Author Topic: Who toots your horn?  (Read 2947 times)

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ljh007

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Who toots your horn?
« on: Nov 26, 2008, 03:28 pm »
For most career SM's, your gigs come through recommendations. Most positions - onstage, backstage, and everywhere in between - are hired through connections in this industry.

Who do you find are the people who pass along the good word for you?

For me it has always been the directors and producers/theatre management. My actors and crew and I love each other and I have gotten many a good recommendation through them. But directors have helped me get steady strings of shows, and producers have asked me back to their theatres often. Maybe it's because I like to think I'm pretty low-drama, efficient and business-minded when it comes to SMing a show.

So who sings your praises and lands you on your next show?
The cast? Director? The techs? Management? Designers? ...

Celeste_SM

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Re: Who toots your horn?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 26, 2008, 05:35 pm »
I get gigs thanks to directors and producers that I've worked with, and once in awhile from actors (who usually double as a director or producer elsewhere).  Directors and producers are about equal in my book for referrals. I've only had designers refer/call me when something horrible has happened on a show and they're searching for someone at the last second. I guess they just aren't generally involved in that stuff upfront.

I get great crew through referrals from crew though. I'm really proud of the network of skilled stagehands I've accumulated, and I'm always proud when I get an inquiry about working one of my shows based on a referral from another stagehand who has worked with me before.

I got my day job through a lighting designer referral, but that's a whole different ball of wax!

sievep

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Re: Who toots your horn?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 27, 2008, 12:32 am »
It's the directors that I work with who generally notify me of gigs and are also my references.
"This lovely light, it lights not me" - Orson Welles

chops

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Re: Who toots your horn?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 28, 2008, 03:19 pm »
I normally get my recomendations and tips from producers. 
Peace,

Chops

 

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