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December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!
« on: Dec 02, 2012, 03:59 pm »
That's because I draft the polls on a prep board several hours in advance and move them en masse when they go live.
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14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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572
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!
« on: Dec 01, 2012, 10:29 pm »
As we come to the end of the 1st quarter, it's a bloodbath in three of our four matches, with gaff tape, multitool and pencil each handily dominating. However, crowd favorite Binder is struggling to hold its own against the new offensive techniques of the digital light board.
The games are not even in their scoring. The Binder/Board & Gaff/Staples matches have seen 36-37 votes so far, with Pencil/C-wrench at 33 and Multitool/Condoms bringing up the rear at 32 votes. Also of interest is that no match is currently looking to be a flawless victory. In each case, the trailing tool has at least one vote.
Will the light board pull out a surprise upset? Stay tuned for the next update at half-time!
The games are not even in their scoring. The Binder/Board & Gaff/Staples matches have seen 36-37 votes so far, with Pencil/C-wrench at 33 and Multitool/Condoms bringing up the rear at 32 votes. Also of interest is that no match is currently looking to be a flawless victory. In each case, the trailing tool has at least one vote.
Will the light board pull out a surprise upset? Stay tuned for the next update at half-time!
573
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Commercial, Round 1: Pencil vs Crescent Wrench
« on: Dec 01, 2012, 04:35 pm »
I don't know. It starts off sharp, but it's been known to crack under pressure and wear down easily.
574
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Community, Round 1: Gaff Tape Vs. Staples/Paperclips
« on: Dec 01, 2012, 02:24 pm »
Yes. Although in some cases paperclips will suffice, and they're far less expensive. Besides, who can forget the 54 uses for binder clips thread. Those do fall within the realm of "paperclips," I'd say.
575
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: University, Round 1: 3-ring Binder vs. Digital Light Board
« on: Dec 01, 2012, 02:21 pm »
Speaking as someone who remembers the era before boards went digital, I can verify that they've totally changed the sound of a show in process and the number of staff members required. For most non-equity SMs it means you're running the board instead of calling the cues. It's allowed for the development of far more complex lighting, however it has also paved the way for some situations like time-code shows where almost no calling is needed at all.
Younger SMs will not remember having to use a stopwatch to count down a manual 15 second cross-fade on a two-scene preset board.
Younger SMs will not remember having to use a stopwatch to count down a manual 15 second cross-fade on a two-scene preset board.
576
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!
« on: Dec 01, 2012, 01:22 am »
Round 1 has begun and will run through Tuesday at approximately noon CST, when we'll move on to Round 2. You each get one vote in each match-up. You are not restricted to the match for your personal level of employment - division names are just for clerical purposes. Votes can be changed up until the poll close. You can see the results of the poll even if you haven't voted yet by clicking the "View Results" button below a poll. To prevent confusion, the currently active polls will be "stickied" so they're easy to find at the top of the board. Discussion threads will remain open until the end of that particular tier of matches.
Winners will be announced here and will progress to the next level. You'll see them again, pitted against new combatants, in about 2 weeks.
I will be updating the bracket form at the top of this thread as matches close so that folks who join us late will be able to jump in.
I see we've got close to 70 people who have already downloaded a copy of the bracket - that's really awesome! This has the chance to get really silly - and that's the point - but let this also be an opportunity to discuss alternate uses for common materials, share the tips you've learned (all in the name of supporting your team, of course), and stories about how particular gadgets and tools have saved your bacon on various productions. Of course, if you want to provide color commentary you can always do that too.
(PS: Nick is awesome.)
Winners will be announced here and will progress to the next level. You'll see them again, pitted against new combatants, in about 2 weeks.
I will be updating the bracket form at the top of this thread as matches close so that folks who join us late will be able to jump in.
I see we've got close to 70 people who have already downloaded a copy of the bracket - that's really awesome! This has the chance to get really silly - and that's the point - but let this also be an opportunity to discuss alternate uses for common materials, share the tips you've learned (all in the name of supporting your team, of course), and stories about how particular gadgets and tools have saved your bacon on various productions. Of course, if you want to provide color commentary you can always do that too.
(PS: Nick is awesome.)
577
December Madness I: 2012 / University, Round 1: 3-ring Binder vs. Digital Light Board
« on: Nov 30, 2012, 07:59 pm »
The University Division starts off with a competition that may be the biggest head-scratcher of round one. The 3-ring Binder, despite recent dismissals in the media as archaic and unsexy, remains a stalwart member of the stage manager's arsenal and perhaps one of the most well-known symbols of our profession even when filled with things other than women.
However, one cannot deny that the relative newcomer Digital Light Board has completely revolutionized the industry, affecting everything from our job descriptions and backstage hiring to the patterns of calling cues.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
However, one cannot deny that the relative newcomer Digital Light Board has completely revolutionized the industry, affecting everything from our job descriptions and backstage hiring to the patterns of calling cues.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
578
December Madness I: 2012 / Commercial, Round 1: Pencil vs Crescent Wrench
« on: Nov 30, 2012, 07:54 pm »
The Commercial division will answer the question once and for all - is the pencil mightier than... well, everything else? The Pencil is undoubtedly the odds-on favorite here, but a last minute influx of support from electricians could very well put the Crescent Wrench over the top and send it on to the next round.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
579
December Madness I: 2012 / Regional, Round 1: Multitool vs. Unlubed Condoms
« on: Nov 30, 2012, 07:51 pm »
The Regional Division starts with a somewhat uneven challenge, although one shouldn't rule out a competitor entirely without considering the full merit of what it brings to bear. The ever-present multi-tool is certainly versatile but its history has been plagued by in-fighting over brands and numerous injuries from cheap Chinese knockoffs. (Although one might say the history of unlubed condoms has suffered with similar issues.) While within the theatre industry the long-shot underdog condoms have been pretty much restricted to use by the sound department, imaginative stage managers could certainly put them to other uses somewhere between microphones and their original intended purpose.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon on Tuesday the 4th.
580
December Madness I: 2012 / Community, Round 1: Gaff Tape Vs. Staples/Paperclips
« on: Nov 30, 2012, 07:46 pm »
The Community Division starts with well-loved competitor Gaff Tape up against the longshot rival merged team of Staples & Paperclips. Staples & Paperclips brings a unique combination of a slippery fade on the defense and long-term pierce and hold strategy on the offense. Industry favorite Gaff Tape brings a flair that has earned it value and notoriety among the backstage community, although its cost, relative anonymity outside of the arts, and scarcity can be a detriment.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon CST on Tuesday the 4th. Votes can be changed up until the poll closes.
Vote! Share your ideas on why you voted!
This poll will run through noon CST on Tuesday the 4th. Votes can be changed up until the poll closes.
581
The Green Room / Re: Facebook Group for SMNet members
« on: Nov 28, 2012, 06:15 pm »
And then FB re-merged all of the remaining active accounts that were lost in the great Valentine's Day Archiving. Our FB group membership instantly increased from 86 to 222.
582
Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] What goes inside a SM Kit?
« on: Nov 27, 2012, 07:22 pm »
Unfortunately Ricola stopped sending free samples in 2008 (see this post for discussion of the sad event) but may send coupons.
As for free stuff, I recommend following #freebies on twitter as there's a ton of bargain hunting experts who specialize in finding samples & coupons who post under that particular hashtag.
As for free stuff, I recommend following #freebies on twitter as there's a ton of bargain hunting experts who specialize in finding samples & coupons who post under that particular hashtag.
583
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!
« on: Nov 27, 2012, 07:17 pm »I'm not entirely sure what this is all about but the icon is certainly a time piece of some sort, the antiquarian in me suggest a pocket watch or traditional (but elegant) stop watch... (am I even *near* the right track here??)
China, each member can choose or upload an image that serves as a means of quickly identifying us when we post. They're called avatars or icons. Some people (like nick_tochelli and jcarey) use headshots or photos of themselves. Others use symbols. The old-fashioned stopwatch is a bit of MS Word Clip Art and served as the original logo for this site back when I started it in 2000. When we transitioned from the original format to this current message board format, I made it my personal avatar and it's been thus ever since.
As for all of this, it's a tournament similar to the sports tournaments that drive everyone nuts throughout the year. Instead of basketball teams and football teams we've got stage management tools like gaff tape and pencils duking it out for the position of "favorite stage management gadget." In other words, we're being silly.
584
Self-Promotion / Re: THE CHRISTMAS ROSE Carnegie Hall
« on: Nov 26, 2012, 08:55 pm »
We shall henceforth call him "the Wrangler."
585
December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!
« on: Nov 25, 2012, 02:35 am »
Ha! Does that mean I should be pestering it about why it hasn't found a nice social network to marry?