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« on: Jun 28, 2006, 11:01 am »
MC, like I said I do mostly work within my school setting (although I do small professional shows here and there, non-union of course). But my problem is that it is not required to be a technical or even theatre major to work on a show. The open to everyone policy of 90% of our theatre shows. So basically I get people who want to do something and the only thing they can really understand about the theatre is to plug in a strobe light when I say strobe Go. They really don't know how to read a run sheet or follow scripts. And they get totally confused if I start using unspecific cues. I pretty much in some cases need to call their name for them to understand what I mean. I had a person once who didn't really understand theatre at all but wanted to do something. I don't blame him for not knowing theatre and I applaud him for coming out and trying (maybe we can interest him in taking up theatre). But his job was to open and close the Grand Drape (Grand Curtain, Act Curtain whatever you want to call it). Well I had to give him a call like this "NAME, Stand-by to close the Grand Drape" And then I would HAVE to get a response because I didn't know what was happening backstage or if he was even listening. Then he would reply and then I would give him "Close/Open Grand Dape GO" Of course he would forget to wait for the GO but the curtain takes a little time to close so it all worked out.
I usually do call the OUT cues as well. Most of my technical staff knows to wait for the G-O word. They are briefed on it numerous times. And I do pause between the verb/call and the GO almost always unless it is a very fast sequence so they are used to not acting until the GO is called. kjdiehl, I also write what I am going to say in my prompt book so I remember exactly what my operator needs to hear.
As for rail cues, we do not send anything in by rails or traps or anything like that. Our automated fly system is the only way we get things on and off. We also have about 5-6 feet of wing space so things usually do not come from the sides. Things come from above and behind. Unit sets are out friends. But we can and do fly screens, drops, and even thin 3-D set pieces in from the flys. So to avoid confusion (and because most people wouldn't know what rail ment) I say Fly.
If I had a crew that would be self sufficient, then using simpler and shorter cues and departments would be great. It would save me a lot of breath and my voice. But I feel like an air traffic controller guiding a jumbo jet into the airport with heavy heavy fog and 0 visibility. Basically I am the only real SM here that knows what I am doing. Hence, I SM most of the shows. And I need to guide everyone by taking baby steps. But we have a totally different crew for each show so it is a blank slate every time. If I had crew who were used to doing their one job all the time, it would be much quicker to explain and execute things. I have never had a true light board operator who has done it a hundred times or a deck crew head who has been a deck crew head before. It is just the luck of who needs tech work to graduate and who wants to do something but can't be onstage. And don't get me started with actors who are doing tech because they didn't get cast but need involvement.