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Messages - PSMKay

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1351
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Drop Count
« on: Oct 06, 2005, 02:05 am »
One show I did, the second act was an open Q&A based on questions that the audience members dropped into a fishbowl at intermission.  I had to track the questions.  

In the sequel to this show, the guy came out shooting baskets onstage at the beginning of the show.  I had to call opening when he got the third swish.  We had a running bet among the design team as to what the average number of shots per night would be from across the run, so I was tracking basketball shots on the perf reports.

1352
The Green Room / Food
« on: Oct 06, 2005, 01:57 am »
What I used to do going into techs was to pick up a box of non-sweet cereal (usually crispix or chex was the best, occasionally kix or cheerios, something self-contained and not to crumbly or crunchy) and keep it next to the tech table for snacking.  Usually almost everyone grabbed a handful but it would last just long enough to get us through techs and dresses.

1353
SMNetwork Archives / New Topic: Taxes for Artists
« on: Jan 27, 2005, 09:59 pm »
Right.

Well, I know that the standard self employed deductions can include things like car upkeep and travel expenses, moving expenses, health insurance, cell phone usage, home office maintenance... but keeping receipts for all of those things is tough!

And where do you draw the line is a good point.  I mean, if you're moving, you can certainly deduct the cost of hiring movers, but what if you move to a new apartment and that apartment needs an air conditioner or a fridge?  Can you deduct that?  What about depreciation?

Have any of you ever been audited while working freelance?  What was the experience like?

1354
SMNetwork Archives / New Topic: Taxes for Artists
« on: Jan 27, 2005, 07:33 pm »
In response to the email I got that's on the main page, I figured that dealing with Uncle Sam (or taxes in other countries!) when you're a freelancer might be a good topic for this month.

What's deductible? What isn't?  Do you pay estimated taxes?  Any advice for folks who are filing as a freelancer for the first time?  Horrible experiences to share (well... moreso than usual...)?

A good topic for any artist in the industry, I'd think...

1355
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / cumbersome scene shifts
« on: Nov 29, 2004, 04:18 pm »
Yow, real food is always tricky.  For some reason over the course of my career I was involved in no fewer than four productions with seders onstage... I learned how to fake charoset in several different ways.  The worst one was clearing the full banquet table in pitch black on a crowded set with a crew of 8... we had enough trouble not tripping over each other let alone trying to do it with porcelain dishes and metal ewers.

1356
SMNetwork Archives / Last month: Building Networks.
« on: Nov 15, 2004, 05:31 am »
On the flip side to VSM's tale, I worked with one actress a few years back who subsequently left the city.  She took her email contact list with her, though.  Every month we would get a long, windy, and personal update about what she had been doing, where she was working, and where she was headed next, peppered with comments to her younger cousins, best friends from high school and former professors at grad school!   She sent them to every member of the production team for the show that we shared -- from directors to designers to the cast.

The first one I thought was a mistaken email.  By the third one I had her on my spam blacklist.

Updates are cool, and can be convenient, but there is value in targetting your mailing list.

1357
SMNetwork Archives / old posts
« on: Nov 14, 2004, 06:22 pm »
I had pruning turned on to automatically filter out threads that hadn't been added to in 30 days.  I've turned it off now.

I'm also considering creating a "Resources" Forum to move threads that are particularly informative after they've run out their lifespan.  For instance, the Gun Master thread in this forum would be a good candidate for moving.

1358
This seemed like a good place for a poll!

For the record, I called standby, go.  My professor shared with me that ops tend to jump on the next thing they hear after their "prep line," and I've found this to be true.  So, I only called a standby.

The exception to this would be if we were going into a very long sequence of cues or if something was *very* off with the performance.  In the case of the former I would warn the whole sequence ahead of time, and then do standbys one by one.  An example of the latter situation would be when I did a play about a blind man for an entire audience of blind patrons.  We had an audio describer explaining the show -- to the whole audience over the PA.  The disturbance factor of this was high enough that I discussed with my board ops and we figured the best thing to do would be to warn sequences, as the timings on all of them were going to be off for that show.

1359
The Hardline / To Go Union or Not to Go Union
« on: Nov 09, 2004, 09:27 am »
The questions I would ask myself before joining the union would involve my actual reasons for doing so.  Was I doing it because I supported what the union stood for? Or because I wanted the higher pay rate?  Also, do I feel like I'm capable of handling work as a professional stage manager with all of the added duties that AEA or whichever union you choose brings with it?  Maximum calls, riders... it's more than just the equity breaks.  Are the benefits you'll get out of working an AEA contract for five months worth the dues you'll have to pay?

Folks with experience in NYC will give you better opinons of the current scenario there.

I would say, sow your oats and live the life of a non union SM, maybe work as an intern in a couple of union houses to get the feeling of it, while continuing to cultivate your relationship with that Equity house.  That's just my own opinion, though.

1360
SMNetwork Archives / Last month: Building Networks.
« on: Nov 05, 2004, 05:06 pm »
It's autumn, and a lot of stage managers have just entered the professional market out of school.  At the same time, folks are entering the busy holiday season, working on enormous projects where they'll most likely meet a ton of new people.

It's a good time to figure out how to build your network.  Where and how do you build up your contacts? How long do you keep someone on your contact list? Do you send them updates?  When is it time to burn a bridge, and how do you calculate that risk?  How do you keep a reference and leave the company?  

This topic is for new stage managers and experienced ones.  I think we've all got something to learn.  Start threads as they come to mind.

1361
SMNetwork Archives / Call Board Community Standards
« on: May 27, 2003, 03:24 am »
Welcome!

If you're new to our community, jump right in. If you're an "old-timer," please greet newcomers and help them feel at home. This community is here for all of us, and we want it to be comfortable, thought provoking, helpful, safe, and easy to use.

The Call Board Admin is PSMKay (kscleaves at smnetwork dot org). The Call Board Admin is responsible for background coding and all final decisions pertaining to SMNetwork.org.  Our staff list can be viewed on the staff page. Moderators have the ability to Edit, Delete, or Modify any post to their designated Call Board Forum.  You can email or Private Message the Admin or Moderators any time you have a question or concern.

As a reminder:

  • Opinions, not facts: Items on SMNetwork are generally other users' opinions. The Call Board is not responsible for the accuracy of any posts and is not liable for any damage or loss that may result from your reliance on what other users have said.
  • Privacy: You acknowledge that all Call Board communications, including chat and bulletin board posts, are public and not private communications. You grant SMNetwork the right to modify and publish, both on our site and in other media, any information you post in our community areas.
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Online Safety
  • Never provide your password, telephone numbers, or home address to anyone online. Be very careful about responding to solicitations for interviews or research (unless invited to do so by a SMNetwork staff member). Give out your e-mail address only if you want to receive e-mail. If you post your e-mail address on the site (on boards or in chats), you've made it public and given other users tacit permission to contact you.
  • Never divulge private information about another user online. That includes the user's real name, e-mail address, and any other personal information that the user has not made public. Don't forward or post private messages that someone has sent you unless you have his or her permission. Only send e-mail to another Call Board member if they have given you permission. Please don't solicit other people's personal information.
  • If you're looking for subjects to interview or participants for a study, please first contact the Call Board Admin for permission.

Copyrights
Please don't post anything you don't have the right to publish or violate any copyright or other proprietary rights in your posts. That includes excerpting published articles without the author's permission. We'll delete posts that contain any such violations.
Edit, Mar 25 2009:
Uploaded forms have their own guidelines in the interest of intellectual property management.  For guidelines regarding uploaded attachments, please refer to this post on the Uploaded Forms board.

Usernames

Choose a username that's in good taste. If you select a username we deem vulgar or obscene or misrepresents you to other users, we'll reject your choice. Anyone who tries to impersonate an SMNetwork staff member or another user will be banned immediately and without notice.

Basic etiquette

Please don't do any of the following:

  • Use all capital letters in your chat or bulletin board postings. It's considered "shouting" online, makes other members uncomfortable, and is difficult to read.
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  • "Drive By Posting." Please consider what you post before posting it. Does your post contribute to the conversation? Does it say anything other than a "Me too" or "Not me"? We strongly discourage posts without useful content on the Call Board.  If you wish to simply show your support for a fellow poster, we suggest sending them a PM.
  • Write your entire post in colored text.  This board has multiple color schemes with multiple background colors. The default font color allows for these variations.  Colored text used by posters does not and can become illegible when the background changes.  The color options are there for emphasis only.
  • Add a poll to a post if you're not seeking statistical information.  Totally unnecessary polls will be removed by the moderators and your posting rights may be removed temporarily.

Unacceptable language

Please don't post anything obscene, vulgar, illegal (including viruses), harmful, insulting, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, or invasive of someone else's privacy. We won't tolerate hateful communications — especially those targeting race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, weight, or disability. Using asterisks or other symbols instead of the actual letters in an offensive word is not okay if most people can still tell what you're saying. If you're not sure which words are forbidden, send an e-mail to one of the Moderators. Some examples:

What's okay: "My #%$&* mother-in-law is driving me nuts!" (where the symbols indicate strong feeling and maybe the urge to use a swear word, but don't suggest any specific word).

What's not okay: a$$hole, etc.

Personal attacks

Harassing another community member is never acceptable, even on the most lively debate boards. A personal attack includes name-calling, mocking a user or a user's name or family members, using threatening or insulting language, or violating another user's privacy. Exercise some common sense here. If you wouldn't have the nerve to say it in person, don't post it. If you can't draw the line, we'll draw it for you, but we'd rather not have to. Some examples:

What's okay: "I can't agree with that opinion. It's this kind of thinking that's sending union contracts down the tubes!" Strong disagreement with someone's point of view, not a comment on the individual poster.

What's not okay: "Why did you ever go into stage management? You really don't have the disposition for it if you publish things like that!" An uncalled-for personal attack.

You're free to discuss your personal views in our community. But please don't attack the beliefs and life choices of others as wrong or misguided, or tell others what they should believe or how they should live. For example, if you are of one faith, please don't try to tell other members that their beliefs or choices are wrong and that they should follow your faith instead. Posts like this constitute personal attacks, and we'll delete them.

Advertising and solicitations

Don't use any community areas to advertise or sell products or services to others. For example:

  • Please don't post (on boards or in chats) any advertising, promotional materials, junkmail, "spam," chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of solicitation.
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Mentioning other Web sites

It's perfectly okay to mention, link to, or discuss other Web sites that are of interest to our users, as long as they don't violate our other guidelines. But please don't use our message boards simply to generate traffic for a website. If you would like to advertise your personal website etc., please include the URL in your profile.

Pruning and Deleting Threads

As threads become unwieldy when they get too long, threads will be locked without exception if they get to be longer than 10 pages.  If you wish to continue a thread after it has been locked, you may start a new one.

If you wish for a thread to be excepted from the automatic pruning function, please contact a Moderator or Admin with your request.

On Legal Advice

Discussions of matters such as contracts and union regulations/rules are provided as friendly suggestions only.  On the whole, SMNetwork members are not attorney, lawyers, or union employees.  All suggestions are provided as a courtesy and not as a mandate.  While members are welcome to post and debate about such matters, we claim no liability for the advice given and suggest both use of discretion and contact with professionals who regularly handle such issues before taking action based on SMNetwork postings.

Contacting us

We are only an e-mail or Private Message away if you have any concerns you'd like us to address. Please contact us in order to:

  • Report a concern about something in our chat areas.
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The Community Standards are adapted from the excellent version at The Sluggite Zone.

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