Messages

136

Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder

« on: Aug 13, 2011, 12:46 pm »

I am very pro-computers - I automate many a process using them, I have one with me in one form or another wherever I go. I can type fairly fast, and I can even type fast enough that I wrote a speech for a friend on an iPad whilst sitting on a train and my mind did not get too far in front of me. But you know what? I can still jot down notes faster.

I keep digital records in databases for many things - when I was an SM, most of my forms were stored in databases - and if I was to SM again, I would probably keep my iPad with me to access these databases and rely on them heavily. Certain things though are handy to have in printed format. I keep contact lists in a printed format - because often I will hand my contact list to someone - I don't want to hand the rest of the show over at the same time. Emergency details, always printed - I don't want to run the risk of a database failure causing me to be unable to assist in an emergency. Cue sheets - these are also something that I will often hand out to forgetful crew members. Basically - I am happy to rely on "the cloud" (or rather my server sitting at home and the backup that exists on my laptop) for personal use. At the same time, I think it is important that certain documents exist and be handy on paper - not necessarily for you, but for other people.

137

The Green Room / Re: What Kind of SM are you?

« on: Aug 10, 2011, 07:56 pm »

I am a production stage manager. I like to believe I will stick up for what I think is best for the show, as a whole, whether that is the producers thoughts, the directors, the techs or the actors that need supporting. It did polarize a few people (there are many directors who don't like being told no), but I think it also garnered a lot more respect than if I was to favor one group. I have always felt closer to the techs than the actors though - once a black shirt, always a black shirt.

I am not the mothering type (or rather the fathering type) although I have sat through a number of 4 hour phone calls at 2 am in the morning when an actress or actor has called me up in tears due to some foible of the heart or positive pregnancy test (still happens to this day with a couple of actors I have worked with and I am not even an SM any more).

The biggest compliment I have received, I think, came from a director that I really did not see eye to eye with - I thought he was a danger to the cast and was asking the impossible, I would routinely pull him out of the rehearsal room and argue with him. At the breakup party, he pulled me aside and basically told me that he didn't like me, that I was stubborn, insubordinate and at times a real &#*@, then he thanked me and asked me if I was free to work on his next 2 shows. (I of course shook his hand, said sorry, not available and walked away)

138

Tools of the Trade / Re: Headset/ClearCom trouble

« on: Jul 27, 2011, 08:45 am »

Comms loops are very susceptible to electromagnetic interference. Common causes are comms lines running beside power lines, mobile phones near comms lines, microwaves near comms lines... Basically, if people are worried about it causing cancer, there is a good chance that it will interfere with comms.

Also... Are you using light weight headsets?

Light weight headsets with the volume turned up too high will feed back.

They are a bit of a black art

139

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: TOURS: Tips for Packing?

« on: Jul 25, 2011, 05:41 am »

But I'm also the person who gets a headache within 30 minutes of waking up, if I don't have coffee...so there's that.  =)

So you're an addict

140

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling cues for the spotlight operator

« on: Jul 24, 2011, 11:27 am »

Some shows it is impossible for one person to call the entire show - I did a "spectacular" (one of those largish events with no real purpose but to look impressive and say "look out how much money we have") with 8 follow spots. As head LX & LD, I called all LX cues, I had 2 assistants calling follow spot cues. My workstation had 4 coms loops - Primary Show Loop, LX Show Loop, A spots and B spots. Primary show loop had heads of each department (AX, VX, LX, Automation, Rigging and Head Stage Hand) plus the PM/SM. LX Show Loop had me, 2 assistants, board operator and my systems engineer. Spots on the two loops. It meant that for most cues, the two assistants would call spot cues, however on timing critical cues, I would barge in and call them

Part of being an SM is knowing what to delegate. Many theatre shows the spot cues are fairly basic - follow this person when they enter, stop following when they leave - logical. SM calling this makes sense - generally you have a board operator who does not know the show well and is bought on at tech, giving them the f/s script would cause more problems than it solves.... When it is dance/roller skates/motor bikes/ice skaters, pickups are sometimes seconds long and may quickly move between multiple performers. Frames change frequently to complement mood and costume and there are often safety fades etc that need to be factored in. For short run, the LD is often onsite anyway or in the case of long run it is generally worth the trouble to train up the board operator.

141

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling cues for the spotlight operator

« on: Jul 24, 2011, 02:45 am »

Depends on the operators and your setup. If you are running one giant partyline, then cuesheet is almost essential. If you have split loops, and can trust your LX op, let LX call spot cues. Another way is a head spot op who has the cue sheet and listens on the show loop and calls spots.

3 spots can become very verbose when calling - I worked on a few ice shows (both on ships and on land) - one show I did, I did not stop talking for the entire show. It can be the same with fast paced dance shows and concerts too.

142

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

« on: Jul 19, 2011, 11:56 am »

To be honest, I am yet to work in a venue or theatre without a fully stocked first-aid cupboard. In fact (us being a large, multi-room corporate venue) we have 6 portable first aid boxes in addition to the onsite first aid room. It is part of our risk assessment that any large show (more than 6 of our crew) must have a first aid box located in the room.

I still have my SM kit, sitting in storage back home - I have a desk now (which is really nice) which is fully stocked by my employer with the basics (even better) - about the only thing I have added is my scale ruler... That said, apparently blue pens have been on back order for over 3 weeks now - and the red pens are the rubbish BIC ones, so I will probably end up BYO pens...

I heartily agree with MatthewShiner - I now play by the "Your employing me, not my tools" - I no longer keep my few grand worth of tools on site - the only tools I keep now are 2 podgers, 2 Adjustable Spanners, a pair of gloves and my harness. I loan my podgers and AJ's out occasionally but the gloves and harness are for my comfort (and my use) only. 

143

Employment / Re: To tattoo or not to tattoo

« on: Jul 19, 2011, 09:40 am »

There are a number of places in this industry who will not employ staff with visible tattoos. Corporate AV is one, Disney is another. If considering a tattoo, I would suggest trying to keep them to areas which can be easily covered by "corporate" clothing.

144

The Green Room / Re: Office Supply Vending Machine

« on: Jul 09, 2011, 11:33 am »

Awesome!

145

Tools of the Trade / Re: Spike marks on peat/bark floor?

« on: May 21, 2011, 11:54 am »

Do you have a lighting grid? or at least some form of above stage structure?  What about a carefully rigged light or laser pointer. Provided you are not using a shed load of haze, if you do it correctly it can be very effective.

146

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: House is Open or Closed?

« on: May 07, 2011, 08:39 pm »

Either that, or change your call to the one we tend to use in Corporate - Doors are Open, House is Live.

The rigger (combined with the superstitious luvvie) in me hates the thought of a whistle being used in a theatre.

147

Tools of the Trade / Re: Your Cue Light System

« on: Apr 23, 2011, 10:26 am »

Amen... I am a Crestron programmer, and know exactly how expensive that sort of gear is... There are far more effective systems for cue-lights. If the aim was to use AMX to control a DALI lighting system, then yeah it could be a really cool way to control a cue light system... except I think it would be better to have a real (switch or button) system tied to GPIs - that way you could patch using AMX, but during show, everything is nice and hard-wired. There are better ways of doing it though!

148

Tools of the Trade / Re: Your Cue Light System

« on: Apr 22, 2011, 05:32 pm »

The one I have used most in Australia is by Leon Audio - We have an 8ch sitting in our general rental stock for corporate work, and a few theatres 'round the area also have them installed.



They are wired just like comms (in that you can Y-split the signal and daisy chain them too) and have 2 groups which you can assign on the fly. It can also be wired into show control easily.

149

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.

« on: Apr 21, 2011, 08:48 am »

Sound ops are generally only on cans at top of show and out of interval. At least on complex shows where they need to clearly hear the room (small shows with a couple of actors delivering spoken word claiming they need both ears is bull). Generally the issue of lack of communication is solved by giving them a copy of the script (or rather the sound designer a copy of the script) which they use to create a mic plot and cue list. Add some cue lights for any cued sound FX or Off Stage Dialogue, Bobs your uncle.

If you are really worried about being in contact with your Sound Op, get a flasher for your comms set - basically it is a big light that you loop out of the comms beltpack. It lights up and flashes whenever someone presses the call button. More complex shows, we tend to put a second comms beltpack at AX, however instead of a standard headset, we use a clearcom "Phone" handset, so that the sound guy can jump on and off comms quickly.

150

Employment / Re: How much to charge for LX design

« on: Apr 21, 2011, 06:49 am »

Quoting on a job like this is very much a "How long is a piece of string" type job.

Weigh up the promotion aspect, the non-profit aspect, the connection you have with the owner, how much money you need to eat and sleep, what time commitment they will be working with.

For a single day, I have charged between $0 and $2,000 (I typically work corporate, so the money is there). For a single project (a day of setup/show, with a few hours of pre-production and a handful of meetings - any more than two personal meetings and the price starts to go up), again I have charged between $0 and $10,000 - purely for labor.

My average rate is $550 a day, walk in, walk out. Projects, $1,100. It's based on what I need, and also what my clients can pay though. Flat day rate is generally better than hourly, and for projects you need to be really careful with your contract, or you end up working on it for a month straight and not much to show for it...

For an idea of cost though - my rent is about 2/3rds my day rate a week. So I work 2 days a week freelance, and I am fairly well off. If I score a project, the rent is almost covered for the entire month. I also have to worry about public liability insurance, private health insurance, personal equipment insurance, food, transport, utilities, tax, accountants etc etc etc. So 3 days a week and all is golden.

Currently, I am full-time employed in a venue which is so much easier on the accounting.