, true . . . as far as AEA is concerned there are only SM and ASM contracts, the rest are just billing titles or in house titles . . .

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

PSMKay

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2014, 08:15 pm »
It's also quite rare outside of the very top levels of production to see all of those roles in use.  The largest SM teams I ever worked with had 3 including myself. In one case it was SM/ASM/Intern, and the other it was SM/Intern/Intern.

Handy diagram attached. UK terms included. Sort of. I'm sure I've made a hash of them.




iamchristuffin

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2014, 04:39 am »
Hi Kay,

I've attached a UK version for you - just a few changes! I don't know whether this applies to any other countries - Aus maybe?

KBM, as others have mentioned, this is in a perfect world. My current season (7 operas, I'm on two of them) has a SSM (acting as a Company Manager), and 4 teams of SM, DSM, ASM!

Hope this helps.

C

kiwitechgirl

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2014, 01:46 am »
Australia is fairly similar to Chris's diagram in terms of company organisation.  Our senior stage manager does act as SM on productions, heading up the SM/DSM/ASM (sometimes 2) team, and we don't have a Company SM but we do have a company manager and two company office assistants.

SMMeade

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2014, 09:33 pm »
Outside of AEA you'll also get weird terms- I just got hired as a "deck SM." Meaning, I run backstage. You might also hear floor manager, and that position has various responsibilities based on where you are.
And right now I'm temping at AEA- everyone here is right, you're only ever hired officially as an SM, 1st ASM, 2nd ASM, etc.

VilleSM

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2014, 09:43 pm »
There's also my role - the SM Fellow... I serve as the only ASM, but cannot - according to AEA - be called an ASM in an Equity House.
So, the breakdown at my theatre is:

PSM
SM Fellow (ASM)
Deck Crew

It also gets messy when other departments are involved - i.e. when a Wardrobe Manager becomes part of a scene change, or when Board Operators and technicians become part of Intermission Shifts - who do they answer to? At our theatre, they answer to me but ONLY for the time that they are on the stage...
"The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life." - Oscar Wilde

iamchristuffin

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2014, 04:12 am »
I'm curious - why can't you be called an ASM?

C

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2014, 12:23 pm »
I agree - not sure why you can't be called the ASM.  It's the long haul evidence to stem the veritable tidal wave of concession requests to waive the ASM by making sure producers understood that an ASM is a vital member of the team by having that title/role in play always, whether it's a union or nonunion ASM.

MatthewShiner

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2014, 04:13 pm »
This goes around a lot in AEA Houses, and the reality is it varies.

Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager are AEA Contract Positions - so if you are in an AEA house, and billed as one of these, the notion is that is what contract you are.  So, if you are working in an AEA house and have that billing, there is a notion that you are on contract.

But, there seems to be more tradition then hard and fast rule, like PSM and SM credits.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

VilleSM

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Re: SM Team Hierarchy
« Reply #12 on: Jun 02, 2014, 11:44 pm »
I have questioned it myself, and have just been told "that's the way it is." So... yeah.
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