Messages

271

Employment / Re: Transitioning to TV/Film?

« on: Apr 14, 2012, 04:13 pm »

I thought about doing this briefly before, but with Hunger Games and Homeland filming locally it kickstarted those thoughts again. It pays more, but there's just as much competition for jobs.
Starting as a PA is the best way to get a foot in - do a great job and you'll be asked back and for better jobs better suited for your SM skills. On the downside, much like any freelance, you can have huge gaps of time without work.

272

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Autism-friendly performances

« on: Apr 14, 2012, 04:03 pm »

That would be great, missliz! I'm definitely open to more than one adviser on this one.

273

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Special Skills on a Resume

« on: Apr 12, 2012, 08:55 pm »

From personal preference I would strike Sennheiser, etc. What do you know about light boards? Programming, or just pushing GO? What level of experience do you say you have in Word/Excel? Basic, intermediate or advanced? There are tests online that will rate your knowledge if you're not sure.
It's excellent if you can read music, it's even better if you've called cues from a score, so if you've done so you should mention it. That tends to open you up to ballet, opera and orchestral.
I'm on the fence about your onstage training; when I see it on someone's resume, my mind automatically thinks 'you're doing stage management as a temporary placeholder until your acting career breaks', but I understand your reasoning behind it.
Other than these few things, I think your special skills section is fine. Anything that you think would be a benefit to a general stage management position is good to include, especially any musical or language skills.

274

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Re: ESCRIPTS: Post your requests for electronic scripts here!

« on: Apr 11, 2012, 06:14 pm »

In need of The Secret Garden score. I already have the script.

275

Tools of the Trade / Re: Running sound cues in rehearsal

« on: Apr 05, 2012, 11:59 pm »

I SM'd a show that incorporated videotaped interviews into scenes and transitions, sometimes with the actors 'conversing' with the interviewee, so I had to be the one running the DVD in rehearsal. Not quite the same, but I found that I wasn't able to accurately take notes during certain moments because I had to watch the DVD counter or wait for a cue line. I ended up with black holes in the prompt book. I imagine it would be the same situation constantly having to worry about sound in rehearsal. I hate to put it this way, but if a director requested me to use QLab in rehearsal and basically start building the cue list, I would either eventually say 'that isn't a part of my contract' or I would play dumb. You have enough to keep track of in rehearsal...why add sound designer/engineer to the list?

276

Tools of the Trade / The WSJ Article

« on: Apr 05, 2012, 11:53 pm »

Anyone download the trial version and give it a whirl?

And from the sound of things, it sounds best for choreographers who have the prep time to put it all into the app - not for stage managers who have to be able to jot down information quickly.

277

The Green Room / Re: Picture Wars!

« on: Apr 04, 2012, 09:00 am »

Cameras and microphones - always Tracy's downfall.

278

The Green Room / Re: The Greatest Show Never Made

« on: Apr 04, 2012, 08:53 am »

Teletubbies, The Musical (though it wouldn't shock me if there were a TYA version out there)
George W.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Musical

279

Employment / 'If this, then that'

« on: Apr 01, 2012, 11:07 am »

Interesting way to make the job listings come to you. Has anyone tried this?
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-find-a-new-job-with-ift-164124

280

The Green Room / "My Child is a Star!"

« on: Mar 26, 2012, 11:55 pm »

A post written to stage parents, the good and the bad.

http://theatreface.ning.com/profiles/blogs/my-child-is-a-star?utm_source=SM&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=DailyPosts&utm_content=michael

281

The Green Room / Re: A Sticky Wicket

« on: Mar 22, 2012, 01:21 pm »

This topic was very well covered in a similar thread here: http://smnetwork.org/forum/stage-management-plays-musicals/professionalism-have-i-overstepped-the-mark/msg31595/#msg31595

Be sure to read the responses. You could potentially face legal issues if you're keeping a performer from being hired or dropped from a production, even with your best of intentions. Don't offer the company this information regarding his personal life. I wouldn't even take the performer aside to speak with him privately about it. If he causes problems with his housing, that should be a matter for the company manager or someone in a similar role. If what he were doing was illegal that may be a different story, but again that's treading a fine line (you'd have to witness the illegal activity) though in this case it sounds like a consensual matter rather than a monetary transaction.

282

The Green Room / Re: When is it abuse?

« on: Mar 22, 2012, 01:00 pm »

http://lifehacker.com/5894134/how-to-combat-emotional-warfare-and-root-out-the-manipulative-abusive-people-in-your-life

Here's an article from Life Hacker that hits some important points. Though I don't 100% agree on the section regarding verbal abuse from bosses and higher-ups.

283

The Green Room / When is it abuse?

« on: Mar 21, 2012, 10:52 am »

Since I received this question recently, I'll pose it to the forum for discussion:

We can all agree this industry is stressful for all involved, and unfortunately an unwritten part of our job description is taking on someone else's stress in the form of, let's say, "criticism at high volume" (think I might trademark that!). Directors yell, actors yell, but we have to be the calm, steady voice of reason in order to bring everyone back down off the cliff and get the work done.

The question posed to me was this: When does someone else's yelling fall into the category of abuse? What is the line that, to you, should never be crossed? When in your career did you face a verbally abusive situation - whether union or non-union - and how did you deal with it?

284

Self-Promotion / Re: Teddy

« on: Mar 21, 2012, 10:26 am »

Just out of curiosity, why "Teddy?" Chosen at random or was there intent?

285

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips

« on: Mar 20, 2012, 10:40 pm »

We've been having a hard time finding any mass quantities of Riccola, free, discounted, or otherwise. Could you post or PM a link? We're buying cough drops twice a week!

Here's a response I received a couple months ago when I was searching for freebies:



Thank you for your interest in Ricola products.

In response to your question, Ricola is no longer donating product to Broadway, theatres and the like; however we have made the product available for sale.  If you are interested in receiving product from Ricola the cost is $65.00 per case (8 drums in a case, 265 drops per drum) plus shipping ($10.00 for the East Coast).

Please let me know if you'd like to place an order and I will send you a list of the information that I need.

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,

RICOLA USA INC.