Author Topic: Technology: Website for the show  (Read 8440 times)

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smccain

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Technology: Website for the show
« on: Nov 04, 2006, 03:54 pm »
I have a question. I want to create a website for the upcoming show I am stage managing. Minus the whole password issue, what all has everyone known for people to put on the website. I want to put a rehearsal schedule for sure. I am just unsure of what else to put on the site. I did a search for websites in the forum, and the only thing I found was people talking about their own personal websites.

Another issue: If I put a rehearsal schedule on the site, should I make it a downloadable PDF or just listed on the website? This is going to be my first time venturing into the realm of making a site for the production. It just seems like it will be so much easier for the cast and crew to go online to find out the schedule rather than have to rely on their papers so much.

I also am aware of the calendar websites that are out there. Those are also another possibilty. Let me know what you all do. Thanks!
« Last Edit: Feb 11, 2008, 01:04 pm by PSMKay »
Sean

mkm13

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #1 on: Nov 04, 2006, 04:24 pm »
I think it's great that you're using all the resources available to get the shows info out there to the cast, and even to the public.  :)
There's a community theatre that's doing a production of A Christmas Story and I'll be working with them - yeah for me!! They have a website setup that has the schedule online that you can print. They used to have it in .pdf format too, but it seems they took that part off the website. Here's the link if you want to check it out newbielink:http://www.caryplayers.org/acs06info.htm[ [nonactive].

IMHO you should have the option of printing the schedule (whether from online or in pdf format) so the other peeps in the show can have a copy at their disposal, that might be too efficient for some but it's nice to have the option.  You may want to include the last date for conflicts, the show dates highlighted in one color and the tech week in another. Or just highlighted in general for those important dates.

Not sure what else to add to the website, itself. Anything pertaining to the show minus the contact sheet (esp if it's an unprotected/non-password site).

Good luck with creating the website.

Jessie_K

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #2 on: Nov 04, 2006, 05:11 pm »
I have made websites for the past couple of productions that I have SMed.

I put the daily rehearsal schedule in text format on the site, as well as images of the calendar, train schedule, and cast list.  No contact info, of course.

I also posted photos that I took in rehearsal (with permission).

I included links to the production company's site and the director's theatre company.

You can also provide links to dramaturgical info (though I personally have not really had time for that).

On one of the shows, the director was also able to post on the site (using blogger) so the cast could read his thoughts pre-production.

PencilQueen

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #3 on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:12 pm »
We ran into privacy issues with one of the groups I worked with.  There were a few cast members who didn't want their schedules posted publicly on the website.  Reasons were varied, but one woman had been (was still?) dealing with a stalker, so having her rehearsal schedule available on the Internet to the great wide world (and ergo, her stalker) posed a threat to her.  Others who had distinctive names voiced concerns that posting their schedules would make them vulnerable to house burglars who would know when they were leaving the house empty to be at rehearsal.  We eventually had our webmaster create a password protected area to the website to limit access to those who needed to know.  Everything's been fine since then. 

Before putting first/last names & schedules on the same website, I urge you to talk to your actors and make sure they're ok with that.  If passwording that part of the website isn't too much trouble, I'd recommend going that route.

smccain

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #4 on: Nov 04, 2006, 06:36 pm »
We ran into privacy issues with one of the groups I worked with.  There were a few cast members who didn't want their schedules posted publicly on the website.  Reasons were varied, but one woman had been (was still?) dealing with a stalker, so having her rehearsal schedule available on the Internet to the great wide world (and ergo, her stalker) posed a threat to her.  Others who had distinctive names voiced concerns that posting their schedules would make them vulnerable to house burglars who would know when they were leaving the house empty to be at rehearsal.  We eventually had our webmaster create a password protected area to the website to limit access to those who needed to know.  Everything's been fine since then. 

Before putting first/last names & schedules on the same website, I urge you to talk to your actors and make sure they're ok with that.  If passwording that part of the website isn't too much trouble, I'd recommend going that route.

In my question, I mentioned that I was going to be having a password option. What I want to know is what kind of features have websites that you have encounted had on them? I am not worried about privacy as that will be taken care of.
Sean

PencilQueen

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #5 on: Nov 04, 2006, 10:45 pm »
Quote
In my question, I mentioned that I was going to be having a password option.

Well, no...   What you said was "Minus the whole password issue,..." which I took to mean you weren't going to bother with it.  That's why I expressed the concerns I did.  I'm glad I was preaching to the choir.  Carry on.

smccain

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #6 on: Nov 04, 2006, 11:09 pm »
Sorry about the misunderstanding. I should have worded that differently. Yes, it will be password protected.
Sean

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #7 on: Nov 05, 2006, 12:53 am »
We covered this topic before.  (somewhere)

I tried doing it for a full year, and in the end, although I think it may be good in a couple of very specific examples, in the end it was alot of work for very little use by either staff or cast members - but ended up being an additional 15-30 minutes of work for me during the day.  (and my day is already 9-10 hours a day).

I think perhaps you should try it, especially in college.

I found it useful when I did an Opera with like 50 supers; it helped them feel involved.  But at the regional theatre level,I found it to be a waste of time, when we already had so many time tested communication methods in place.
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stagemonkey

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #8 on: Nov 06, 2006, 03:35 am »
I tried doing it for a show and found not many used it.  So now the most I do is try to have an online calendar (behind password protection) that lists all the rehearsals and the calls for each person listed by character name, or just first name.  Ultimately the calendar doesnt have any fanciness to it that even state what show it is.   Actors are always given call forms at rehearsals but having it online gives them another easy way to check and then they cant use the excuse "I lost the sheet."

LisaEllis

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #9 on: Nov 06, 2006, 08:27 am »
What happened to the old low-tech rehearsal hotline?

Even children's chorus or supers can be trained to call the hotline if they forget or get confused.

stagemonkey

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #10 on: Nov 06, 2006, 11:47 pm »
What happened to the old low-tech rehearsal hotline?

Even children's chorus or supers can be trained to call the hotline if they forget or get confused.


The thing is anyone can set up a free website (well it take a little knowledge to set it up).  With a rehearsal hotline someone needs to pay for a phone line to have it on.  For larger companies this can work easily but for smaller theatres its another added expense.

loebtmc

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #11 on: Nov 07, 2006, 02:21 am »
Many of the small theaters I work with have a multiple mailbox phone. If you press, say, #2 you get the box office, while if you press #4 you get the rehearsal schedule. But it does take a minute to set up. Usually, the SM line becomes the rehearsal check-in so messages can be left. And for at least a couple of places where the only line was my cell, the cell message became the rehearsal sched line. Yup, every nite I redid the message for the next day's work, and the company paid my cell bill so everyone could call in and pick up the schedule along w leaving messages etc. Weird.


MarcieA

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #12 on: Nov 07, 2006, 11:07 am »
What happened to the old low-tech rehearsal hotline?

Even children's chorus or supers can be trained to call the hotline if they forget or get confused.


Where I am, every out of town actor has a working phone, but not internet access. My extension at work is also the hotline and it works just fine.

Actually, come to think of it, every theatre I've worked at has a telephone hotline. Usually I'm the one to do it, which I hate because not only do I look young ( I was mistaken for 18 years old on my last show) but I sound really young on the phone. It's like the 'real' sm let their kid leave the schedule for fun.
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smejs

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #13 on: Nov 07, 2006, 07:56 pm »
I hate when you can't get through a hotline recording without either screwing it up or laughing.  And then, hopefully it takes an extra press of "yes, I like this recording", or you're worried someone else will call in and hear your laughter/screw up before you get the chance to record it correctly!

One theatre I worked at made us list not only the rehearsal schedule, but everything else that was going on in the building.  Took SOOOO many tries to get through it all.

Erin

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Re: Website for the show
« Reply #14 on: Nov 07, 2006, 10:48 pm »
I hate when you can't get through a hotline recording without either screwing it up or laughing.  And then, hopefully it takes an extra press of "yes, I like this recording", or you're worried someone else will call in and hear your laughter/screw up before you get the chance to record it correctly!

One theatre I worked at made us list not only the rehearsal schedule, but everything else that was going on in the building.  Took SOOOO many tries to get through it all.

Erin

My old SM used to sneak in the office and whisper horribly innapropriate things in my ear while I was trying to get through the most ridiculous and complicated schedules. He would say words I hate or tell dirty jokes to make me laugh. Once, for a good five minutes the hotline said "The schedule for Tuedsday,-------- is as follows: Schedule, schedule, schedule, shuffle,F******************CK, click."

I don't think anyone called in and got it though...
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