Messages

1

Stage Management: Other / Ways to keep track of Flying Movements?

« on: Apr 13, 2010, 11:59 pm »

Hey everyone! I'm taking on my first ballet as an ASM and in the past two days I've been plunged into it head first. Good thing is I have a background in ballet (danced for many years, still love to) so I have a great hold on how most things work. However, we're doing fly FX, which is something I haven't dealt with before, in traditional theatre, either.

Do you guys have any good tips on how to track flying movements? I would love to have diagrams showing the shape/height of the movements, but they end up as a squiggly mess on an audience view of the stage. And considering we have 4 tracks moving at once (5 in total, but only 4 moving together at any one time) trying to record the all of the "flight patterns" together would be even more confusing.

I'm tracking the sequences of movements in words, but "swoop" and "high right" can mean several different things to different people and they're just big, long run-on sentences by the time I'm done. I'm also using an excel file to track who is on what track, who is operating what track on lift and traveler, who is connecting the performer to the wire, where onstage (or off) that's happening, where the wire is preset prior to that, the "name" of the move (at least what we're referring to it as), the takeoff points for the moves for the performer onstage, and any takeoff marks for the move on the ropes.

Is there anything else I should be tracking that I missed? And does any one have any suggestions or examples of how they've recorded fly movements (diagram or info lists) in the past that could possibly help?

Thanks very much!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REHEARSALS: prompting requests around the world

« on: Jan 11, 2010, 01:21 am »

In high school there was this one actor (quite a few others did it often too, but he did it constantly) that would say "Sorry" every time he'd forget a line so it was a COMPLETE break in acting because of course the director or I the first couple times would feel the need to respond "Don't say sorry" or "Don't worry about, just keep going". I'd give the line and then he'd go a few more words and say it again, and again...and again. And eventually I was just getting mad that he was saying "Sorry" so much that I was getting frustrated and angry and it seemed like he should be apologizing. It was the most infuriating thing.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Lobby Signage

« on: Apr 03, 2009, 02:16 pm »

When it comes to not being able to accommodate late seating I found the best way to do that is on the ticket...because how are they supposed to be held responsible for knowing that late seating isn't possible if the sign is at the theatre doors that they don't get to until 5 minutes after curtain? I worked in a box office at a PAC and we'd hand out a slip of paper stating the ballet's policy with every sale. We could accommodate late seating but only in between songs but for a ballet, that's a long wait. People get really mad about it so we protected ourselves by printing it on the ticket or handing out that slip of paper.

4

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Any current/graduated Boston University SM students?

« on: Apr 02, 2009, 08:05 am »

Libby (username) said that they were an '06 grad...check your first thread.

Good luck!

5

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Northwestern vs. UMich?

« on: Mar 31, 2009, 06:47 pm »

I personally haven't attended either schools but I've seen and heard wonderful things come from the Michigan program. A lot of that has been on the performance side, but their tech program seems really, really strong, too.

Congrats & good luck!

6

Tools of the Trade / Re: THE Sharpie topic

« on: Feb 25, 2009, 03:41 pm »

I just got an e-mail (yes, i get e-mail updates from Sharpie) about their new Stainless Steel Sharpie. It's actually a Sharpie that has a stainless steel barrel and ink refills. It looks kind of cool but my boyfriend's issue with his sharpies is when the tip gets smushed or not as clean he stops using them or "donates" them to the scene shop or someone lol.

It's gonna be available in March but they have limited edition pre-release ones on E-bay to raise money for charity.

I don't know if I'm sold on them because of the possible tip "smushing" issue...lol. Unless somehow they've designed a much sturdier tip to keep it's shape. We'll have to see...



Moderator edit: removed hyperlink as auction has expired - kmc307

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Poor stage weapon practices... Another close call

« on: Jan 22, 2009, 12:23 pm »

I saw of video clip of this story on a news segment...It was at a Senior theatre in Florida doing Of Mice and Men...
Seems like the actor using the gun usually checks it but didn't and they were using a real gun because they couldn't find a fake in time for the show...
Here's a really good article about the story. About half way through they speak to an executive director of a local theatre speaking about what usually happens with weapons in theatrical productions, the safety precautions that should be taken and such.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090122/ARTICLE/901220380/2055/NEWS?Title=Senior_Theater_actor_takes_blame_for_gun_accident

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dry Ice

« on: Jan 18, 2009, 05:50 pm »

How exactly will you be using it? I think if we all know a little more about what you're "preparing" for we could give better advice... For example...small amounts in a glass or bowl, making low flying fog, in a fogger, etc.? Let us know how it'll be used...

9

Tools of the Trade / Re: Holiday SM Gifts

« on: Jan 04, 2009, 01:41 pm »

I got a couple binders and some really nice printable-on dividing tabs...trying to explain to my mom that "Yes, I know how big a 3" binder is..." and "Yes, I really can fill that up quite quickly..." and "No, I don't really care what color, I usually stick to black, but yes, pink and green would be very cute..." over the phone while she was at Office Depot was entertaining. (Needless to say the binders I got were, yes, pink and green.)

I also got a called a Livescribe Pulse Pen. It's a pen that can record sound as well as what you write and sync them together. Go to livescribe.com if you want to check it out, it's kind of hard to explain. Really I got it for school with classes and such but I'm excited for the possibilities I might be able to implement for stage managing.

10

Tools of the Trade / Re: Road Cases for a kit?

« on: Nov 11, 2008, 07:47 pm »

You should check out scrapbook storage cases. My mom and I have scrapbooked for years and we've accumulated so many different cases and storage solutions because we'd go to "crops" so we'd have to bring all our stuff along. But now we've situated all of our stuff into a room of the house so all of the cases are empty and at my disposal. There's ones that are just larger bags and there are also rolling cases. What's nice is that all of them have really nifty organizational dividers and pockets and such. I recommend these cuz there a little less awkward than fishing tackle boxes, more like luggage almost. And you can probably find some for pretty cheap on ebay or something.

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The Hardline / Re: MILWAUKEE SHAKESPEARE CLOSING ITS DOORS

« on: Nov 04, 2008, 06:55 pm »

Yeah, i'm a student at uwm in milwaukee and you have no idea how many people's facebook status that day had to do with the mourning of milshakes

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Working with a Russian Director

« on: Oct 26, 2008, 01:50 pm »

I would say that you should definitely take the time to try to sit down and talk with the director w/ their translator before the first production meeting or reading, or auditions if you'll be involved in that. Hopefully the translator will have some experience with theatre so they know what blocking and such is so they don't have to try to make up a word for it in russian lol...but bring one of your old books with and go through it with them. You can tell them that you'll be making up this type of form for this, you'll be filling out rehearsal reports that will have these details, you'll take blocking during rehearsals that will be based on their direction (as well as you'll be able to follow it), and all that good stuff. Also ask them what they will need from you during the production. Maybe they haven't had the experience of having a stage manager assist with all the things that we do during a production but they have had another person that they've depended on for other things that are integral to their process of directing a show. Taking the time to do this will help you meet in the middle and hybrid your stage managing experience with them.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager's Challenge #3: SMs Everywhere

« on: Apr 26, 2008, 10:47 pm »

I thought of the wedding planner thing because that's totally something I think I could want to do on the side using stage management experience. Other ones I thought of are things like Event Planning in general for corporations or organizations. My friend has a job at a great non-profit arts center as their Event Planner so she handles all the execution of the fundraising events and galas and such. Another one is for competitions (kinda like the horse show thing) for cheerleading, dance teams, tournaments for sports teams like basketball 3 on 3's and such. Pretty much any event where people need to be told where they need to be and when or any other direction.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Rutgers at the Globe

« on: Apr 26, 2008, 10:42 pm »

Ugh, I'd so much love to do that program! I'm just really beginning my program at my school next semester so I wouldn't even think of being able to apply at this time. How often do they do this program? Anyone know?