Messages

751

Tools of the Trade / Re: Luminescent Liquid Effect

« on: May 15, 2008, 12:03 pm »

Lizzie - thanks for updating us on the final outcome of this. 

I'm glad the folks on this site were able to offer you some advice, and hopefully this information was helpful to you in the decision making process.

With any effect it's always important to weigh the risk against the reward.  It's great to have the "wow" factor, but at the end of the day the first priority is that everyone goes home safe.

I believe we've come full circle here.

752

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Peter Pan

« on: May 13, 2008, 10:51 am »

Chances are you're not going to be able to buy this stuff.  A lot of the key technology these companies use is proprietary and nobody else is able to produce it. 

I'd say the main advantage renting has over buying is that you get a qualified representative of the company out to install the rig, train the operators and train the performers.  If you buy, you're responsible to do all of the maintenance and repairs, and you also hold liability for anything that happens with that system.

Also, most flying rigs are going to be custom designed for the specific venue as well as the needs of the show.  And yes, it may seem tempting to buy it - but really, when's the next time you'll do Peter Pan?  You'd likely wind up with one of two situations.  1) A nice $14,000 flying rig sitting idle in the grid; or 2) Deliberately selecting shows that have flying simply to use your flying rig.  Audiences will get very tired of that trick if they see one person doing the same flying in 5 different shows over the course of two years.  If the money's as tight as you say it is, I imagine that $7,000 would go a long way if put towards something else.

Welcome to the site, by the way.  It's a great resource and we look forward to your contributions!  Let us know which direction you decide to go with your flying.

753

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Peter Pan

« on: May 12, 2008, 01:32 pm »

Besides, death and dismemberment,  what's to keep us from rigging our own fly system?

I'd think these two would be reason enough to deter homemade fly systems. 

Curtain tracks are not rated for flying people and neither is your typical wire rope (you need mil-spec cable that's rated for human life).  Did you do any calculations to determine the tensile strength or safe working load of your system or was it a "this looks pretty strong" calculation?

Sorry to be brash, but it's foolish to "do it yourself" when you're putting peoples' health and safety on the line. 

754

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Musical Suggestions for a limited stage.

« on: May 07, 2008, 10:37 am »

Pump Boys and Dinettes typically has a cast of 6 (4 men, 2 women) and is a single set show in most productions.  The one big hurdle is that your actors need to be very good musicians as well, one Piano, one Bass, two Guitar, and the ladies play a bit of percussion.

755

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Can A Stage Manager Give A Dirty Sound Techie The Boot?

« on: Apr 26, 2008, 03:33 pm »

I think we're getting a touch ahead of ourselves here.  Before we talk about firing or discipline (both of which are out of the SM's jurisdiction in most theatres, anyhow) I think we need to get some more information from the original poster. 

Is this an educational setting, amateur (community theatre, etc..) or professional setting?

If this is an educational setting, which it sounds like it is, I don't think "firing" the person is the right solution; one of the key aspects of educational theatre is allowing students to make mistakes, then dissecting mistakes and offering constructive criticism in a structured, positive environment.  Simply "firing" the person is going to offer them little room for growth.

keypalsman, can you give us some more information?

756

Tools of the Trade / The Internet

« on: Apr 20, 2008, 02:28 pm »

Technology has always changed the way that humans communicate with each other.  Seemingly, the demand through the past several thousand years has been to achieve the fastest method of communication possible.

In ancient Greece the runners of Marathon acted as Messengers between cities.  The Pony Express delivered messages in the American West as quickly as possible.  The Pony Express was replaced by the telegraph, which was replaced by the telephone.  The telephone evolved into the cell phone, and widespread usage of the internet followed shortly thereafter.  The trend seems irreversible and undoubtedly these have all changed the way we communicate.

Email, instant messaging, and social networking sites like facebook and myspace are changing the way we communicate today, and more people are online than ever.  With that in mind - I'd like to pose several questions to you all! 

Of course - feel free to answer all, or some of these questions, and share any personal experiences that help illustrate yours or someone else's point.  We have a very broad range of experience levels and age on this site which should provide for a very well-rounded discussion from many sides of the industry.  So without further ado...

• In your experience how has the internet changed the way people communicate?
• To what degree do you use the internet during production?  What do you use it for?
• In your experience, what are the benefits of incorporating the internet into stage management?  Also, what are the pitfalls?
• In your opinion, what role should the internet play in stage management?

757

Employment / Re: Question about invoicing

« on: Apr 15, 2008, 09:03 am »

I would speak with the Production Manager before submitting the invoice.  I'm sure the LD means well but until you speak with the boss it's ultimately hearsay.  Until you speak with the PM you don't know if x amount is what the PM has in mind or not. 

In the future I'd suggest agreeing on salary before you take a job.  This seems like a pretty backwards way to do things (at least in my experience, maybe others have different experiences).  Hopefully everything will work out fine, but this kind of situation can sometimes create a lot of problems.

Congrats on your first professional gig and welcome to SMNet!

758

Tools of the Trade / A little about your other moderator

« on: Apr 15, 2008, 12:39 am »

Greetings all,

I would just like to add a little bit about myself and my thoughts on the SM Network.


A bit about me:

I'm currently working in the cruise industry in the U.S. on the technical side of entertainment.  I am a stage manager by trade and education, though my career seems to have taken me more towards the technical side.  I have experience as a stage manager and production manager in the cruise industry, as well as land based stage management and event management.  I tend to prefer larger, more technically complex shows, and have used a lot of the very new, fun toys in our industry; naturally, this specific board is of great interest to me.


My views on SM Network:

I view the SM Network as an outstanding resource for people from all backgrounds and experience levels.  I do view this network as a professional forum, and would encourage everyone to treat it as such.  A good rule of thumb is don't post anything here you wouldn't be perfectly comfortable saying or writing to a colleague or employer in the industry.  Please use spell check, proper grammar, and a professional and courteous tone.

I know we'll all agree that this is a fabulous resource, and I encourage each of you to continue to contribute to discussions.  If you have anything you'd like to see added to this board please send a PM to Mac or I.  See you all around the boards!

Best,

Kevin.

759

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Peter Pan

« on: Apr 12, 2008, 05:51 pm »

One important thing to remember is that every company out there who does human flying (especially Sapsis and ZFX) are all off-shoots of Flying by Foy.  The founders of these companies are Foy trained riggers who left to start their own company.  Foy started it all and there is no company out there more knowledgeable than Foy.

760

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tips and Tricks: Raked stages

« on: Apr 12, 2008, 09:30 am »

One thing I learned is the sooner you can get the cast onstage the better.  This may seem obvious, but chances are you're going to be rehearsing in a flat rehearsal hall.  Getting adjusted to a slanted stage takes a bit of time, so it's good to allow your cast as much time as possible.

Along that same line - when you do get onstage, give your cast plenty of time to play around.  Make sure they are comfortable with their environment.  Give them lots of time to practice entrances, exits, any tricky blocking moments, etc...

761

The Hardline / Re: HELP! MY CAST IS NUDE!!

« on: Apr 09, 2008, 11:37 pm »

How'd it end up?? Have you done the show yet?

762

Tools of the Trade / Re: MY NEW TOY!

« on: Mar 30, 2008, 06:59 pm »

What a marketing genius Apple is.  They've successfully created an image through marketing that millions of people buy into because they want to feel "in", and these "support groups" mentioned below are proof positive that Apple's marketing strategy that preys on peoples' need to belong.

Interesting article below - some insight on apple around page 10.

http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=cache:PJ-cY8j1ZNUJ:www.hazpapaers.org/BRANDING.pdf+apple+advertising+campaign+target

763

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Disease Prevention Techniques

« on: Mar 29, 2008, 08:50 pm »

Eat well, sleep, drink lots of water, vitamin C.

764

Employment / Re: Non-AEA Resume Semantics: Dishonesty or Acceptable?

« on: Mar 28, 2008, 07:04 pm »

I think it's not only unacceptable, but foolish as well.  If you say you have a certain amount of experience, your employer is going to expect your work performance to reflect that.  If you lie on your resume not only do you risk getting fired if they find out, but you could be setting yourself up for failure by not being able to meet the expectations of the job.

765

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Rules on Cans

« on: Mar 28, 2008, 03:12 pm »

A few...

- When the SM says "clear" everyone is quiet
- No conversation after standby
- Personally I like an acknowledgement after I give a standby, so I'm sure the person heard it.  i.e. "Standby lights 134"  board op: "lights"
- Don't say things about people you're not prepared to say to their face.  You never know when the bitch boxes are on in the dressing rooms or who is going to casually pick up a headset when walking backstage.
- People inform the SM if they are going off headset.