Messages

76

Introductions / Re: British DSM checking in!

« on: Feb 15, 2016, 01:49 pm »

welcome! There are several UK SMs on this site - check in the regionals - and some specifically opera folks too you will meet as you wander around and check out the topics.

Your double-page system is interesting. Since I like my scripts on the right, with blocking on the left, not sure it'd work for me but like all that blank space to write in. FWIW I box the actual cues vs underline or just jot down standbys, since many of my shows involve tight calls and I need to keep space to a minimum. Makes identifying clear and easy.

77

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: RUNNING: Keeping yourself busy on slow shows

« on: Feb 15, 2016, 01:42 pm »

Backstage you can move around, which helps. All those ideas above are brilliant.

And, when you have those shows and are in a booth, you can find ways to keep hands busy with eyes on stage. I knitted holiday scarves and hats for friends on a long show that had a total of 25 light cues and 6 sound cues. It allowed me to watch the show and take notes as needed but keep my body moving and awake by doing simple patterns, and it was fun to see how much knitting was accomplished and the end of each night.

78

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / CALLING: Calling the camera shots on Grease Live!

« on: Feb 02, 2016, 03:10 am »

This is fascinating

https://www.facebook.com/carrie.havel/videos/10153418696832898/?fref=nf

Holy toledo.....she is live counting down through the entire song.

Here's the split screen so you can see what she's calling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP2QOmN57iU&sns=fb

so so cool!

Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

79

Uploaded Forms / Re: Entrances and Exits Tracking

« on: Jan 20, 2016, 05:46 pm »

FYI I will use hand-off or catch if it involves crew, and strike/set/bring on/take off if the actors does it themselves.

80

The Green Room / Re: Trivia Tournament IV: Trivia's Revenge!!

« on: Jan 13, 2016, 05:02 am »

Love when I get to the trivia page and I actually know all the "hard" questions.

Hate when the system insists I clicked on a different answer than the one I knew was correct!

81

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REPORTS: Director doesn't want rehearsal reports?

« on: Jan 06, 2016, 10:47 pm »

Depending on what you want to see for your own longterm goals. you might want to go ahead and start doing rehearsal and performance reports anyway, and send them out to the design team and director anyway. You can justify it to your director as an exercise, training yourself for your next step. But it will also get the team used to getting regular reports and they will start wanting them because they will be getting up-to-date information. You can potentially change the whole environment, if you are patient and willing.

82

The Green Room / WICKED backstage videos

« on: Dec 01, 2015, 05:16 pm »

There are a series of these from different tech perspectives -

the first one I found was this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUKDU3r6MYY

but they have sound, sfx, sm etc - kinda fun to watch!

83

The Hardline / Re: 10 out of 12s Meal Break Question

« on: Nov 25, 2015, 08:25 pm »

The SPT I work for most often always does 8/10s for tech. And we shorten the week's schedule to accommodate the tech days - which lately means a second day off in the week... if that helps.

84

The Hardline / Re: SM as Board Op -- What to Ask For

« on: Nov 23, 2015, 08:51 pm »

Running a board cannot be a condition of employment.

On paper yes. In practice where they can't get caught, sadly, it happens too often

85

The Hardline / Re: 10 out of 12s Meal Break Question

« on: Nov 23, 2015, 08:49 pm »

Thanks - I never knew this existed - but agree w Ruth. Crew needs to be a major part of this kind of decision, because reset and work needs have to be accommodated and also, the crew needs a dinner break. I guess it depends on the technical complexity of the show and what would be impacted if the design team/crew didn't have time to finish their work and if only the actors got to eat during the break.

86

The Hardline / Re: 10 out of 12s Meal Break Question

« on: Nov 23, 2015, 02:06 am »

I have had directors try to talk me into this so their day can be shorter, not realizing that the tech folks need their time during dinner to do fixes and catch up on work lists, let alone have a dinner break themselves. It's amazing to me - surely they understand that the designers and their teams need time to work and also deserve a meal?

87

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Pickup rehearsals

« on: Nov 19, 2015, 01:46 pm »

SMs usually do run brush-ups, but if the director is present sometimes they take them. And ... lately, a lot of touring shows carry ADs who do the brush-ups in tandem with the SM.

88

The Hardline / Re: SM as Board Op -- What to Ask For

« on: Nov 18, 2015, 01:47 pm »

Unless it's a code with no specifications, SMs are prohibited from running boards - with a cut-out for additional pay for additional duties. There is a rider that needs to be generated with a separate fee and permission.

And the first time you do this, there will be ... challenges. Theaters with small booths do this all the time and too many consider it part of the SMs job. Especially the things that accompany, like dimmer checks and lamp swaps, Qlab maintenance etc. So find out what happened before and if you can do it discretely, have the Equity rep reach out. (If that person saw your show, say, and saw you running boards, and asked the producer abt it, for ex.) But yes, it can be a snake pit.

Rates vary from abt $25/show and upwards - and you can justify by reminding them that they are saving the cost of a board op so in the long run it shd be cheaper to have you do it than hiring another body. 

But be careful. There are theaters who make that a condition of hiring (which is illegal but too common) and won't hire if you expect your fair and legal (and contract-mandated) payment.

89

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to make a floor more slick

« on: Oct 24, 2015, 11:39 pm »

I will find out - this matte paint combined with humidity is making my actors crazy!

90

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to make a floor more slick

« on: Oct 24, 2015, 01:24 am »

New info: we have been told that we can't seal the floor, altho we might be able to paint over with a glossier paint, then repaint with their cheap nongloss version when we leave. Argh!