Messages

1

Tools of the Trade / Re: Vista and Microsoft 2007

« on: Jul 03, 2007, 05:05 pm »

I'm on Vista and Office 2007 too. There's no real specific advantage to stage management for using Vista. However, I've found the Office 2007 system to be a great help and time saver when typing up anything for stage management. If you're using Office 2007, just always remember to save as a Office 97-2003 file type (.doc, .xls, .ppt, etc...) instead of any of the new 2007 file types ["OpenXML Format"] (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, etc...). That way you won't run into any problems if you email an ASM a given form to edit or email production notes out or anything like that.

2

Tools of the Trade / Re: Keeping Spike tape down...

« on: Jul 03, 2007, 04:59 pm »

Watch out with packing tape because it often reflects lights because it's so slick/shiny, and that can get obnoxious in some situations. However it usually will do the job just fine... and it's not all that expensive! 

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Headset Etiquette

« on: Jun 27, 2007, 03:08 pm »

I agree with a lot of the other people here. If you haven't had a situation where an actor picks up a headset for fun or when someone on headset goes and tells everybody, and you're sticking with the "what's said on headset stays on headset" rule, you're bound to learn the hard way how ugly of a situation it is when that does happen. We're all SMs, and we know that we have to prepare ahead for anything and everything imaginable, but unfortunately if you're cueing, you can't ensure that someone doesn't leave their headset on a table backstage and then that an actor may pick it up and listen. I highly suggest just knowing where to draw the line. Now that's not to say that you shouldn't have any fun... 

4

Tools of the Trade / Re: Stage Manager Books/Manuels

« on: Jun 27, 2007, 01:54 pm »

I've been writing one for high school stage management over the past year, and I'm trying to get it published this summer. If it does, I'll let you know.

5

Tools of the Trade / Re: latest toys...

« on: Jun 27, 2007, 01:53 pm »

Someone had mentioned that they didn't know how useful a mini-highlighter would be. I agree with everyone that the mini-sharpies are beyond useful... I couldn't live without them. So of course when I saw the mini-highlighters at an office store a few weeks ago I instantly bought one. Over those past 3 weeks, I've had rehearsal almost every day, and tech all this past week, and I've only used the mini-highlighter once. I just have to say that I didn't find it all that useful.

6

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Multi-tool advice?

« on: Jun 26, 2007, 11:53 pm »

I use a Leatherman Squirt P4 (a smaller muli-tool) because it's small enough to comfortably fit in my pocket or clipped onto my belt, but it still has enough tools and features to fix almost as much as any larger multi-tool can in a SM situation. I know of a few stage-hands that use it too.

7

Tools of the Trade / Re: The comfort of a featherweight headset

« on: Aug 10, 2006, 12:11 am »

From my experiences, that rumor about feedback is not true at all. I have used a featherweight headset a few meters away from a lighting designer using one, and we got no feedback at all.