Messages

1786

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Please Help

« on: Jun 23, 2008, 08:10 pm »

Would a flash paper effect be possible?

Otherwise - - - I was thinking something that lit up with red fabric - making it a bit more stylized.  It really depends on the style of the design of the production to find out how you can stylize the effect.

1787

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Emerson-- anyone attending?

« on: Jun 22, 2008, 07:24 pm »

I am interested to know in why Emerson is your "dream school"?

Knowing nothing about Emerson, I am just interested to see what people look for in an undergrad theatre program?  And what about Emerson speaks to you?

1788

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: What would you like to hear?

« on: Jun 13, 2008, 12:38 pm »

I think it's important NOT to fishing for a job during the shadow and prep for the shadow.  Although you may think it's a great time to slip me your resume - that is better for a follow up letter.

Just state where you are in your career, and what you hope to get out of the shadowing process.  Most SM's are either pro-shadow (and will do it right away, so why bother writing a long letter) or anti-shadow (in which case a long letter will just annoy them).

1789

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Broadway 2nd ASM role question

« on: Jun 13, 2008, 08:38 am »

I wouldn't take it personality.  The reality of the situation was they were taking care of the issue to the best of their ability - it doesn't seem like it was a deliberate slant.

1790

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Posting contact sheets on the call board?

« on: Jun 13, 2008, 01:18 am »

The only place I posted is on the wall of my office.

1791

Tools of the Trade / Re: What software do you use?

« on: Jun 11, 2008, 01:34 am »

I use vector works to make my mini-ground plans (I know Vectorworks, not AutoCad)

I take the computer drafted ground plans and then strip stuff away.

1792

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Running Book

« on: Jun 09, 2008, 10:17 am »

Well, the back story is I work on pretty big classical theatre pieces (although I have done this a lot when I used to do musicals, which seems like a whole life ago.)  This is a non-union crew situation.

We meet the last week in the rehearsal process, my staff and the run crew chief and the prop crew chief with Pizza or Chinese food - we usually plan on 2 hours.  Ideally, this is right after the crew has seen a run - but sometimes that gods are not happy and we can't schedule it that way.

I had out my scene by scene and the run book (which goes by many names - but it's the backstage run crew assignments - which is every prop move, every entrance by an actor, every scene change, quick changes, all the fire tracking, all the blood tracking, all the rail moves, all the automation crew . . . everything.)  We go through the show scene by scene and go over the major set changes, blood issues, and tricky spots  (Like crew member B will have to RUN from the trap run to the fly rail in about half-a-page . . .).  It brings the crew up to speed and we can problem solve before we actually get to the theatre.  We also work on any backstage storage issues here.  It can also allow the automation person to get a jump on programming a rough version of automation.

When I am calling a big show, I can't really get into the nitty gritty of how the backstage is run  - so, this is really my last time to take the time and discuss specifics of backstage life. 

The whole meeting is probably 90% of me or my assistants downloading information and 10% discussion.  I do find it very interesting because sometimes, even from the team being in the room during rehearsal, when we go over this for the crew, some aspect of the change will become clear ("I never knew that's when that was going to fly in.")

I know it sounds like a pain, and probably a needless meeting to some, but at the end of the day, if it saves 2 hours of tech time and added stress, it's worth it to take the time to go over all this outside of the tech time.

1793

Tools of the Trade / Re: What software do you use?

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 10:22 pm »

Looking at it I can see how it works.  I can also see why I've never thought of it.  Haven't worked on a show with that many set changes in a long time or at least with that many individual groundplans by a designer.

Might be good for musicals too though.

Yeah, I worked on way too many big, big scene change shows.

1794

Tools of the Trade / Re: What software do you use?

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 07:25 pm »

That document is done sort of a day by day basis when we stage things.  So, I probably put about three hours into it.  There are usually a lot of typos since I don't often proof things . . . but an assistant will usually clean it up - so they may spend an hour or so on it.

I know it's not the "right" program for what I am using it for, but it sure works.  Especially when you are working with a "buffet-style" set design where the director can pick and chose what they want for every look.

1795

Tools of the Trade / Re: What software do you use?

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 06:02 pm »

LOL - it's not thrilling.

It's just a mini-ground plan with details.

This is what I use to communicate with Scenic and Lighting designers, and hand out to crew.

I can always hook up a projector and use it to talk through crew heads during run book meeting.

I don't update once we hit the theatre . . . but this gives me and the designers a visual rep of the show, and try to problem solve on paper.



Posted on: June 08, 2008, 04:02:22 PMToast is a CD burning software - great to run off multiple rehearsal cds.

1796

The Hardline / Re: Style

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 05:55 pm »

This discussion may end up being like driving on the highway - the speed you're driving is the "right" speed, everyone driving slower is clogging up traffic and everyone driving faster is FAR TOO DANGEROUS.

But the question is, do you tend to drive slower or faster then the speed limit if there is no other traffic.

Yes, a lot of this based on the situation you are presented with.

I would love to know if there is any sticklers for the rule book, hours put in, etc out there to present another side of the discussion.

1797

The Hardline / Re: Style

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 01:41 pm »

I think we'll find that all of us are "somewhere in the middle" for the most part on this topic.  I'd be surprised if there was someone that felt very strongly one way or the other.

You know, I always thought this, that most SMs are somewhere between the two extremes . . . but you know there are people who are STRONGLY letter of the law, bill for everything, take the producer for all their worth, because they are going to take you for all your worth (granted a lot of these people come from the commercial background - but not all of theme.) 

There are those that coming out swinging from contract negotiations to closing day - and every day in between.  AND THAT'S FINE.  That is one way to run your business.

1798

The Hardline / Re: Style

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 11:34 am »

Spending extra time outside the contract is somewhat the norm for AEA members.

Don't we expect an actor to learn their lines when they are not in rehearsal?

(I never thought about hours and our work before in relation to actors.  Granted, there are some actors who don't do any homework - but there are a lot out there doing their work - especially if they have a role or two in a show, and some understudy roles.)

1799

Tools of the Trade / Re: What software do you use?

« on: Jun 08, 2008, 10:58 am »

I am Mac

word
excel
powerpoint (I do visual scene by scene transition charts)
e-mail program
toast
photoshop
iweb (for my web pages)
iphoto
illustrator
vectorworks

1800

The Hardline / Style

« on: Jun 07, 2008, 12:54 pm »

Style

The recent thread about contract and expectations brought up a lot of emotional responses, and a lot of emotions in me. 
There is always a question of style as a stage manager; are you the type of stage manager who is going to live by the letter of the contract, or are you the type of stage manager who signs up for the show and is going to do everything in your power to get the show up and running contract be damned?

I find myself somewhere in the middle – and granted I am not a free-lance stage manager,  I am a company stage manager (so, in exchange for being employed 52 weeks a year at a very nice weekly rate, they own my sou).  I do work on my day off often (take phone calls, answer e-mails, and sometimes come in the Monday before a Tuesday tech to dry tech), but I do bill overtime rates for extra time worked on a day off – OR – I track that time and take it off.  For example, if I put in, let us say 10 hours of time on Mondays over the course of a show, I just don’t come in for 10 hours of understudy rehearsal, and let my assistant do that. 

I am very comfortable with sort of my internal boundaries I have drawn.  Tech is tech, and I know that if I came in 2 hours early, and work with the lighting designer or sound designer, I can save valuable tech time with the actors, and make the whole process run smoother.  But again, I am very well compensated for my time, so I don’t mind.  (In my head, I sort of figure out how much over minimum I am paid, and sort of think – okay, if those were overtime hours . . . how much are they already paying for.)

Even though I am compensated well, I have to admit this is not behavior I started when I was young stage manager staging managing in summer theatres, LA non-equity and pre-union membership.  It’s just the type of person I am, which translates into the type of stage manager I am.  I strongly feel the type of stage manager you are as a intern, or a student, or young professional is the type of the stage manager you will always be.  (I have seen this time and time again).  Rarely does a large paycheck improve your SM abilities, it just improves your life.  One could argue that it is sad I am still the same stage manager I used to be . . . just with a hell of a lot more experience.

Now, have I gotten into contract issues before?  Yes.  I too did an internship/residency where it became apparent that a day off was a luxury no-one on stage management could afford (it was a Broadway bound musical, the set was just not working the way we wanted it to, we hit the second week of tech and still had started teching act 2 . . . ).  So I think we went 28 days (16 hour days) without a day off – rather then complain about the missing days off – I went to the production manager and talked about the fact I was unable to do laundry, go grocery shopping, or work my other job on the day off . . . and we came up with some creative  solutions.  We were given access to washers and dryer and did our laundry during lunch break, lunch and dinner was brought in for us, and we were paid a little extra during the force march to opening – but we worked together to find the solution.  It was an amazing morale boast in that were getting the show up and running, and it felt like management was supporting even us lowly interns.  (As a manager, I have asked interns to work on Monday, but I have made sure to compensate them for working on their day off.)

In the end, even as student, intern, young professional, and season vet, you do have to stand up for what you believe, but you also have to develop a style and an idea of the type of stage manager you want to be.
Do you bill for all overtime?  Do you stop your work-week right at 48 hours (or what ever your contract max is) unless there is overtime?  Do you refuse to answer work related phone calls on Monday?  Do you break contract (for a better gig, for a family issue, because you hate the show)?    Do you follow the letter of the Equity Rule Book, or do you work with Equity to come up with creative solutions to Rules that present a silly obstacle to your production?  (Trust me, there are 100’s of creative interpretations of rules me and my business rep have come up with that doesn’t break the rule, and gives you more opportunities.)  Do these answers differ if it is a commercial project (that is where the goal is to make money) or if it is for a non-profit company?

In the end it all, I feel it is your style and how you approach the job is what is going to get you hired for a job (that and you ability to call a bump light cue on time the beat . . . but that’s a different thread) – and get you rehired for a job.