Messages

136

Tools of the Trade / Re: What Type Of Drill Is Best?

« on: Nov 28, 2007, 09:27 pm »

I second Mac's thoughts - my Dewalt has seen me through show after show. 

If you should decide to invest in one - and it can be a significant investment, depending on your budget - take care to label the tool and all peripheral items so they don't walk away!

137

College and Graduate Studies / Re: school.

« on: Nov 04, 2007, 01:41 am »

Hi wam_sm,

It sounds like you want a BA program instead of a more specialized degree - so that would take out schools that have an intensive, conservatory-style approach, and leave programs that offer a general theater arts degree with open options for further study. I went to UCLA, which is almost a conservatory for actors, but has a very open program for management, design and tech, and offers a cool theory/history component for all undergrads. I pretty much built my own training process out of department shows, local internships and professional work that fit around my classes. Feel free to PM me for more details on the program.

Best of luck in your search!

138

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Bad ASM's

« on: Oct 28, 2007, 01:41 pm »

Scott, I see where you're coming from - but, looking at Jill Young's original post, it looks like what she's writing about is not necessarily the specific learned skill sets (Word, Excel, driving a car, etc) that good/bad ASMs bring to the room, but the ability of an ASM to truly be an assistant. That means to take any responsibilities that the PSM delegates, be attentive to the needs of the show - whatever that requires - and, in my opinion, lay low to avoid creating problems in the room or outside of it.

Jill - could it be that your ASM feels a bit over her head, and is overcompensating by being chatty at inappropriate times? I think that taking a moment outside of rehearsal to figure out how you can make this process a good experience for both of you (and, of course, for the rest of the cast and crew) would be an excellent start, as would a friendly offer to point her toward your favorite SM book.

Keep the SMN posted on how things go

139

Employment / Re: full time or part time?

« on: Oct 25, 2007, 12:10 pm »

I too have been similarly lucky - although I've been out of school for only a year, I have always worked strictly in the theater/entertainment field. I spent a large part of my time in college building connections locally, and have been able to tap into those resources since graduation.

140

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 23, 2007, 10:01 pm »

At my university, PMs were typically staff, directors usually faculty or graduate students, designers grad students or upperclassmen, and everyone else (including SM staff) undergrads of all classes. Technically, there was a "no conflicts" policy in place that applied to all students, regardless of their position on the show; what is the situation in this context? Are there agreed-upon conflicts on the schedule? And are either PM or SD students?

141

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] Electronic Prompt Copies

« on: Oct 18, 2007, 08:21 pm »

For Mac users - and interested PC users:

I just discovered a beta program called FormulatePro (available thru Google Code) that allows you to lay text over PDF. Still very basic, but it's a free alternative to PDF filler (PC-only, that one) and very easy to use. Has anyone used this for prompt/blocking work? Are you interested in trying?

At present, I'm using it to fill in start paperwork and other company-wide items that can be filled in before re-PDFing and sending out, and won't have an opportunity to play with prompt work for a while. Any takers?

142

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Does anyone have a template for wallet cards?

« on: Oct 05, 2007, 11:07 am »

In addition to BalletPSM's list, I like to issue wallet cards with rehearsal studio/theater address, producing office address and a note - "Please call Stage Management at XYZ number if you are running late!"

If you have a rehearsal hotline, I would also list it on there as well.

143

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Injured during tech?

« on: Sep 29, 2007, 11:51 pm »

Not a show-related injury, but...

ASM'd a world premiere musical with a broken toe - in a track where I had to make four round trips up and down straight ladders in each show, hike up and down narrow ramps in full darkness during a tight scene change, stand wedged against a wall out of sightlines for whole scenes, and reset 17 prop buckets in full view of the audience.

Fortunately, my co-ASM and the PSM were both awesome and understanding, and one of the cast members had a matching injury - same toe on the opposite foot - so I had lots of support during those days when I limped everywhere!

144

Stage Management: Other / Working with Stunt Coordinators

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 07:23 pm »

Hi all,

In my current gig, my responsibilities will largely relate to handling logistical stuff - from gear to scheduling to everything else - with the stunt department. Any pointers on working with stunts? Special language that wouldn't come up in your average stage combat rehearsal session? War stories? I'm still very early in the game, but would love to hear from SMN members.

FWIW, this is for a TV show (more info on that later ) and is not technically live theater, although we are planning to have a live studio audience.

Thanks!
Meg

145

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fake animals and blood

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 10:15 am »

Depending on local resources, a taxidermist might be able to help you - they can provide frames for mounting animal parts that are lightweight and durable enough for a nice longish run. The handful of sites I checked out have pricing for full-service packages, which are waaay more expensive than just the mount; it might be worth it to call a few places up and ask for a bargain on some unusable pieces.

Best of luck!

146

Employment / Re: From the other side of the resume (low key rant - personal advice)

« on: Sep 23, 2007, 08:37 pm »

Speaking as a person who sends way more resumes than she receives -

How do you feel about the references that come with the resume? This is a broad question - let me clarify where I'm coming from:

I'm in the process of making the switch into TV from live theater, and while there is a lot of common ground in my city as far as who works in what industry, the "ranking" SM types (or their names, in this case) in theater don't necessary register with HR/production staff in television, which means a lot more work for them in the early stages of the interview process. For those on the hiring side of this discussion, what approach on the part of the interviewee would make your work easiest in this kind of situation? I've tried to tailor cover letters to address this industry gap, but hate to presume too much about the person who sees my application. Pending current projects, I may be able to swap out some of my references for TV names, which would help ease the change, but at present there is still room for awkwardness when the names don't indicate anything to the interviewer.

So what I'm really asking is this: when reviewing resumes, if you come upon an application that is clearly from a parallel business outside the theater, do you expect the cover letter to deal with the obvious career change? To what extent to you expect the letter to clarify the applicant's disposition?

Thanks!

147

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: I feel I have been cheated....am I really over my head...

« on: Sep 13, 2007, 11:12 am »

Hi starsineyes,

Unless they told you stage management was easy and simple to learn, you have certainly not been cheated.

Congratulations on your graduation - that's great!

I encourage you to ask about the terms you don't recognize - that's what this forum is about! It's a good thing that you're still encountering terms/concepts that are totally new; every situation will bring unknowns to you, so enjoy the challenges and take it in stride! This board has a wonderfully diverse posting population, from many different places and types of theater and theater-related fields. Theater is absolutely a learn-as-you-go process. No need to stress -

"Remember to breathe, pay attention, and tell the truth."

--Maxine Hong Kingston

148

Employment / Re: Touring Shows question

« on: Sep 04, 2007, 05:48 pm »

NETworks does send out AEA tours - check their website and contact the Production Management folks for details. Not all of their companies are AEA, but starting in 2006 at the latest they did have Equity options.

http://networkstours.com/

149

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Effective communication as it relates to today's technology

« on: Aug 21, 2007, 03:18 pm »

Kevin -

I've worked in a few environments where the online callboard/production binder system was in place. While I absolutely love the flexibility this offers Stage Management, and I appreciate the responsibility it places on each member of the team as far as retrieving info, I wonder about security. As we can see from BalletPSM's posts, not everyone in this line of business is totally e-savvy; what happens, then, if Joe Designer's Assistant logs in from a public computer and leaves the account open? In the unlikely event that someone else looks at the info, it could become a serious legal issue.... How have you dealt with this eventuality in the past?

I realize this scenario is a bit heavy-handed - but once had to remind a number of cast members that they had to log out of the show site, since failure to do so would have given anyone in the computer lab access to the full contact sheet and original design ideas.

150

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Effective communication as it relates to today's technology

« on: Aug 20, 2007, 12:50 am »

At the risk of setting off the academic alarm bells that lurk in this discussion...

Mac, I think the issue you're pointing out here can be looked at in the form of a question: are we looking at the medium (the technology) or the message (content - i.e., Actor Bob's dance shoes need new heels) when we consider communication in the theater workplace?

And a corollary question...

When and why do members of this business distinguish or conflate the medium and the message it conveys? It seems that the designer who requires a phone call or house call is conflating the two, while another person who emails and IMs and iCals the show to pieces is conflating the two as well, but reacting in an equal and opposite direction. A healthy balance - whatever that means in the context of a show - would, I feel, distinguish the medium and message without soapboxing it to death.

Does this help to clarify what you're saying? Please correct me if I've steered away from your original intent.