Messages

1

Stage Management: Other / Re: Ballet Blocking

« on: Jan 08, 2019, 12:55 pm »

Hi Placebob,

I feel that stage management blocking notation for concert dance is less codified than for other forms of theatre.  Although there are formal notation languages used to record movement and choreography (such as Benesh and Laban notation), these systems require years of training to become familiar with them.  For the most part, a stage manager notating general blocking in dance is doing so primarily for their own purposes; they are creating or augmenting a linear chronology of information into which they can integrate production elements, such as cues, warnings, pages, etc.  This is different from blocking notation in text-based theatre, where the stage manager is documenting for the purposes of creating a reference that they will use to maintain the production.

I think it is fair to say that a dancer in a ballet company will never ask a stage manager for information on their specific choreography/steps, except in the most general sense when it involves spacing or a particular bit of stage business.  There will always be a choreographer/ballet master/rehearsal director who is responsible for the artistic maintenance of the choreography, so a stage manager is not responsible for this in the way they would be responsible for maintaining performers’ delivery of text.

There are several general systems of notation for dance stage management: some involve written descriptive text, some use drawn graphic representations of performers’ movement on stage on one or more mini per page.  If you are working for a ballet company, stage managers often use a piano score/reduction as the basis of their calling scores, as they would in opera.  Even if you have experience in creating your own notation, I would recommend that you ask for some direction from the DSM who will use your notes in performance – it would be a good exercise to create your notes in the format they prefer.

I have worked on a couple of co-productions with the Royal Ballet, and the stage management calling scores I have received from them have been very clear, and use a common system where the musical score is on the left side of an open book, with written descriptive notation on the blank right-hand page.  Each short written description (ie. “Romeo crawls on his hands and knees toward Juliet”) is accompanied by a number, and this number is also placed in the score where the action happens.

Some things to consider:

Is there a piano reduction or other musical score that can be used to structure your notation?  If so, make sure you get the definitive version from the music department.  Mark cuts, expand repeats, D.S. al codas as required.  If you are working with a rehearsal pianist, they are great resources for changes and updates.  Add timings if a reference recording is available.

Will the work be rehearsed/performed to a recording?  Can you add time code and track numbers to your notes?

Can you (or another member of the production team) make scene-specific minis for you to use for drawn blocking notation?

If you have a personalized shorthand or symbols you use in blocking notation, make a little legend so that a new stage manager will have no trouble determining your system

2

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Rail cues

« on: Jun 21, 2016, 08:24 pm »

If you have a rail/fly cue with multiple moving pieces, your Head of Flys probably wants a longer warning than you would give for a lighting or sound cue if your fly system is manual.  They will take time to make sure an operator is on each lineset, remind them what the operation of the cue is (in/out, speed, co-ordination, spike colour, etc.).  As a default, I warn fly cues about 90 seconds before the anticipated cue, then say 'standing by on the rail' just before calling the cue/sequence, to indicate locks off the line(s).

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Extraordinary Risk for Stage Managers

« on: Feb 25, 2016, 08:49 am »

Stage managers working under our collective agreement are independent contractors.  I reviewed the relevant clause, and the burden is specifically on the Engager to consult with stage management and inform CAEA:

"At the beginning of each Season the Engager, having consulted with stage management, will identify and inform Equity with respect to which productions  ... contain elements with extraordinary risks."

My fault for not being clear on the language.  Again, my question is mostly about stage managers themselves being included in riders or equivalents for extraordinary risk coverage.

4

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / SAFETY: Extraordinary Risk for Stage Managers

« on: Feb 24, 2016, 09:34 pm »

A recent discussion with a new colleague of mine led me to post this to hear what approach others in the business are taking in regards to covering Stage Managers under Extraordinary Risk riders (or whatever your collective agreement uses).

I work primarily under a collective agreement between Canadian Actors Equity Association and the ballet company I work for.  It has a slightly uncommon approach to Extraordinary Risk; instead of individual artists agreeing to sign a rider to their contract that outlines the nature of the activity that has been identified, the agreement states that the Engager and Stage Management will collectively evaluate productions for potential activity that is classified as 'extraordinary risk' (generally based on some parameters in our agreement), and ensure that any artists involved in this activity are identified.  The Engager's insurance policy for artists offers enhanced/extended benefits to an artist who is injured specifically as a result of 'extraordinary risk' activity.  In the past, I have compiled a list of activity I identify as extraordinary risk (i.e. use of/exposure to theatrical weapons), and list the roles/performers who will be involved.

My new colleague asked me what my approach was to cover stage managers for extraordinary risk activity.  I was surprised by the question, and a bit embarrassed because it had honestly never occurred to me.  I always evaluated the circumstances exclusively from the perspective of covering performers, but as I thought about the question, it made perfect sense that stage managers can also be involved in activity that is identified as extraordinary risk, both in rehearsal and in performance.  Handling theatrical weapons (practical or non-practical), special effects, and working on raked surfaces might all qualify as extraordinary risk for a stage manager.

I'm curious what other stage managers' experience has been.  Have you signed extraordinary risk riders?  Do you identify activity as extraordinary risk to your Engager and request a rider or equivalent?  Some other scenario?

Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

5

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

« on: Oct 26, 2015, 09:21 pm »

This is the opposite of most floor problems I have had, and I am generally not dealing with painted wood/masonite floors, so my suggestion doesn't come with much practical backup, but ...  would you try talcum powder?  Start with just the soles of shoes; if that is any improvement, maybe try a light dusting over an area that gets a once-over with a broom to evenly distribute. 

6

The Hardline / Re: Calling All Ballet Stage Managers

« on: Sep 23, 2015, 05:59 pm »

In Canada, most mid- to large-sized ballet companies have dancers and stage managers who are members of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.  There are many smaller companies with artists who are not collectively represented by CAEA, but if an individual is a member, they may be able to work for a company on a Guest Artist's contract (that goes for dancers and stage managers).  When it comes to modern dance companies, CAEA has no significant presence, but again - individual artists may be members. Working on a Guest Artist's contract doesn't refer to a collective agreement - all the terms of the contract are contained in the contract itself.

What are your thoughts about/options for becoming an AGMA member?  Would AGMA and your company support the addition of language dealing with Stage Management in the AGMA agreement?

7

The Hardline / Re: Calling All Ballet Stage Managers

« on: Sep 22, 2015, 10:45 pm »

Hi there,

The ballet company I work for is larger than Milwaukee Ballet, so making a direct comparison of some conditions and terms would be unfair, but here are some basic answers to your questions, based on my situation.

I am a member of Canadian Actors' Equity Association, as are all the dancers in my company.  CAEA is officially a professional association, not a union (except in the case of it's members in Alberta Ballet - long story), although it engages in collective bargaining.

I work under an annual renewable contract, the terms of which are set out in the collective agreement between my company (the Engager), and CAEA.  Terms include salary, work schedule, additional service billing (overtime), responsibilities, etc.  In Canada, most mid- to large-sized ballet companies have agreements with CAEA, and dancers who are members.  The collective agreements that CAEA has with these companies are publicly available.  I would recommend you have a look at a couple of them, as they would probably give you a good idea of not only the scope of defined terms, but also what some of the terms imply as far as working conditions go.  You can find the agreements at http://www.caea.com/EquityWeb/EquityLibrary/Agreements/Dance/DanceLibrary.aspx.  I think the agreements you should look at are the ones for Alberta Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, as they are closer to the size of your company.

I have two basic work schedules that I can generalize about: the rehearsal period, and production/performances.  When the company is in rehearsal, I tend to work  an 8 or 9 hour day, sometimes adding evening or weekend hours depending on whether I need to do some additional work at home - lets say about 48 to 50 hours a week.  Our rehearsal week is generally a 5-day week, Monday to Friday.  Once we are in a production/performance period (either at home or on tour), my work week can be 6 or 7 days a week for up to 4 weeks at a time, and work days can be 10 to 15 hours long.

Our stage management team consists of two stage managers working full-time for the company, and we hire an ASM for a total of 15 weeks per year, dividing the weeks up based on repertoire or schedules that are most demanding (always for Nutcracker, then wherever else makes sense).  The company hires one more stage manager to support a small group of dancers that do a series of educational performances.  Company management responsibilities are handled by a couple of staff (strangely, we don't really have a single person with that job title), and as a stage manager I have virtually nothing to do with company management-related responsibilities.  When I have worked for smaller companies and independent dance artists, this is definitely one area where the lines between stage manager and company manager blur.

My pay is determined by the terms of the collective agreement I work under, which is a minimum scale agreement.  There is a grid that indexes positions with number of years in that position, and results in a minimum fee.  Anyone working under the agreement is welcome to negotiate above scale.  All dancers and stage managers with my company are paid a weekly salary.  Depending on how long an individual artist has worked for my company, some annual contracts are 46 or more weeks a year, and some are full-time, or 52 week contracts.

According to the terms of CAEA's collective agreement, all artists (dancers and stage mangers) are entitled to bill the Engager for 'additional services' (overtime) when certain conditions are met (rehearsal hours exceeding maximum allowable, overnight rest infringement, etc.).  The terms in the agreement are more specific for dancers than for stage managers, and historically, dancers are more likely to bill for additional services.

I hope this is a bit of help.  Reading through some of the collective agreements I mentioned above might be the best framework for you to adapt to your needs.  I don't know how accessible AGMA agreements are, but here's an expired one for San Francisco Ballet, which includes their stage management staffing: http://www.musicalartists.org/agreements/sanfranciscoballet.2010-2013.pdf. 
Are any of the dancers in your company members of Equity or AGMA?  I definitely think your work hours should be one of the first things you define with your engager; how many they expect of you, and how you will be compensated beyond that.  I would recommend that if you don't already, start keeping a daily log of your work hours, so that you will have a clear record to refer to.  Working without some kind of contract of letter of engagement is a recipe for acrimony and recrimination.

8

Tools of the Trade / Re: Clock for Backstage Tracks

« on: Sep 02, 2015, 08:55 pm »

I'm with hbelden; I don't think I have ever encountered a crew that is accustomed to referring to a show-specific clock or timer.  For me, the timings on running sheets/notes are most valuable as an internal reference for determining how much time there is for a particular change, and how much time there is between activities.  I think a member of the running crew that wants an accurate reference can run a stopwatch themselves.

Maribeth is right too; I've encountered several SM consoles with built-in timers.  Stage mangers can use them to display a running time for an act or an intermission, or count-down an intermission - that's one feature I've definitely seen other running crew make use of and refer to.

9

Stage Management: Other / Re: Orchestra Calls

« on: Mar 06, 2015, 12:25 pm »

I work in dance; primarily ballet with an orchestra.  My company's convention is that the half-hour call is 30 minutes before curtain, then the 15- and 5-minute calls are advanced by 5 minutes (ie. the 15 is 20 minutes before curtain).  I give an onstage call 5 minutes before our planned start (adjusting for a hold if appropriate), and also page the orchestra to the pit at this point:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your onstage call.  Onstage please for the top of Act I.  Would the members of the orchestra please take their places in the pit - orchestra to the pit please".

I am not sure if opera stage managers would separately page the conductor to the pit, but certainly possible.  In ballet, it is very common for the conductor to come to the stage just before the start of each act (to touch base with a rotating cast of dancers), and our understanding is that the ASM or SM will send them to the pit when ready.

10

Tools of the Trade / Re: Ergonomics and the Tech Table

« on: Jan 19, 2015, 06:35 pm »

Standing, whenever remotely possible.  And I work primarily in dance, so always from the wings (as long as there are wings).

11

Tools of the Trade / Re: TOOLS: GaffGun

« on: Nov 19, 2014, 10:40 pm »

I think this is a pretty common tool used by most dance companies, or theatre that host dance regularly:

http://www.taperoller.com

A second pass with a synthetic curling broom burnishes it in well.  Hurry hard!

12

Stage Management: Other / Re: Shipping a Marley Floor

« on: Jul 22, 2014, 09:12 am »

If it's possible, have the floor rolled on to cores that are a little bit wider than the 63" floor (maybe 70" long).  This can help protect the outer ends of the rolls from damage during shipping and handling.  The larger diameter the core is, the less trouble you will have unrolling/installing it at your end (although that will impact the shipping dimensions).

13

Tools of the Trade / Re: Water Marking Videos - Software Recommendation?

« on: Apr 05, 2014, 09:33 am »

Interesting, I'll have a look at Wondershare.  My current workflow includes MPEG Streamclip (to convert to Quicktime - .mov), Final Cut Pro X to trim/edit and add watermark, and sometimes FFmpegX to transcode for Apple iOS device use.  It's not complicated, but it is time-consuming.  I'm always interested in removing unnecessary steps. 

14

Tools of the Trade / Re: Water Marking Videos - Software Recommendation?

« on: Apr 04, 2014, 12:27 pm »

Hi BayAreaSM,

I know your post was a while ago, but I just discovered that a program that I use to encode video files to different formats will actually add a basic watermark.  The software is called MPEG Streamclip.   I use it on a Mac platform, so I'm not sure about it's functionality in a PC world.

After selecting the file to export, the window to add a text watermark is found after clicking the 'Adjustments' button.

Pros: MPEG Streamclip is free and exports to a wide variety of formats (you may need to purchase a $20 MPEG2 viewer from Apple).
Cons: The watermark is only simple text, and I don't believe it can be formatted at all (ie. font, colour, size)

Let me know if you have any success, or if you've found another solution.

15

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Remount forms?

« on: Mar 16, 2014, 11:01 am »

Not in any order of importance ...

Spike list: X/Y co-ordinate measurements (or triangulate if you must) from a clearly established reference point.  Notes about relational spacing (ie. The spike should be in line with the #3 show leg)

Scene-by-scene prop tracking: Helps if rehearsals for the remount do not work chronologically through the material.

Scene/Character breakdown:  With entrances and exits, timings, etc.

Photographs:  Seriously.  A photo or two of prop presets goes a long way in conveying a range of detail.

Followspot tracks:  I realize that this is not a universal need, but in ballet and opera, followspot tracks help me understand the flow of the show, and on a more subtle level, understand how the spots are used to tell the story by highlighting specific characters in a narrative.

Department running notes:  I usually generate running notes for carpenters and fly crew.  I try to get them to return their copies at the end of a run of performances, so that I can scan them and capture additional information that I can use to update for the next time.