Messages

31

Employment / Re: Which is better?

« on: Oct 22, 2014, 10:01 am »

I agree with what everyone has said about variety early in your career is great. I'm 4 years out of school and I've actually just taken all educational work off my resume. It is usually great experience but I am always wary of hiring an sm or tech who has ONLY done school productions as in my experience (which is not to say that it is everyones) that people who go through school only working on school productions tend to come out with a more inflexible attitude and have a bigger learning curve getting into the professional world than those who worked outside of school as well. So much of our job is flexibility getting to work with more people gives you the opportunity to learn more from them and learning tends to make one a better SM!

Good luck!

32

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Blocking using a score

« on: Oct 22, 2014, 09:11 am »

I realize this is an old thread but what if there is no libretto just a score, how has anyone found easy to arrange your score to also write in blocking?

33

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Calling Score examples and advice

« on: Oct 22, 2014, 08:51 am »

Question: I am calling a dance piece with live orchestration and was wondering what peoples thoughts are on calling off of the full score or just say a piano version of the music (Ravel's Bolero)

34

The Hardline / Re: AEA LORT COSTUME FITTINGS

« on: Oct 07, 2014, 09:45 am »

I've been in the lucky situation where my equity shows have been pretty flexible. Usually employing a soft start (aka 15 minutes to get settled before starting proper) So I've often used 9:30-10am fitting 1 rehearsal starting at 10am, 10-10:30 fitting 2 and most of my directors can spare someone for 15 minutes or so, then taking another one on at the end of rehearsal. I realize though in a lot of situations thats not possible. Good luck I hate fittings and the less I have to do with them the happier I am (says the sm who is dealing with problems that have "come up" with costumes that ship out to Germany tomorrow and dancers were asked to bring forward all problems when they tried them on after alterations a week ago)

35

Introductions / Re: Freelance

« on: Oct 06, 2014, 12:58 pm »

When I first graduated I worked part time jobs for over a year on top of freelancing to support myself. Not only are longer contracts hard to fin for anyone you are new so what you will most likely get is short contracts with low-no budget. Use those to gain experience and contacts. You are going to have gaps...thats life unless you are crazy lucky.
  Taxes, it really depends how you are contracted and how your employer views you and files taxes for you etc. If you are a true "freelancer" meaning a freelance contractor they will not deduct taxes (or CPP or EI if you are in Canada). That does not mean you don't have to pay them! Do the math and save that money because you will have to pay them at tax time. If you are on contract as an employee they will deduct and it will be the same as any job. If you are casual meaning like a couple hours here no contract you most likely won't get a record of employment or any tax paperwork from your employer. You have to keep track of how much you were paid, record it and declare it on your taxes and again pay the taxes on that income. It sucks.

36

Tools of the Trade / Re: Keeping Spike tape down...

« on: Oct 06, 2014, 09:30 am »

I second the comment on hockey tape. Clear hockey tape and marley tape are essentially the same thing just hockey tape is (at least in Canada) like 5$ for a whack of rolls. Mainly come in 1" rolls but from time to time I've seen 2" as well.
 

37

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour

« on: Oct 01, 2014, 08:21 am »

I also do the half to places call. I tour though so everyone gets to the theatre in enough time to get the half that early. It also allows them time in a theatre that doesn't have a main rag to check their presets should they feel it necessary. I've only ever had 1 actor who actually showed up at the half regularly all others besides people who are consistently late come on their own much earlier.

38

Stage Management: Other / Re: How To call a Dance Show when your Unsure

« on: Sep 30, 2014, 03:24 pm »

Also unrelatedly I really need to post more I'm still "new to town" despite being here for years!

39

Stage Management: Other / DANCE:teaching dancers how to move set

« on: Sep 26, 2014, 12:41 pm »

I'm back with more questions!

 So we have a show that is moderately set heavy, not a large set but a lot of specific moves which the dancers are required to do. They are struggling to say the least. Everything is spiked and we rehearse the bits a lot but is there anything I can do to help them with this? My plan is to do a little warm up exercise before every rehearsal where I basically drill them (they are triangular columns with a red side a painted side and a mirror side on casters) making them make the different formations or do a different side with no for warning just to get them more familiar with moving the actual units efficiently.

Ideas? oh ya and we only have them until Oct 7 as we have to ship them to germany....

40

Stage Management: Other / Re: How To call a Dance Show when your Unsure

« on: Sep 26, 2014, 12:37 pm »

 I am spoiled to have an amazing choreographer/artistic director who gets that "brisse DSL" is less helpful than sometimes making up a name for something, that brisse for instance we now call Clappy Feet. It's also kind of fun and to me more memorable if you have a bit of fun with the script! For instance in the show I am currently rehearsing I have: "tinkley music", "weaving arms", "trophy lift", "the thing that is pretty", "evil music", "airplane turn", "turning hug",  "tumbling harpsichord", "clappy feet", "starfish", "figure skater spin", "fish lift (this one my artisitc director named but I LOVE)". Obviously these are not helpful if anyone else was running the show but they are not ques just a way to follow the action and are accompanied with times the actual cues are more straight forward but its memorable!

41

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / FINANCE: creating a system of accountability with a difficult director

« on: Sep 23, 2014, 09:25 am »

Hi Hivemind,

  So I am look for suggestions/general help with a budget issue. I am trying to create a budgeting system for a musical coming up where I can keep the purse strings tight. A bit of background:
  This director has worked for us before and just does not listen to budgets. Like at all. Our current approved budget is a set amount and what he claims he needs is almost double. The usual way of expensing here is reimbursement which has caused problems, namely him spending money out of pocket without approval and then expecting to get reimbursed for it and getting upset when he isn't (he was out of pocket 3500$ for unapproved purchases last season). I need a way that I can basically prevent him from spending money a)we don't have or b) on things we don't need without me having to buy everything for him as I have 3 other shows to rehearse and perform in the time he has to stage and rehearse this one.
  I am tempted to just do weekly petty cash up to $200 and he only gets more after receipts are submitted and reviewed and any large ticket items I need to be the one doing the purchasing?

So help?

Thanks!

42

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: JOB DESCRIPTION: Production Stage Manager v Company Stage Manager

« on: Aug 29, 2014, 03:32 pm »

My title is also Company Stage Manager but my job is slightly different. I fill the role of company manager as well as SM. We do have a PM who deals with tech I deal more with artist logistics such as accommodations and artist transportation and contracts and don't really touch technical things...

43

The Green Room / Paperwork playlist

« on: Aug 29, 2014, 03:28 pm »

Hey so does anyone have a playlist they use for after rehearsal paperwork? I've been using a "happy+indie" playlist on 8tracks but am looking for any suggestions!

Thanks!

44

Stage Management: Other / Re: Festival Stage Management

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:28 pm »

Thanks you guys are amazing!

45

Stage Management: Other / Festival Stage Management

« on: May 13, 2013, 06:30 pm »

So looking for a bit of advice, I am PMing a multidisciplinary performance festival and have to draft up a list of questions that the companies our in house stage manager need to answer for her to start getting a scope of what their needs are (most are fairly tech-illiterate). Any suggestions? (Besides the obvious send us a script or video of rehearsal!)

Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated! (Also my SM is not local and no companies have requested any rehearsals so she will not be present during any rehearsals just tech and performances!)