Messages

76

The Hardline / Re: Need a doctor in NYC

« on: Jan 18, 2008, 06:26 pm »

Wow - what a great resource. Cirque keeps records for each city they are in of docotrs and specialists....all over the world. i am certain other companies do too. If only we could put something like this together. It would be great to know when you bump your head in Mannheim Germany that there was a doctor nearby that understood performing gigs....Just as an example.  - D

77

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

« on: Dec 19, 2007, 05:49 am »

I use bootcamp every day. It is available for free in a Beta form but only until the end of the year because it is included with Leopard. You will also need to load a windows operating system. I was not happy with Word or Excel for Mac and all of our office paperwork (casting sheets, wardrobe... everything) is in Excel or Word. So, I found that I needed to have Office in a Windows platform. On the Mac Side, I downloaded NeoOffice (free) and it will allow me to open Office documents but does not have complete functionality for editing or even printing. For example, the casting sheet prints without the show logo. I could probably work around this but I have not had the time to do so. I do not find the reboot back and forth to take too long and in a way it makes me so much happier to be back on the Mac side at the end of the day.

My roommate runs Parallels. (79.99 for the new version) He currently uses it to run AutoCAD and has had no performance issues with it. The advantage is that since you are not actually partitioning you can have access to all programs at once. Something that can be annoying when I want to say play from iTunes while doing paperwork.

As for all of the other aspects; I bought the Black Macbook - It is sleeker, It is lighter when I am dragging it to a new venue every day on European public transport, I do not miss the maintenance aspect at all and I have been exceptionally happy with my purchase.

I hope that helps a bit. Feel free to PM me.

 - Dani

78

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Vegas - Dec 4-7

« on: Dec 01, 2007, 12:59 am »

Blimey - I am leaving this weekend. Sorry I will not be able to meet you. - D

79

The Hardline / Re: Las Vegas and unions

« on: Oct 19, 2007, 11:54 pm »

I would agree there is very little turnover in the SM positions on the shows. Positions are occasionally listed on the Casino websites. Those will be under Casino employee contracts and most already have someone in mind when they are posted. The Equity shows are pretty tight. A friend of mine was just hired on Jersey Boys but she knew the PSM. I do not know that they interviewed anyone else. She was not Equity and had been with Cirque for five years. There have been quite a few hirings of ASM's at Cirque lately and I would suspect that will be calm now for a bit. I will certainly keep my ear to the rails - however my ear returns to Europe in about a week so I am not sure how much I will hear.

Good Luck  - Dani

80

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 16, 2007, 07:56 pm »

I think if the change was within 24 hours a member of the team should have space to say that they cannot make that time change. What if he had said it was a doctor's appointment he had scheduled and could not change? Would your production manager have reacted the same way?

81

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 16, 2007, 02:11 pm »

You said there was a change to the previously stated hours. Is this a one time change or a company change effecting all techs? In other words, is this one Sunday or are you asking him to adjust his life for a period of weeks?

Faith is an important obligation. I do agree that God would not be upset if he missed a day of service but some people really need that weekly centering. For me it would really depend on how he approached this. If he came in demanding I might be less likely to accommodate but if he simply asked to come in later or if it was possible to accommodate I would see what I could do...I prefer to have staff with well rounded lives and sometimes this means making concessions.

I do think it is very possible to have an established professional career in theatre and go to church almost every Sunday mornings. I also think it is possible to  attend your children's birthday parties, make your own wedding day and put time into relationships. These are all things I have been told by one person or another I would have to "give up" if i wanted a career in theatre. I would probably feel offended if someone told me my request to not change established times was "ridiculous".

So, not knowing the situation my thoughts would be different depending on; Is this only one Sunday? When was the the original time announced and when was it changed? How was it changed? Was it changed to accommodate the room or the time - you said to leave earlier - or other peoples Sunday obligations?

I am playing Devil's advocate. I have certainly rolled my eyes at a fair amount of the "I can't come in earlier I have to do....". This from professionals being paid very well to be available. I just think sometimes the moment someone mentions church we all collectively roll our eyes and decide the request is "ridiculous" and "childish".

The older I get the more I realize how it is important for all of us to have a life outside of our jobs. I try very hard to not judge what other people put in that life.

Just my two cents - d

82

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

« on: Oct 05, 2007, 06:27 am »

I received my Mac in August. Our entire office is PC. I dual boot with bootcamp to work on a few excel documents that do not seem to transfer well to Mac. Tthe show logo will not print on the documents opened from NeoOffice. However, I may have been able to solve that by using Office for Mac, I was not a big fan of it the first few weeks of the trial test and we already owned a muli-computer version of Office for Windows. I decided to use that and have been happy - the reboot is quick. Otherwise, I use my Mac every day on tour. I love it! - Dani

83

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: LX 56 was late- PSM Error

« on: Oct 02, 2007, 05:22 pm »

My show reports reflect notes that are obvious from an audience standpoint, effected the safety of the cast or crew, or were an issue we need to correct in the future.

I use the same standard when it comes to noting my mistakes. Sometimes I have a really good reason why it all went terribly wrong and that is normally obvious from the rest of the report. I enjoy keeping it just the facts and find myself at times amused by the really small things we missed while really large things were being fixed. I make sure to note them all and they make a fantastic read later on.

 - Dani

84

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PSMing vs. ASMing

« on: Aug 30, 2007, 03:06 pm »

I think it all depends on personality. I would much rather make the decision and take the responsibility.

85

The Hardline / Re: Las Vegas and unions

« on: Aug 23, 2007, 01:24 pm »

Vegas is a right to work state so there are equity & IATSE member on non-union shows. Cirque being the biggest example. Cirque has been traditionally non-union but the new show at the Luxor will fall under an IATSE contract. It will be interesting to see how that works out.

Producers, Phantom, Mama Mia - and I am sure Jersey Boys when they open next year - are Equity contracts. I have no info there except what is under the Casino contract on the Equity website. I try to avoid reading that. It just makes me jealous  .

 - Dani

86

Tools of the Trade / This show has been running forever...

« on: Aug 23, 2007, 03:46 am »

Hi All -

I wanted to pose a question to those of you on productions that have been around for years. I am wondering how such a length of time changes the way you do your job. I am currently working on a show that has been running for 6500 performances. We have a lot of new technologies and toys that we can use because of that time. Many of the items we use on a daily basis are only in place because we are the 11th or 12th or 13th SM's on this show. We have had the input of many different styles and focuses. We have the luxury of a show that has not had a technical rehearsal in ten years. We have the time to take a breath and wonder what can be done better, what can we streamline...

For example, we have a calling script that is built in an excel spreadsheet, it is formatted to include links to "alternate call scripts" for different versions of the show; Acts that go in and out (yes it is a circus), Large Scenery pieces that stop working (No Turntable, Lifts, etc...), Medical & Technical Rescues. I feel very privileged when calling this show to have the knowledge of all the stage managers before me at my fingertips; If a show goes off the tracks in a completely new way we, of course, do the best we can but we have the advantage of then sitting down and decidingif we could have done it better. The better version goes in the script for the future. It might be 5 years until that exact series of events happens again but, we will be much better prepared next time. (I can do this on a shorter run, but it so rarely happens again We have addressed some common concerns that I see about calling from a computer in this script. It is created on a black background to lessen the glare and adjustment when looking from script to stage. We have colored boxes and type for Camera moves, Cue Lights, Links to alternate versions...Etc.. We used conditional formatting for the background so we can flip to white to print it out. A completely updated printed version is ALWAYS kept in the booth in case of technical failure. I adore this script. I did not think I would ever be able to give up my pencil on the next line but I have adapted. Now I am not looking forward to going to my next show and adjusting back to a paper script full of paper clips, post it notes, stickers & arrows.

We also use a database that is used throughout the company on all of the shows. It allows us to cast and print a lineup of the show each night. It tracks artist cues, competencies and level of difficulty of each show so we can compare artists track to themselves or others on a show by show basis - or year by year basis if we wanted too. We also use it to - schedule fittings; keep a Chrono (timer) of the show; enter SM & Technical notes; create, distribute & print show reports; track & submit payroll; enter & track discipline...and so many other things.


So...a few questions to get us started

Have you, or your company, developed programs to assist you? Do you have "SM software" that is company specific?
How do you handle the information from previous SM's? How is it handed over? Did you inherit a script or start your own?
How are incidents in a show archived and how is your access to that information handled? Could you access it during a show if you needed to? Do you feel it it would be useful to do so?
Do you have a database to track casting? Do you need to other than for archive or payroll?
                                   I know most of you do not recast cues each night, let me tell you what fun it is 
How do you feel your role as an SM has changed since you have "inherited" this show?
What other issues do you think are different for these situations?

I work on a rather large and non traditional show. I will again, someday, tech & call a show that is all mine, but that is not my world for now. I know it has changed my focus and the way I view my job. I would love to hear thoughts from others in similar situations.
 - Dani

I was not sure where to put this question so I posed it here since my primary question is about new tools being used.

87

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Bows

« on: Aug 01, 2007, 09:43 pm »

Ahhh...the scuba divers at O do "Accidentally" ride the lift up each show. It happened in error during a tech run and Dragone kept it in the show, bless, I never thought if it as a bow but it is true they are out there  and they do get applause.  - D

88

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

« on: Jul 30, 2007, 09:08 pm »

I will use the laptop primarily for the Mac functions. I will install windows to run the few programs I need. I rarely use my laptop for work anymore so my primary functions are not windows based. However, I have ocassional needs which require windows and, unlike a PC, a Mac allows me to fulfill both needs in one machine. A machine which is smaller, more integrated and easier to use than any PC laptop I have ever owned.

It is more "I see no reason to spend 1300 on a PC laptop when my primary needs are served better by a Mac (which is also 1300)."

89

The Green Room / Re: SMs in media?

« on: Jul 30, 2007, 05:46 pm »

I saw the CSI filmed at Ka - We found it pretty interesting. One of the characters notes that no one saw these random people wondering backstage because "they were busy doing their jobs" . Wouldn't noticing random people wandering around dangerous backstage areas be part of our jobs?

Another favorite point was: Cirque has the right to remove the body from their property. They dragged the body to the loading docks. There were so very many ideas of other people we could bump off and drag to the loading dock flying around for weeks  .

It was a fun episode to watch though

90

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

« on: Jul 30, 2007, 01:41 pm »

I too am making the switch. I have had a PC notebook for years but I needed a new one and after much pressure and playing around on a few owned by friends I have decided Mac is the way for me. I ordered the Black Macbook with the dual processors and 160G hard drive. My last laptop purchase had to be a PC because of my windows programs. I am an intense user of excel, we use an interactive calling script at work that includes conditional formatting and macros. I also needed to run Richmond Show Control. However, now, I will put windows on my Mac and I can run all of those programs in windows with no conflict. Most of my home use of the laptop is for email, photo and video purposes. I have found the Mac superior in all of these uses and my poor laptop has been sitting dusty while I use my roommate's mac while at home. So, now I am leaving for tour and the choice was clear. I receive it on Friday. I will let you know how the switch over goes.


I am very excited to be a Mac-er and because I am taking a French class at the local community college I qualified for the educational discount. $100 off the laptop and a free nano - woohoo - D