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Messages - leastlikely

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1
I'm currently applying for a staff SM position at a university events venue. In addition to submitting a resume and cover letter I also have to do an online application which requires filling in work history.

I have 8 years of experience as a freelance SM. I have no problem expressing the job duties in a way that will look good to a hiring manager, but there are mandatory questions in the application such as supervisor name, title, and contact info, and non-mandatory questions including hours per work week and number/titles of employees you supervised. I feel like it would be best to just list all my SM experience as one job, rather than including separate entries for the 50 or so productions I've done in that time (nobody wants to slog through that application), but I can't really answer any of those questions because I haven't had just one supervisor or just one team that I've managed.

How do I answer these impossible questions? Can I just say "varies"? Any other advice for wedging a freelance career into a form that is clearly tailored for more traditional jobs?

2
For my blocking scripts, I put the script pages on the left and removable blocking pages on the right. I'm right handed so this is easiest for me.

For calling scripts, I keep the script pages on the left. I write my cues in the left margin of the script page and underline with a straightedge to keep it in line with the correct text, and I draw a caret on the line to indicate cue placement.

If I have a cue at the top of a page, I fold the page in half backwards (vertically). This way when I'm on the previous page, I can have the next page folded so that I see the left margin and can see the upcoming cue. This is particularly useful if I have to start speaking for the cue before the page gets turned.

3
The Hardline / Re: Collecting info on ASMs
« on: Nov 09, 2018, 05:42 pm »
I didn't have relevant answers when you first put out the ask but now I do. Do you still need responses?

4
I'm located in the Washington DC area. I have seen land acknowledgements in programs once in a while, though it's really not typical here. If a company is doing a play about indigenous people/culture they will probably include an acknowledgement but other than that it's pretty uncommon as far as I've noticed. I don't believe I've ever heard a verbal announcement, but I've seen it printed in some programs. It's possible that I'm forgetting hearing a verbal announcement at a show I attended, but I know it's never happened for anything I've worked on.

This was published in a program for a show I saw earlier this year: "Arena Stage is built on the land of the Piscataway people of the Algonquin-speaking tribes, as well as the lands of the Native American people of the greater Anacostia, Potomac and Tidewater regions." This was only included for one production that was explicitly about Cherokee people and history. I checked another more recent program from the same company and found that it does not have this acknowledgement.

5
The Hardline / Re: Videos of stage managers mid-show
« on: Mar 25, 2018, 04:22 pm »
Yes, I think that sums it up well. I guess I'm thinking both about what can be shared, as well as what should be shared.

6
The Hardline / Videos of stage managers mid-show
« on: Mar 21, 2018, 03:11 pm »
I've seen a handful of videos floating around on Facebook and Tumblr where a stage manager has filmed themselves (or been filmed by someone else) calling a performance. I've also seen videos of backstage footage such as transitions and quickchanges. I've seen this type of video posted by the SM, or by the producer/company as a PR thing, or I think I've even seen one that appeared to be a clip from a documentary of some sort. I assume in the case of a documentary that everything is cleared by all appropriate unions and everyone involved in the show (since the doc producers will be making money off the footage), but I'm wondering about companies and individuals sharing things like this.
 
There are plenty of specific rules about what photos and videos can be taken of the cast and of the production.  Is it okay for a stage manager to share a video of themselves calling cues, provided the camera is focused on the SM? What if the show is audible on a monitor? Is this a valid form of promo material that can be shared on an individual's or theatre company's social media or websites? Do specific permissions need to be requested from AEA, from actors whose voices are heard, from the sound designer/USA, etc?

How about a video of an intermission shift where the set and crew members are visible? On a non-Equity show I did recently, the company shared a time lapse of the intermission shift on Instagram. Or a quickchange video where an actor is on camera in costume, like the video of Kelli O'Hara's THE KING AND I quickchange from the Tonys a few years ago? I've also seen personal QC videos shared by actors - for instance, a friend of mine who played Fiona in SHREK posted a video of her own ogre transformation.

It seems like these "behind-the-scenes" videos are getting more popular (or at least, I'm seeing more of them lately). So I'm just wondering about the legality of these sorts of things.

7
I always both attach a PDF and paste the entire text of the report into the body of the email.

That way people don't have to open an attachment if it's not convenient (it's usually not convenient), but the PDF is available for people who prefer to print them out or in case their email client doesn't like the formatting.

I would never attach something other people can edit. Most designers I've worked with tend to either respond directly to their notes by numbering the responses the same way the notes are numbered, or in the body of the reply, they write in their responses directly under the note using a different color text.

8
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Is college necessary?
« on: Oct 16, 2017, 02:40 am »
I do not have a degree and I regret it deeply. On the one hand, if I had completed my original degree as planned, I very likely would not be a stage manager today. In that regard, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to find this path even though I came to it a little later in life than most.

 But for life in general, I regret dropping out. And for my work in specific... I learned everything I know about stage management through experience. I've never taken a single course in it. I would not recommend that. Yes of course experience and on the job training is an enormous part of how we grow as SMs but there is a lot of foundational knowledge I never learned. I didn't enter the workforce with connections, mentors, apprenticeships, etc. Because I didn't come up through a university program. I kind of forged my own way and I love what I'm doing but I'm not nearly as far along in my career as I wish I was. Plus if I end up leaving theatre some day... it'll be harder to find a job in any other field being a college dropout.

So no, it is not truly 100% necessary. You can find work in theatre without going to college. But I really strongly recommend you go.

9
Employment / Re: Jobs Between Contracts
« on: Aug 11, 2017, 09:56 am »
I'm lucky to be able to stay in stage management work for most of the time, with only a few weeks off between shows.

My main "side hustle" is pet sitting/house sitting. I don't do any of this through apps, I do it all through word of mouth (friends recommending me to their friends). I also have lots of friends who walk dogs through the Wag app, and several who work for agencies (but the agencies are more of a regular day job, whereas the app you can pick and choose when you work). I also occasionally babysit - I really have one main family anymore and mostly I just come in once every few months when their kids' daycare is closed.

I pick up non-stage management part-time work at theatres such as SM or crew for events/rentals, house management, selling concessions, audition monitor etc. I know other SMs who also do overhire work as electricians, carps etc but I don't personally.

Transcribing audio through rev.com (this is really time consuming - I'd say expect to spend bare minimum 4 times the length of the audio clip working on it.)

Proctor SAT/ACT practice tests through a tutoring center. I also know people who do the test prep tutoring but that's also more of a regular job. I've only proctored, which is just a few hours early on a Saturday morning and all you really have to do is just set timers for the sections.

I'm on the email list for a market research company in my area. I've only actually done one interview through them so far but I made $125 for less than an hour of "work", and it was a one-on-one video chat interview. I haven't yet qualified for any panels (usually because my demographic is already filled).

I don't substitute teach but I've heard it's a pretty good gig, and it's usually very last minute notice - like morning of or day before. Basically you just have to get up really early on the days you want to work and check to see if there's anything open.

10
The Green Room / SMA announces new podcast series
« on: Aug 06, 2017, 02:01 am »
The Stage Managers' Association of the United States (SMA) is launching a new web video/podcast series: Standing in the Dark: A Series of Conversations with Prominent Stage Managers (press release below). Nominate an SM to be interviewed:

https://www.stagemanagers.org/sma-nominations/

11
The Hardline / Re: Who has worked on/ attended Fringe Festivals
« on: Aug 02, 2017, 09:49 pm »
I've done 5 shows at the Capital Fringe festival, 1 in their Fall Fringe mini-festival, and 3 in the Logan Festival of Solo Performance a few weeks ago.

Of these, I only worked with 2 from first rehearsal to closing. Most of them were shows that had already had successful productions elsewhere and I just joined for the local run.

12
At this time it seems like the files are not 100% gone. They removed some navigation links from the public portion of the website. However, if you have the correct URL you can still access the document library and files. Try googling the file you're looking for (for instance, "AEA SPT rulebook" or "AEA deputy packet") and you'll get a direct link straight to the pdf.

13
Employment / Listing awards on resume
« on: Sep 28, 2016, 12:43 am »
Do you include best musical/best play awards on your resume?

14
Tools of the Trade / Re: Purchasing Gaff and Spike Tape
« on: Sep 22, 2016, 04:18 pm »
Barbizon in the DC area

15
I use north south east and west, and number the voms

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