Messages

1

Articles from the Old Site / Re: How to hang, focus, and strike basic lighting instruments

« on: Aug 02, 2013, 09:06 am »

Focusing Fresnels:

• Follow steps 1-7 above.
• Loosen the wing nut on the bottom of the instrument.  This allows you to slide the lamp back and forth within the casing, allowing you to control the size of the beam.   Make your designer happy, and then retighten the wing nut.
• Follow steps 11-12 above.

Small hints:
1. At some Fresnels, the slider gets stuck when not moved over a long period of time. In this case, switch of the lamp, let it cool down, loose the nut and move the slider several times to both ends until it runs freely. Traditional light bulbs do not like beeing moved aprubtly when lit. (I have my own experience...)
2. Focussing Elipsoidal:
Sometimes, it is better to first set the shutters while the light beam is focused perfectly (borders of the shutters can be seen perfectly) and then "run the barell".

Just 2 Cent from a lighting guy working in Europe.

2

Tools of the Trade / Re: Ladies and Gentleman.... the convertable laptop!

« on: Nov 14, 2012, 11:22 am »

I use a HP Touchsmart Convertible (WIN7) and I am quite happy with it. It is the consumer version of convertible notebooks, so it was affordable (half the price of a "professional" one).

Yes it is a compromise and I really like to use the USB-Docking, big screen, a good external keyboard and mouse in my office. But I even do protocols during meetings with the built-in keyboard - it is fast enough for my "homebrew, 6-finger-typing".
It works even as a replacement for light control, remote control software for wireless microphone rack or jingle-machine control for smaller applications.

In opposite to "each application a specialized device", I do not need to choose what device I have.
Smartphone and this convertible does it for my purposes.
For extensive use of Cloud services (to have all my data available on several devices), I have to rely on wireless Internet (be it Wireless LAN available or any cellular based system).
To explain: I am in Germany close to the swiss border. And here, we do NOT have a tight network of public WLan available and in some parts of black forest, I am happy to send a short text message - for extensive data transmission, the network is too slow. And when I pass over to Switzerland, I need a Swiss phone card to use wireless cellular based networking or I get a poor man quite easily.
So to have current project data on me and a big (protected) archive at home is my solution. And this convertible really increased my possibilities!

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Orchestras moving out of the pit

« on: Mar 25, 2012, 03:07 am »

As there are many venues were conductor is seen by performers mainly via camera and monitor (I remember some opera setups where set designer and director used all possibilities of modern theatre, that the singers could NOT see the conductor "eye to eye"), I can agree with Mc Calder from technical point of view - mainly with non-professional bands and orchestra (my main job field), I would often prefer to lock them away and leave the decision of sound volume to the audio mixer guy and not to the the orcestra/band members who prefer louder and louder monitoring ("i do not hear myself...").
But I think it is a psychological thing: You hear what you see. So, if there's no orchestra visible, first impression for the audience would be "music is playback". And, to be honest, there are some productions that cut costs by replacing booth choirs and some live instruments by playback - a lot of musical shows done here in Germany are so precisely timed, that the use of a clicktrack and synchronizing the rest of the live part with the pre-recorded tracks is not a big deal for conductor and other performers.

4

Tools of the Trade / Re: 5 fingers

« on: Jan 19, 2012, 10:30 am »

Just a small message from "good ol' Europe".
What Mac Calder describes applies for europe as well: You would not be let on stage for construction or scene shift in shoes other than safety/hard cap shoes.
In Germany, there are "Unfallverhütungsvorschriften" (Accident prevention rules) that are not negotiable and that give very precise information what kind of personal safety equipment you have to wear in what circumsdances (Hard hat, cap shoes, gloves, earmuffs, glasses...). On the other hand, this equipment must be provided by the employer to the employee for free.

5

Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder

« on: Aug 13, 2011, 07:22 pm »

[...]I don't think that paper copies of certain items will ever become obsolete in the stage management world. The impact of a technological fail would be too great and not everyone has or can afford to have an ipad backstage.

There are two points in one sentence:
1. The impact of a technological fail would be too great.
OK - but there are a lot of industries and technologic processes that rely much more on technology than the run of a show or a rehearsal process. And they managed (with money and manpower) to setup reliable systems. Of course, it is not for free but the benefits are bigger (or seem to be bigger to those who use those kind of systems beginning from grocery store cash register up to medical care and nuclear power plant).
2. Not everyone has an (whatever electronic gadget) backstage.
Keep all data in one reliable source and feed all channels from this source in the way, the specific channel needs.
Rehearsal schedules ONLY in paper probably could work, but even small community theatre publish day-to-day schedules via Email and/or webpage. Cuelists on paper are nice - but at least the Stage machinery OP and Light OP will use this to generate their own electronic version (and they rely on their electronic system as well...). There is Light-Software available that can use an electronic textbook to place Light cues in...  I know, there are not yet standard formats available to publish into light/sound/machinery controls, so paper is the only "compatible" thing. 
There still will be places, where a printout is more handy - but even this paper copy must be fed from a reliable source. (And as a lot of "Paperwork" is done on a PC - why not use the electronic form as the reliable source and not a printout in your binder).

6

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] What goes inside a SM Kit?

« on: Jun 06, 2010, 03:31 am »

[...] I've attached my list of my dream SM kit (PDF since we can't upload excel).  [...]

OT: I see the paperclip symbol for the attachment, but how to open it? No reaction when clicking on it. (May be a silly question...)

--Mod Note: attachment required approval - has been approved, so click to download. -Mac

7

College and Graduate Studies / Re: grad school in europe?

« on: Feb 27, 2010, 03:42 pm »

Can anyone recommend any good grad schools for stage management in Europe? I speak some German, but I'd prefer a school with a program taught in English.

For Germany, as far as I know, you won't find.
German traditional theatre and opera do not know something like a stage manager.
They have "Inspizient" which could be compared to a Caller (but mostly sitting in the backstage area left or right).
Their major job is coordination between artists and technicians.
Other jobs usually done by a Stage Manager (blocking notes, all organizing of rehearsal process) are done by "Regieassistent" (both terms are male singular form).
And all the organisation/Personal handling work usually is done by some members of the "Intendant"'s staff.

There is no school in Germany where you can learn Stagemanagement as there is no equivalent Position in Germany

(writes Deuteronomy75 who worked some times as "Inspizient" and uses his books-based knowledge of the "american way" of Stagemanagement to provide organisation to local amateur theatre groups)