166
The Green Room / Re: Production Haikus
« on: Jan 27, 2013, 08:34 pm »
I'll ask for a raise
At the end of this season
If I can make it!
At the end of this season
If I can make it!
News:
14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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167
The Green Room / Re: Thread to vent about / Actors behaving badly / As haiku only
« on: Jan 27, 2013, 08:25 pm »
Actor's camera
Stashed VOM right to take show pics?
"Take it and hide it!"
The lens is the size
Of my friggin' head! Heck no...
We WILL discuss this.
Stashed VOM right to take show pics?
"Take it and hide it!"
The lens is the size
Of my friggin' head! Heck no...
We WILL discuss this.
168
Tools of the Trade / Re: Adivce on Sound management please
« on: Jan 20, 2013, 09:36 am »
While there might be one of two who have an idea of what you can do, I think if you want an experienced opinion I would try another resource specifically for theatre sound design. If you PM me I can send you info on a few of them.
169
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stair unit transitions
« on: Jan 12, 2013, 11:09 pm »
Deep into tech at the moment, but here's what we ended up doing:
The deck chief and I both sat down with the model pictures and put them in order, after running just stair transitions for the first two tech days. I made a cheat book for SL and SR, both identical, both labeled with scene locations, cue lines and spike colors/patterns. There is no cheat book or cheat sheet on either unit, there turned out to be no way to put it on the unit without the audience seeing it at some point.
The most effective change we made? We moved a few actors around so that at least one tech-savvy actor was on each unit that we could trust to communicate to the others onstage. They are essentially 'stair leaders.'
The deck chief and I both sat down with the model pictures and put them in order, after running just stair transitions for the first two tech days. I made a cheat book for SL and SR, both identical, both labeled with scene locations, cue lines and spike colors/patterns. There is no cheat book or cheat sheet on either unit, there turned out to be no way to put it on the unit without the audience seeing it at some point.
The most effective change we made? We moved a few actors around so that at least one tech-savvy actor was on each unit that we could trust to communicate to the others onstage. They are essentially 'stair leaders.'
170
The Green Room / Re: Production Haikus
« on: Jan 09, 2013, 12:41 am »
What a bright idea!
Two 12 foot high staircases
Only actors move.
Over 30 moves -
Techs can't lend a hand onstage
Because they'll be seen.
Forget herding cats!
This is closer to staging
The apocalypse.
Two 12 foot high staircases
Only actors move.
Over 30 moves -
Techs can't lend a hand onstage
Because they'll be seen.
Forget herding cats!
This is closer to staging
The apocalypse.
171
The Green Room / Re: New Years Resolutions
« on: Jan 06, 2013, 11:51 pm »I did mine back in July--
1. Drink more.
2. Be less diplomatic.
I'm not kidding.
Dallas, let's hang out sometime.
I should add that I am teased relentlessly for being a theatre person who doesn't drink. I'm suspicious that there's a pool at work on who can get me past one-and-done.
172
The Green Room / Re: New Years Resolutions
« on: Jan 06, 2013, 12:46 pm »
I did mine back in July--
1. Drink more.
2. Be less diplomatic.
I'm not kidding.
1. Drink more.
2. Be less diplomatic.
I'm not kidding.
173
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness Finals: Paper vs Laptop
« on: Dec 29, 2012, 03:13 pm »Paperless processes are tough, and I have yet to successfully finish a production without a hard copy of a blocking script......but snail-mailing rehearsal schedules is simply not an option. Laptop, you're mine.
Remember we're just talking laptops. No convenience of portability, but you can still take your notes, go to your desktop PC and email your reports and schedules.
174
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness Finals: Paper vs Laptop
« on: Dec 29, 2012, 01:10 pm »
This reminds me of the movie The Good Son, where the mom is holding on to Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin over the cliff, and she has to choose which one she has to let die because she can't hold on to both of them.
In this case, Elijah Wood is paper. I'm gonna let paper live.
In this case, Elijah Wood is paper. I'm gonna let paper live.
175
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stair unit transitions
« on: Dec 29, 2012, 01:05 pm »We did this in Measure for Measure in the park - two rolling stair cases.
At the end of the day, the cast needed to learn the spikes . . . we did some fairly simple spikes (colored, multiple colors, patterns). And since they had to do it to music, and match moving scenery - it was a dance step. If you can get them into rehearsal soon (even mock ups) - it will save you tons of time. And, we had stair rehearsal - 30 minutes of working transitions in Act 1.
We found, eventually, the director simplified the looks - he grew tired of watched the stairs move EVERY time, and we found it actually easier on the eyes to return to the same position more then once.
I've lashed Z-racks to each other, made them rigid by attaching 1x1s to the top, and draped fabric over them to stand-in for walls and doorways. They've been working with them since day one and they've been an enormous help. I've scheduled time in first tech just for stair transitions and blocking on the stairs. I'm hoping with more time the actors will have quicker recall on where the stairs need to go - I've given them every tool possible, they just need to cement them with their blocking. But there will definitely be references on the units and offstage.
Jessie_K: I understand now what you mean with the calendar orientation, thank you!
176
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stair unit transitions
« on: Dec 28, 2012, 09:45 pm »
They each have a stair transition cheat sheet with pictures and cues they've used in rehearsals, but some of them are simply not (ahem) technically minded enough to sing and act and remember where to put scenery all at the same time. I'm leaning towards a booklet because covering the inside of a stair unit with over 30 flashcards doesn't seem a sensible option. Not sure numbering the positions would help.
177
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stair unit transitions
« on: Dec 28, 2012, 08:44 am »
Yes, I mean cheat sheet rather than how to spike.
There are some positions that repeat more than once, I'd say about 1/4. The rest are original, especially in Act 1.
At some points, because the moves are close together, the actors stay with the units rather than leave the stage.
There are walls that fly and track on, but there are far fewer of those cues.
There are no doors, just doorways.
I'm looking for a way for an actor to turn one page at a time without having to use both hands, without having to sort through several pages to find the correct one, and somehow for those pages to stay put together after they've been referenced. I was thinking pages in page protectors and 'velcro' without the velcro, since that would take two hands and be noisy).
There are some positions that repeat more than once, I'd say about 1/4. The rest are original, especially in Act 1.
At some points, because the moves are close together, the actors stay with the units rather than leave the stage.
There are walls that fly and track on, but there are far fewer of those cues.
There are no doors, just doorways.
I'm looking for a way for an actor to turn one page at a time without having to use both hands, without having to sort through several pages to find the correct one, and somehow for those pages to stay put together after they've been referenced. I was thinking pages in page protectors and 'velcro' without the velcro, since that would take two hands and be noisy).
178
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / SCENERY: Stair unit transitions
« on: Dec 28, 2012, 01:15 am »
I have an unusual challenge I've been brainstorming that I'd like to share.
I'm working with a scenic design that is comprised of two large staircase units that are both around 12' high, and each unit has two doorways. These staircase units are shifted throughout the performance to place the audience in various locations in this manor. The challenge is, both units are entirely actor driven. The other challenge is, because there are 20 positions in Act 1 alone, the actors need to have a reference of where their unit is positioned next. I can handle an offstage reference just fine, but to cover my bases I really need to have one on each unit as well. Since at several points the audience sees the back of the units, the reference must:
1. Attach to the wall.
2. Lay fairly flat.
3. Be of a decent size (they shouldn't have to squint to see it).
The director has taken pictures of the model in each position, so I have those at my disposal. I originally thought of a booklet that the actors could turn the page and somehow the page they turn would stay put somehow, and just have a piece of duvateen over it that would cover it when not in use. I'm all about K.I.S.S. at this point.
Ideas?
Edit to add topic tag. -Maribeth
I'm working with a scenic design that is comprised of two large staircase units that are both around 12' high, and each unit has two doorways. These staircase units are shifted throughout the performance to place the audience in various locations in this manor. The challenge is, both units are entirely actor driven. The other challenge is, because there are 20 positions in Act 1 alone, the actors need to have a reference of where their unit is positioned next. I can handle an offstage reference just fine, but to cover my bases I really need to have one on each unit as well. Since at several points the audience sees the back of the units, the reference must:
1. Attach to the wall.
2. Lay fairly flat.
3. Be of a decent size (they shouldn't have to squint to see it).
The director has taken pictures of the model in each position, so I have those at my disposal. I originally thought of a booklet that the actors could turn the page and somehow the page they turn would stay put somehow, and just have a piece of duvateen over it that would cover it when not in use. I'm all about K.I.S.S. at this point.
Ideas?
Edit to add topic tag. -Maribeth
179
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Commercial, Round 7: Pencil vs Laptop
« on: Dec 23, 2012, 01:18 pm »
Until a laptop can take blocking as quickly and easily as pencil and paper, my vote will always be pencil.
180
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Community, Round 7: Gaff Tape vs Paper
« on: Dec 23, 2012, 01:15 pm »I'm just going to say it: y'all are afraid to embrace paperless stage management.I can't be a truly paperless SM unless EVERYONE around me is FULLY paperless too.
Plus, think of all these other things that are technically also paper. Kleenex and Post-Its come to mind.
Exactly. I have a set designer who doesn't have a cell phone or email address. I have a costume designer who refuses to use an online callboard. Maybe in another 10-20 years things will be fully paperless, but not everyone is there yet.
And if we're talking about ALL paper...post-its, scrap paper to jot down a quick note (with a pencil - ahem), the groundplan I use to tape a floor, big things like scripts and scores (some of the works we do are out of print or new works)...there's no way to be completely paperless at this point.