Messages

376

Tools of the Trade / Re: iPads

« on: Apr 04, 2011, 01:06 am »

I don't know if this works on the iPad but it does on the iPhone, so I assume, but the Scene Partner app is a cool new thing I saw at this year's SETC it's an exciting tool I would like to use, but I don't have an iPhone might be a reason to get one though.

For the most part, iPhone apps work on the iPad but it will render in the iPhone screen size. You can click a "x2" button and expand it, but it will get all pixilated.

I just got an iPad this week so I haven't been able to get too much in terms of SM tools. I'm already in a run right now so my need for tools and gadgets is pretty small. But these are things I used on my iPod touch, or have heard are fantastic iPad apps.

Time calculator is a great app to figure out running times. It's an iPhone app that I've used often since I got my iPod touch, and I now use it on my iPad despite the pixelated-ness. 

A friend of mine swears by Omnifocus. She uses it for iPhone (priced at $20) but the iPad app is a pretty staggering $40. I haven't pulled the trigger on this myself, but I'm getting close. I can't seem to find anything that does what this program can do as well as it does. It syncs through the cloud and to a desktop app.

I personally use filemaker pro for all things stage management, so I will be downloading Filemaker Pro for iPad. It's a way to modify your database directly from your iPad which will make my life very simple and happy.

Last one I have right now that I use every once and a while is Tally Lite. It's a simple Tally counter that can help you keep track of difficult cue sequences (ie you have 12 quick LQ go's and you don't want to accidentally call 13).

377

The Hardline / Re: More on the attacks on unions

« on: Apr 02, 2011, 09:45 am »

politics (and Faux Business News) aside, is anyone really overly shocked that a producer is upset at the amount of money they have to pay for anything?

And let me rephrase that, is anyone shocked that a non-theater business man turned producer who didn't work their way through the business is upset that at the amount of money they have to pay for anything? Their entire purpose is to make a profit and anything that gets in the way of recouping their investment is not good.

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. Does AEA make life difficult to be a producer? Absolutely. Especially when you are a younger company just making your way into the union world. You go from paying smaller stipends to considerably larger stipends to weekly salaries. There's a lot more red tape you have to go through. But even then, if you become an AEA company (and thus start rubbing shoulders with the other 16 unions) you know what you're getting into. Ok, devil's advocate over.

I won't suppose what motivated this gentleman to invest in a Broadway production. It's great that he's investing in the industry and providing many of us the opportunity to be employed on Broadway. That being said...I would love to see where he gets his $170,000 number to hang two cameras, and two tv monitors. I'd also like to know how the ticket seller union is involved with that decision. After all, all 17 unions wanted a piece of this action according to him.

378

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PAPERWORK: What to call someone who the script is "Adapted by"

« on: Apr 01, 2011, 03:23 pm »

My company adapts novels all the time into shows. But we always give billing to the author so for example our marquee's read "Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five adapted by Eric Simonson" but when we write out the contact sheet, Simonson would be listed as playwright. Despite adapting a work, they are still writing the play. They are still the playwright. We just make sure we put "adapted by" in all media outlets to avoid any confusion.

379

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: AEA Actors as ASMs

« on: Mar 27, 2011, 05:42 pm »

I find some of the best tasks to give an actor fulfilling the ASM role is to give them tasks specifically geared towards the cast. Things like Line notes, running orders, props tracking, sign in sheet master etc. I've found they feel more in touch with things they've interacted with as an actor, and it will require less instruction because they know what they want to see on those things and that will be helpful to both of you moving forward.

But like Matt said, that's all up to the actor hired and what they were told to expect.

380

The Green Room / Re: Sanity is Evasive

« on: Mar 25, 2011, 06:58 pm »

I listen to a whole lot of podcasts to unwind. In no particular order I would suggest:

This American Life (NPR)
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me (NPR)
Risk! (Stand up Comedy)
Basically any podcast produced by Howstuffworks.com is fantastic.

If you're a sports fan I also listen to Around the Horn, and PTI. The B.S. Report covers a wide variety of topics, mostly centered around sports, but they have lots of other things that gets covered.

I also listen to a whole lot more (more political things) but these are my favorite unwinding podcasts. Political podcasts just end up making me cranky

Glad you're liking the zombie podcast! 

381

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: RUNNING: How do you decide when to cancel a performance?

« on: Mar 21, 2011, 09:44 am »

House count should not dictate if the show goes up or not. I've had shows play to a house of 2. If there's a butt in the seat, the show goes on. I feel like the only reason to cancel a performance is during the tech period leading into previews. If you have the ability to cancel a first preview because you need the extra tech time: go ahead.

It's funny because I always had this "dream" I guess you could call it that when I'm working on a horrible show that no one will show up and I'll be able to cancel the performance and save myself the torture of seeing the bad show one more time. Hasn't happened yet, and I hope this is a dream that never comes true.

382

The Green Room / Re: Sanity is Evasive

« on: Mar 14, 2011, 11:40 pm »

Just had to say I started listening to that Zombie radio drama, and its quite enjoyable. Thanks for sending me the info

Glad you're enjoying it!! Though its that horrible thing that happens when you drop into any series: you're able to catch up and listen all you want until finally you are all caught up and then you're stuck waiting for the next installment and your brain starts screaming at you.

383

The Green Room / Re: Exercises & Warm-Ups That Don't Suck

« on: Mar 11, 2011, 11:18 am »

Here's a few more to add to your warm up list:

The Machine
Someone starts off with a repetitive motion and one by one the group adds onto that motion and creates a machine. No sounds, just movements.

3 Line Scenes
Quickly establish a place, a relationship and a conflict in three lines.

Freeze Tag
The improv variety, not the school yard variety. Start an improv scene and anyone can call freeze and tag someone out and start a new scene from the same positions they were just frozen in.

Yes And
This is a fantastic game for building stories while never denying anything. Start a story standing in a circle, and when it's time to pass the story on, the storyteller looks to their right and that person accepts what they just heard by saying "Yes and" and building off that previous person's story. They aren't allowed to change things they heard, they can only build and add to it.

Half Life
Perform a 60 second Open Scene with 2 or 3 students. Stop them, then they have to perform the same scene in 30 seconds (catching the major points). Then perform the same scene in 15 seconds, and in 7.5 seconds. If you feel like there's an awesome catchphrase to be had, they can perform a 3 second scene after that.

I got a whole bunch of other ones from my improv/YMCA camp counselor days if you want more suggestions.

384

The Green Room / Re: Sanity is Evasive

« on: Mar 10, 2011, 11:01 am »

If I've had a really really bad day, I'll meditate when I get home to push all the thoughts of the day out....that is if I'm still able to concentrate.

I've also recently become a mod/admin of another forum about a zombie apocalypse radio drama and I've found that heading over there and talking about theories and what not helps me decompress.

I don't expect that last one to be helpful to anyone but myself...

385

Tools of the Trade / Re: Glow-in-the-dark Glow tape

« on: Mar 10, 2011, 12:06 am »

That stuff reminds me of a TV/VCR or any other combination of two excellent products: It does both things, but doesn't do either one of them very well. Or at least not as well as each of its original components.

386

Stage Management: Other / Re: Hundreds evacuated in fire at NW Indiana theater

« on: Feb 11, 2011, 05:10 pm »

It also could have happened instantaneously. Performer kicks instrument, knocks it over, instrument breaks, sparks and sets fire to the curtain.

It obviously wouldn't pass NY fire inspection if the curtain went up as quickly as it seems to have. That's my question: Why isn't the road house getting a finger pointed at for the curtain/the circus for having an unsafe, non-fire proofed curtain? You can blame a performer, or lack of an ASM if you want, but there should be redundancies in safety like fire proofed curtains in case a person can't be around that area of the stage 100% of the time.

387

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROMPT SCRIPT: Books of the unconventional variety

« on: Feb 07, 2011, 02:36 pm »

It's funny, I don't think I've used a backstage script since college. Recently I've been using just run sheets broken down by time. While a show will breathe internally, the general timing will stay pretty consistent. So if I write a cue happens at 53:15 elapsed time, and I give the stage crew a cue line, they can be at the right place at the right time.

I also try to condense the run sheet (if humanly possible) to the size of a large index card. This way I can print out the run sheet steps, glue it to the index card, punch a hole in it, and make a tie line loop. Now you have your entire run sheet attached to your person, it's small enough to fit into a front or back pocket, and you never have to worry about where you put them down.

388

The Green Room / Re: Trivia Tournament III - 2.0.11

« on: Feb 07, 2011, 02:26 pm »

I was so much more interested at 6am when I was winning....you know...because no one else had played yet.... 

389

The Green Room / Re: thoughts on sharing

« on: Feb 06, 2011, 01:23 am »

The reason I am here and have been since college is a simple reason: No one taught me how to do this. And very frequently I see it's the same way with a lot of people on this site.

I've learned a lot by trial and error. If I can help someone through a situation I've gone through, great. Call me a softy, but being an educator seems to be, and is becoming, a large part of who I am as a person and a professional.

I agree with you Celeste. "It's the right thing to do", and in my opinion competition be damned.

390

Tools of the Trade / Re: Discussing drills

« on: Feb 05, 2011, 04:00 am »

I'll say that I mostly encounter those with Dewalt drills when I work as a carpenter/electrician/whatever. If you are going for heavy duty use, Dewalt is the way to go. The extra bit of money they will cost over a Makita is worth it.

If you're using it for high school crew (meaning you're probably only putting together one or two shows a year) a makita will work just fine too. They tend to be less expensive and can last. My fiancee purchased a makita about 4 or 5 years ago to assemble sets for her high school and that drill has served its purpose perfectly.

Both drills have comparable battery charges. Dewalt probably has a bit more punch in my opinion and will probably be able to sink screw with a little more ease. But Makita's will run you a little bit less in terms of the cash.