Websites

[Tempest]

After seeing everyone's very nice websites, I decided that I needed to update mine.  Had to learn some new CSS and HTML in the process.  But, I'm rather pleased with the result: www.jessicafugelsang.com

[KMC]

After seeing everyone's very nice websites, I decided that I needed to update mine.  Had to learn some new CSS and HTML in the process.  But, I'm rather pleased with the result: www.jessicafugelsang.com

Clean design, neat and very easy to navigate.  Well done!

[heatonSM]

Hey all,

Here's my website...let me know your thoughts!

www.JosephHeaton.com

Thanks,
Joe

[Tempest]

Hey all,
Here's my website...let me know your thoughts!
www.JosephHeaton.com
Thanks,
Joe

Hey, Joe!  It looks nice, very polished!
However, I'm not sure I'd put my home address on it, if I were you.  Phone and e-mail are usually sufficient first points of contact.  If you really feel you need an address, do you have a P.O. box, or would the theatre you're currently working for let you get mail there?  Just looking out for you!
Also, I'd love to see a quick blurb about yourself, aside from just your current project.  How long have you been stage managing?  What are some of your favorite projects?  How'd you get into this mad field in the first place?  Resumes are great, but a small written piece can communicate so much personality!

[MarcieA]

[/quote]
However, I'm not sure I'd put my home address on it, if I were you.  Phone and e-mail are usually sufficient first points of contact.  If you really feel you need an address, do you have a P.O. box, or would the theatre you're currently working for let you get mail there?  Just looking out for you!
[/quote]

I'm going to second Tempest here (and anyone else who may have made this comment as well). I don't think that it is at all necessary (and potentially unsafe) to put your address on your resume/business cards.

I know that a while ago there was a trend in doing this to prove that you were 'local' as it were, but I don't think that's needed these days. At least, I've never had anyone in NYC confirm with me that I live here. I apply for work here, I have previous experience here, so I feel that I don't need for people to know where I live specifically.

[MatthewShiner]

Although putting your city on the website may be good . . . especially if working in an area that has regional theaters that be looking for "local" stage managers.

[PSMKay]

Regarding Joseph's resume -

I do a lot of browsing using my blackberry, which renders pages without any CSS.  Make sure you check how your site looks without the CSS in place - in the case of this site, "Your Subtitle Text" appears on every page when you turn off CSS.

Also, for Chicago folks, if you don't want to state your exact address you can state your neighborhood, i.e., Lakeview, Roscoe Village, etc.  It shows that you're a city local, reveals enough about your location to imply proximity to certain houses, and that you're aware of the city's customs w/o revealing enough for some weird stalker or SMNetwork guest to find you.

[heatonSM]

Thanks all of the sage advice!  I didn't even think about having my home address on the site--very good tip.  I've taken that down and added a "About Joseph" section with a brief bio and added Chicago-based to my main page.  I agree with Matthew that I would like people to know that I'm local in the Chicago area.

I really appreciate SMNetwork for the candid advice and general helpfullness of our fellow SM's!

Happy 2009 to everyone!

Joe

[dcwhitson]

This is a good discussion. I will let you guys know when I am done with my website. Still working on it.

It will have a separate log on for each show that I SM including schedules, contact lists, updated messages, and places to contact the heads and designers for each productions departments. I gather all the information from designers and such so that there is access to prop lists, scene breakdowns, cue lists, etc for the entire production team to access.

I wish i was done already..hopefully before the first production meeting for my next show on Monday.

If anyone has any ideas that they have done like this and tips they may have..please let me know!

Chris  =^)

[PSMKay]

Chris -

Yes, I had the same idea nine years ago.  It got a little out of hand.

[GalFriday]

Hi All -

What a great discussion. Maybe some day I will get my "stuff" together and manage to put together a page for my self. In the meantime I have really enjoyed visiting all of yours and seeing how your unique approaches changed the way your sites were put together. You have all made me feel like a dinosaur .

As a note, I would strongly suggest you ask someone with strong spelling and grammar skills to closely read your websites. Sometimes it just helps to have another set of eyes look at that paragraph you have been working on for days to get just right.

If you are sending potential employers to your website make sure your first impression is a good one.

[planetmike]

I'm still setting up my site, and my current director suggested getting some testimonials from people I've worked with in the past. Is posting testimonials a good idea or not?

My stage manager site is http://www.michaelclark.net Feedback is appreciated. Thanks, Mike

[daniel.haynes]

I have built myself a website but I'm struggling to find work and directing people to it. If anyone has any suggestions let me know.

newbielink:http://www.dthaynes.co.uk [nonactive]

Thanks.

Dan.

[planetmike]

Hi Dan,

Welcome to SMNetwork.

Try to get rid of the silly ad strip at the top of your pages. Web site hosting is inexpensive. And on one page, Little Shop of Horrors is misspelled. Why are using graphics for your text on your Education and Portfolio pages? The font in the graphics is hard to read, can't be made larger by the user, web addresses aren't links, and is harder to make updates or corrections to. On page5, you have a few links to page5 itself, instead of to LIPA, etc... On page5, the first paragraph you have uppercase letters as the first character on each line, even though uppercase isn't needed there. Actually, in that paragraph, you have
 (breaks) at the end of each line of text, which actually isn't the end of the paragraph. What are you using to generate your site? Mike

[elle]

newbielink:http://www.elisabethmeindl.com [nonactive]
i'm with fatcow and very happy with their hosting. if that's helpful at all. I will freely admit it isn't the most extravagant site, but i agree with it being 10 times easier to get my resume out quickly by just sending someone to my site vs having to get to a computer.