Maybe it's because I don't know terms, but I'm wondering if what I do is a form of paper tech...
I'm currently the ASM for a production, and the SM never gives me anything to do, and so now that we're out of the blocking phase, I've just been sitting there. So one day I went through the script and wrote all the light,sound,fly and any other cues down in order, and asked the director abot any other cues he wanted added or taken away from the script. I'm emailing the sound cue's to our sound guy ( he's the designer, and sound board operator I think.)
Is this at all like a paper tech, or was I just doing my job?
Well, this is sort of a paper tech. BUT . . . maybe at the level you are working at this is acceptable, but doing this without the SM's knowledge is probably not the best thing to do - it sort of smacks of working around the boss.
Also, and maybe it's because the stuff I work on it so out of the box, I would never even pretend to tell any designer where a cue goes . . . that's a designer's job's. (granted, I don't do a lot of shows where an actor comes in and switches on a light switch). If a director mentions something such as a light change, or a pool of light, or a some sort of light effect, I will pass it on to the designer so the designer and the director can discuss . . . but for any member of the stage manager to tell a designer where a cue goes might be a big crossing over the line.
This way the Director can just sit in tech with a good book and say yes or no to small detail decisions. It makes the process go much faster as opposed to the director constantly interjecting and discussing the nature of each individual cue. ( Though the few times that's happened to me she was a pretty overbearing and micro-managing director)
I had a good chuckle over this. A director reading a good book during the tech process? A director being considered overbearing for mico-managing? What do you think their job is?
Directors are hired to delivered a final finished product for the producer. Ultimately, every decision that is made about the production -- every cue, every prop, everything has to serve the director's vision --because ultimately they are responsible for the final product. It was their responsibility. (Just like much of the burden of delivering the finished product by opening night is our responsibility - whatever that finished product maybe.)
So any director who spends tech with a good book in hand and is NOT micro-managing is a director who perhaps has checked out a bit . . . and one who is, should not be called overbearing, but just be acknowledge as doing their job.
Paper tech is a great tool, but remember, you should start paper teching from the first day you look at the designs, the first day you start staging. Ever day you stage, you should be adjusting your run sheets, figuring out if what you staged can be accomplished given the physical and production limitations you are producing under. You need to be able to turn to your director immediately and go - that's great staging, but the table just exited stage left, we have no way to get to stage right to re-enter in 2 minutes.
I feel like by the end of the rehearsal process, if I was to have a paper tech - without the knowledge of what I learn in the theatre, a papertech would be me giving information OUT to designers, not me getting information. At the end of four weeks, I feel like I would have all the information I would possibly get.
Don't get too over zealous and TELL designers where cues go - you may communicate where the director wants a cue, or what the script is asking for, but a designer may come up with something that is better - that is the magic of collaboration.
Be prepared for a Director or designers who just don't want to "waste" time on this. Don't be offended. Most of the time - creative types don't like to make decisions before they absolutely have to . . . and sitting down and making design decisions without seeing things happen in the space may feel very artificial and against what they feel like is important to them as an artist. On the flip side, you might be able to talk to them about getting a vocabulary for scene changes, so you figure out how to go off and dry tech things on your own.
If you have automation - then I think the stakes are raised higher and you must sit down and at least get some things dry tech so some cues can be written and pre-cued. You may need help from higher up to get people to sit down and make some decisions in a timely manner. (And remember, this might push you into over time).
Be prepared to do the dry tech by yourself in pieces . . . especially as designers are not in town or are not available. Remember, sometimes we are lucky to get a designer for one run thru before tech. (And I thought this was just for regional theatre, but I am learning in even on Broadway . . . designers rarely come in for more then one run . . . one designer said "If I see too many runs, I get frustrated by the changes . . . what I really want to see is one run, a month before tech, where I am promised they won't change any blocking.")
And remember, you can spend hours dry teching, but once you get into the theatre, it can all change in an instant. Be flexible.
Edit added attribution to second quote.-Rebbe
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