Messages

301

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Sound effects

« on: Jan 28, 2008, 09:49 pm »

Get your sound guy to record someone with a meat cleaver banging into a nice thick juicy bit of meat. That will be a nice *THUNK*.

Sound effects are not really the sort of thing you just go out and find on the net (if you want decent ones) - you build them up by layering different sounds over each other, to try and get exactly the sound you want.

302

Tools of the Trade / Re: Should I become a Mac-er?

« on: Jan 24, 2008, 10:39 am »

I believe this topic has long since run it's course, and I am sorry for not jumping on it earlier.

*Click*

303

Employment / Re: No longer an intern - Professionalism and transitioning

« on: Jan 22, 2008, 06:32 am »

In order:

What makes someone a professional? Well there is the "A professional is someone who makes a living from the job" answer - which is strictly true, but to me, professionalism is a state of mind. When you get into the 'office', and you put your all into making the show the best it can be, when you treat people in a "professional" manner, and when you demand the same of your colleagues.

What impresses me in a young stage manager? When they turn up early, or at worst, right on time. When they walk into the room confidently and command respect - not because of the position they hold, but due to their actions. When they can approach difficult situations in a clinical manner, solve the situation fairly and without causing too many bad feelings. When they know how to listen as well as how to talk.

The key to growth, in my opinion, is to know your limitations and your strengths, then play to your strengths, whilst making your weaknesses a non-issue. Then as you evolve, try and work on getting rid of your weaknesses.

304

Tools of the Trade / Re: TMB ProCue

« on: Jan 15, 2008, 11:17 pm »

Looks like a nice little cue light system -  except for the fact that you need to run one cable to each cue light. My favorite cue light system is the Theatre Cue Light by Leon Audio (URL) mainly because you can run it like coms (daisy chain + star config)

305

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dropping Cards?

« on: Jan 14, 2008, 07:30 pm »

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

Can we please steer this thread back on topic.

*Mod hat off*

P.s. - why do you Americans have to be different and give your fixtures different names to the rest of the world?

306

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What should I give my crew?

« on: Jan 13, 2008, 08:45 pm »

A swift kick up the rear end! Stage crew in white? Urgh.

Seriously though - since it is a high school 'thing' include some "fun" things too - a list of interesting theatre factlets like, it is bad luck to whistle in a theatre - then include the history - being that sailors used to be employed as flymen, and whistling is the way sailors used to communicate rigging commands, and as such, whistling can result in a fly bar on your head.

307

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Help? Running board and Lights...

« on: Jan 09, 2008, 06:13 am »

For sound, see if you can obtain a laptop.

Then use some software like Sound Plant (URL), or QManager (URL). For Mac - QLab.

Also, see if your two scene lighting desk can be programed as a scene master desk (most desks can these days)

Otherwise, good lighting so that you can see the boards well is almost essential.

It can be a pain in the backside running half the show yourself, but it is very doable.

308

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

« on: Jan 09, 2008, 03:01 am »

What I have taken to doing (in my currently being revised resume) is instead just listed my experience as follows:

2002-2007   Freelance Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Stage Manager, Theatre Technician
•   Worked on over 70 shows in various roles in more than 35 different venues
•   Managed my own business, including financial records
•   Have worked on 9 new Australian works, and three Australian premiers in a lead designer role
•   Employed to work on 3 state wide band tours as lighting operator/designer
•   Quoted for and performed 4 venue refurbishments and installations

Then, I list crowning achievements later in a section called "Career highlights", only using a few choice shows.

I have not tried it out yet,  but I am hoping it will work well...

309

The Hardline / Re: Cleaning the greenroom

« on: Dec 29, 2007, 06:41 pm »

My response to "Can you do this extra duty" requests is fairly standard:

"If I get time, after I have completed my job, I don't mind doing it, however I cannot guarantee it will get done, and I cannot take responsibility for it."

or

"Sorry, I don't really have the time to do extra little jobs."

(quick note to point out that I do in fact clean the green room when I get time, even if I am not asked. A bit of a neat freak.)

310

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Before Show Pep Talks - Cast and Crew

« on: Dec 21, 2007, 06:10 pm »

I am pretty much with Scott on the issue of pep talks. The closest to a pep talk I get is a quick "Chookas" over cans/backstage IFB on the 5 minute call.

"Okay cast and crew, 5 minutes to Act 1 Beginners - Chookas everyone!"

I am against 'huggy-feely' sessions too. Theatre is a job. Provided the relationship amongst the cast is decent, I won't step in. It's none of my business. The only time I will step in is when the relationships are affecting the show.

311

Tools of the Trade / Re: Should I become a Mac-er?

« on: Dec 19, 2007, 03:16 am »

Slightly outside the box - but look at Fujitsu, if you are looking for a small laptop. I put in a purchase order for one the other day - an S7210, it will be one of the first in Australia. It was a little bit pricier than a Macbook 13", but it is also a fair bit beefier as far as processing power goes. It comes with an "upgrade" disk to Windows XP.

Fujitsu make really nice small format notebooks, at a decent price, for those who don't want to switch to Mac. Me - I am fairly indifferent - however the higher specs won me over

312

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Preshow (turn off your cellphone) announcements

« on: Dec 17, 2007, 08:39 pm »

I think we need to just start building the theatres with thick enough concrete ceilings and walls to REALLY prevent them from working. 

Actually, the trick is to build a thin metal mesh cage around the auditorium. This turns the venue into a faradays cage. Linkey

313

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Who makes the better SM? Men or women?

« on: Dec 10, 2007, 10:29 am »

Questions:

• Have you encountered sexist or gendered behavior in the workplace?

No - I think theatre is one of the most accepting groups around

• What characteristics are most important to a successful SM? Are these primarily female or male characteristics? Why or why not?

What are the most important characteristics of a piece of string? It depends on what you want it to do. Men and Women seem to approach stage management from different angles (of a sort). However that does not exclude women from approaching the job like men, or vice versa. I would suggest looking at some Psychology books on behavioral traits, make some predictions based on what you read and then back up or disprove that prediction based on responses here.

• What are the most common failings of SMs?

I don't like to generalise, because I find that generalisations are far too easy to disprove.

Of male SM's - probably that they try to take a bit more control than many directors would like.
Of women SM's - they are probably a tad over emphatic with the cast.

• What are your thoughts on the idea of a SM as a Mother figure? Any pertinent stories?

I think it is a lovely bed time story. Women SM's may "mother" their casts more, but I would not really call them a mother figure. A confidante, sure, indulgent, maybe, but not a mother - to call them so demeans the job of motherhood.

• Do you feel that there are less SM opportunities for one gender? Is there any instance where one gender makes a better SM? Why or why not?

As I said, I find theatre to be a very tolerant place. I do not think that one gender is better - every SM is different, and whilst their are traits that are more prevalent in one gender than the other, there is no particular chromosomal trait attached to the X or Y that makes a woman or man better than the other. It is how you deal with people and situations - and how you use your strengths, and make non-issues out of your weaknesses that matter.

Whilst it is true that some people react differently to different genders, I find theatrically, that that the difference is minimal.

• If you are a female SM, do you feel you have to work harder for the same respect/pay/jobs as your male counterparts? Why or why not?

XY here - No comment.

• Do people of a specific sexuality or gender identity make better SMs? Why or why not?

No. The person makes the SM, not the gender or playing field.

Mac Calder
Am. SM - 3 years (till I was 16)
Pro. SM - 4 years (Till I was 20)
Pro. LD/SD/TD/PM/MISC - 4 years (Same time as SM)
AV Technician/Technical Director - 1 year (From 20 to current)

314

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Budget?!

« on: Dec 09, 2007, 07:16 pm »

With $1500 for amdram set, I can get an entire box set built and painted, furnished and the like.

It depends on who is in your Amdram society. Because I know for a fact that one of the ladies near me loves theatre, so for free tickets to every show we do, she will pester her husband into supplying us with all the wood we need (He owns a building company) at a very discounted price. One of our best actors works at a hardware shop. The shop is really supportive of us, so paint, nails, 'misc hardware' etc is often provided at little to no cost - things like incorrect paint mixes (when they screwed up the die ratios) usually get put aside for us etc. The local opshops always have furniture, and usually put it aside for a week, so that our set designer gets first pick.

So nothing is impossible.

315

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Do you have a preferred type of show?

« on: Dec 04, 2007, 10:57 pm »

Work in corporate AV then - you will quickly get over it... What I wouldn't do for a properly formulated run sheet, a rehearsal, programming time, and for a night where confetti cannons and balloon drops were not thought of or mentioned. Then there are the VIP tables... Make sure that the table spot on the table is perfect, make sure that nothing obstructs their view... Bonus of working in the industry though is that I have met many a famous actor/musician when I have been using the green room staircase as a shortcut.