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Messages - Mac Calder

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The Green Room / Re: ARTICLE: Technology in Theater (projections)

« on: Mar 29, 2012, 06:57 pm »

Something like that would most likely be run using a system like watchout - which is a linear timeline based playback system and the cues would all be regular "go" cues to advance between pause points on the timeline. It would be much like a dance, where timing and blocking is crucial on the actors part because you cannot adjust the projections on the fly.

It was hard to tell from the clip whether there is orchestration involved - but if there was any live music, normally you would place click inside the playback program - and often any of the "fill" music as well. If it was all playback, then everything would sit inside the video playback program to ensure that the music timing and projection matched 100%.

The biggest problem with interacting with projection is the fact that live theatre can start to be a lot less "live" due to the rigid nature of projections. It is something that Cirque du Soliel and a number of other innovative companies are really keen on experimenting with using various sensors and motion capture systems to make projection dynamic.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Clear-Com Headsets

« on: Mar 27, 2012, 10:39 am »

How I would rate the CC-25 largely depends on the environment it is being used in. Back stage where I might be running around I would rate it 0 out of 10. In a relatively quiet booth sitting behind a console, probably a 7 or 8 out of 10.

Plantronics make the best over-ear one IMO - the SHS1720-01

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

« on: Mar 25, 2012, 02:30 am »

I have done an event with the orchestra in another room. The sound guy loved it - he basically didn't have to worry about battling the stage sound at all, but that was in a practice room with the walls all treated with acoustic dampening. If they were in just a regular room (say a small hall etc) where he would have had to worry about reflection etc, he would not have been so happy.

Communication was just like with an orchestra in a pit, except we added "Stage Cam" using a plasma on a stand at the back of the practice room for the conductor, and we had "Conductor Cam" on the balcony rail for the guys on stage. Cue lights and coms were run to the conductor.

We used Aviom personal monitor mixers for the orchestra, so they could mix their own private foldback mix based on 8 sub mixes (Male vox, Female Vox, Click, Woodwind, Kickdrum, Percussion, Brass & Strings IIRC)

Venue managed all the catering requirements, so no idea what happened there.

It was corporate awards show, so we only had to do the show twice and the cues were rather basic. It was made a bit more complicated by the fact that the orchestra performed a dinner set - requiring us to quickly create a full orchestra setup on stage for 1 1/2hrs of the show before banishing them back to the rehearsal room for the rest of the show.

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Employment / Re: Choices to make: what would you do?

« on: Mar 21, 2012, 07:07 am »

I don't think there can be a wrong choice. Even if you hate the entire job and you don't get any future work from it, either one is still a good learning experience. There may be a "good" and a "better" choice - but unfortunately you can NEVER know which one is which in a situation like this.

The PSM role could be an awesome platform to launch your career... but if you are worried about the work load, if the job is done poorly, it could negatively affect your career.

The ASM role is a great networking opportunity but if you are looking to move into PSM/SM type roles it may be seen as "yet another ASM credit" if you get my drift.

You've already started listing the pro's and con's for each role, however I think you need to place some weight onto these - is more experience in a higher role something you need more than some good potential contacts?

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: No Director Present

« on: Mar 08, 2012, 07:44 am »

Are the production team students dedicated to this show, or are they professionals?

Back "in the day" whilst I was doing theatrical work (as opposed to corporate), I would have a couple of shows on at a time, if not more - one in active design (ie rehearsals and production meetings etc), one being installed and in tech and usually one in the wings that I am thinking about on the side, I would often have the next few months booked too.

When I got emails about shows that were outside of my current window of interest I would tend to ignore them - or send a short email stating that I was currently looking after a number of shows, when I get a minute I will look at their questions and respond. If there were urgent issues, then phone was the way to reach me.

You are pre-rehearsal, so there is a good chance that your show barely registers on your production teams radar.

Scheduling issues I would not worry about too much - collect the data, make sure the first few weeks of rehearsals are fairly incident free and have all the data ready to discuss with your director friend once you are in the flow of things.

The script changes are a harder one, all you can really do is highlight them to her and see how she takes them.

111

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with rude emails

« on: Mar 03, 2012, 10:49 pm »

The biggest issue I have with the "shirty" email you received is that it should not have been sent to all and sundry. It should have been to you, CC'ed to your direct faculty advisor and that is it. Since it was a member of the faculty, one would assume they know that dirty laundry should not be aired like that.

112

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: POLICIES: Standard policies for a SM's authority?

« on: Feb 12, 2012, 09:32 am »

As far as "Authority" - a Stage Manager position is like many lower/middle management positions - actual authority is minimal - but the direct line to people with power to make real decisions exists. Ie: A Stage Manager is often responsible for enforcing discipline, but in most companies actually doing anything (like a written warning) requires the producer or company manager to sign off on.

Verbally, an SM is well within their rights to tell a director "Look, my job is to call the show - stop stepping on my toes and BACK OFF" - but if the director keeps at it, the only real recourse the SM has is to talk to the directors boss (company manager/producer).

If a tech is argumentative on coms, then yes, the SM will often tell them to pull their head in - but if it keeps going, as with the director, normally your next step would be to approach the company manager/producer/...

Some companies are organised in such a way that the SM does have a certain level of power over the technicians and actors - and are permitted to issue written warnings etc - but as a general rule (at least in Aus), you won't find many Stage Managers making the unilateral decision to show someone the door.

113

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Break a wine glass with voice effect

« on: Feb 03, 2012, 09:09 pm »

Can the glass be sitting up against a solid surface? You can build a device to break the glass by springing out a nail using a fast firing actuator with a nail on the end - or a spring-loaded system works as well. Basically, you need to fire something at the glass at high speed, safely and in a way that can be easily concealed.

114

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SAFETY: 7 ft. Fall onto Crash Pad in Show

« on: Feb 03, 2012, 08:56 pm »

7ft is a fair distance. A 6ft tall person, falling 7ft, their head falls 13ft. That's not a small drop.

Are your crash mats the crash mats used in gymnastics? or are they proper stunt mats? If they are the gymnastic mats (usually 1" thick foam) - think again - they are designed to minimise damage, not eliminate it. A stun mat will generally have a rating of "x kg from y ft" and be a fair bit thicker... Last one I used for people falling into a pit was about 6" thick and made of a specially designed foam with air cells.

At a university, I would say that your faculty will at least require a complete risk assessment to be done on the stunt, and that RA will need to be performed by a "competent" person (ie a qualified stunt co-ordinator)

115

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Screwing Up

« on: Jan 26, 2012, 10:46 pm »

Only one way to deal with screwing up in my book. Don't make a big deal out of it, admit you screwed up, appologise, correct it as much as you can and then endeavor not to do it again.

I made a call when loading a bunch of gear into our venue on a really hot day that some of the small and expensive stuff (namely 2 MacBook Pro's and 2 other laptops) should be stored in one of our cages in the carpark near the loading dock (which is publicly accessible), instead of separating it all out and taking those items upstairs (which is what I should have done)

As the 6 of us left the cage, we all assumed someone else had locked the cage - a poor assumption resulting in all those laptops going missing along with some other gear (estimated replacement costs were about AU$15k). One of my hats is equipment controller, so this screwup I consider to be entirely mine. So when we discovered the theft, I took full responsibility - I stayed back for 6 hours searching the venue top to bottom to make sure that the gear was not misplaced, I called the general manager and let him know - He hauled me over the coals - I contacted surveillance and worked with them to catch the guy who stole them (we ended up with everything except one of the Mac's back), I implemented new security policies, installed new latches and did a full security audit on our storage spaces. When I go to my next CapEx meeting and on that list is another 2 MacBooks and a bunch of other expensive (and small) gear I will probably get the incident thrown back in my face - and it will probably be thrown back in my face to win any number of other arguments - but you know what - no one can fault how I dealt with the incident - NO ONE.

When the GM asked why he shouldn't give me a written warning over it, I told him that everyone screws up sometimes - and I feel that whilst this WAS a big screw up on my part, the way I dealt with it showed a thorough understanding of how I screwed up and my desire to avoid any circumstances like this again. I explained my headspace (it was a 43deg C (109deg F) day, I started at 0300 and was 12 hours into the wind when I made the bad call) and how I was going to ensure it won't happen again. He was satisfied.

116

Tools of the Trade / Re: 5 fingers

« on: Jan 18, 2012, 11:10 pm »

Quote from: ambrosialx on Oct 15, 2011, 10:34 pm

I worked at a theatre that insisted on safety shoes or steel toes then realized how impractical it was when running around changing gels and gobos and the audience could hear the heavy clomping of shoes over the music!

Then you are wearing the wrong shoes. My safety caps look like regular leather laceups, they have cushioned rubber souls. I am a big guy and with very little effort can be quiet as a mouse in them.

They have also saved my toes more times than I would care to count.

117

The Green Room / Re: Adjusting Theater-Sized Expectations for Non-Thespians

« on: Jan 03, 2012, 10:34 pm »

I would not say it has anything to do with being in the theatre - I would say it is more to do with the type of people that theatre/stage management attracts.

I don't do sick. Unless you are unable to actually do your job, I expect people to work.

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