Author Topic: TECH: Reports during technicals  (Read 7980 times)

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JDL

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TECH: Reports during technicals
« on: Nov 12, 2007, 02:14 pm »
I start technicals for Jitters Wednesday and I was wondering if you guys do some type of report during technicals? I have my rehearsal/performance reports. It seems like everyone will be there to see what needs to be fixed so doing a "technical report" would be redundant. Any thoughts? ???
« Last Edit: Jun 09, 2009, 01:28 am by PSMKay »
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Scott

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #1 on: Nov 12, 2007, 02:29 pm »
I start technicals for Jitters Wednesday and I was wondering if you guys do some type of report during technicals? I have my rehearsal/performance reports. It seems like everyone will be there to see what needs to be fixed so doing a "technical report" would be redundant. Any thoughts? ???

If everyone will be there -- especially Production Manager and/or whomever needs to know cost of fixes -- I would probably agree that a detailed technical report would be redundant.

KMC

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #2 on: Nov 12, 2007, 04:33 pm »
I typically do my regular rehearsal report and include any notes that weren't given after rehearsal, while making a note for areas where notes were given after rehearsal.

edit: fixed typo
« Last Edit: Nov 12, 2007, 07:22 pm by kmc307 »
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lauria

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #3 on: Nov 12, 2007, 05:20 pm »
At the end of the day/night I usually have a "production meeting" and go over everything that needs to be fixed. Everyone takes their own notes and fixes what needs to be fixed before next rehearsal. There's no way I want to be up even later writing a report when everyone is there. If someone it missing or a note is missed during the meeting, then I follow up with an email or see them the next day. Then I go home and sleeeeeeeeeep. :)

MatthewShiner

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #4 on: Nov 12, 2007, 05:25 pm »
I never do a report during tech.  Because after 14 hours, I am not spending anymore time in the theatre.

Since Production Management and all departments are present, it really would be a waste of time.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

KMC

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #5 on: Nov 12, 2007, 05:49 pm »
Since Production Management and all departments are present, it really would be a waste of time.

Matthew, I respectfully disagree here.  In several other threads recently the aspect of record-keeping has come up.  If 10 years later a dancer makes a false injury claim for an injury that allegedly occurred during a tech rehearsal and there is no report to document that the rehearsal even took place - could turn into a sticky situation.  Things like this are rare, but if you don't document every rehearsal and performance you're setting yourself up for trouble.

edit: added "that allegedly"
« Last Edit: Nov 12, 2007, 07:17 pm by kmc307 »
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Mac Calder

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #6 on: Nov 12, 2007, 06:40 pm »
My votes in with kmc307. It is also good to go to a designer "Here is a list of issues that arrose which need fixing asap" because they have also been there 14 hours and have probably forgotten (and most don't carry notebooks with them to make their own notes). Shouldn't have to do it, but *shrug*

RuthNY

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #7 on: Nov 12, 2007, 08:48 pm »
I'm with Matt. I work with theatres where all department heads (or their assistants) are present for note sessions following the Tech. If, by some odd chance, there's a note for someone not in attendance I drop them an e-mail or call their work phone extension and leave a message. The only paperwork I stay to do after a Tech. is the schedule and phone Hotline for the next call.

If there is an injury during Tech. I send one e-mail copied to the Artistic Director, Managing Director, and Company Manager (who I may have already contacted by phone if the injury requires medical attention) and any other necessary parties, stating the facts surrounding the accident just as I would in a Rehearsal Report. That's documentation enough for them and me!


Then, like Lauria, I go home and go to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!



I never do a report during tech.  Because after 14 hours, I am not spending anymore time in the theatre.

Since Production Management and all departments are present, it really would be a waste of time.
"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you."
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MatthewShiner

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #8 on: Nov 12, 2007, 08:59 pm »
I think this comes down to what the purpose of your reports are.

If someone does get injured, at my theatre, they fill out an accident report.  (and plus, everyone was in the theatre. That is the official way to note an injury.   Having been through the entire someone was injured thing going to court, I try very hard not to have multiple documents reporting the same incident.   (If an accident report happened in a normal rehearsal or performance, I state someone was injured - a brief description - and then note that an accident report has been filled out.  I have learned from past experience - I try not to have too much information on a report - due to privacy issues and the number of people who receive a production report.  Also, if there is some conflict in two reports, that is a problem in a legal situation.

I think this totally depends on the situation you are working on.  If I handed a report to the designer the next day, after they sat through tech, then tech notes, I think they would be a little pissed.  (Trust me, just asking about something after tech notes, a side meeting, and a director talking to them - is enough to send them over the edge.)

BUT, I can see that there is a situation where Stage Management is the most senior person responsible for the show and you are going to want to document everything that was given in notes.   If I anticipated an issue that may need to be documented, then I would start some sort of paper trails.

Unfortunately, there are times when you are working on a show that is just too large to be apart of every discussion after tech notes.  For example, on my recent shows, stage management was in at 10:00a, teched from 12:00n - 12:00p - during dinner there was a 2 hour blood meeting, tech notes went to 1:00a, and then there was three different side meetings - not all of which I could attend, if I wanted to get the call done before 2:00a, and be back the next day at 10:00a.

Now, doing a short report that states this was our hours, this is what happened, this is what we covered, and then listing anything special that may have happened - with the note that tech notes were given directly may not be such a bad idea, but I am not sure I would do my full production report style.  (Nor have I ever had a production manager ask,need,  or expect a report during tech.)

It really depends on your situation and your style - remember stage management is an art and it comes down to the style that works best for you at the level you are working at.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

ScooterSM

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #9 on: Nov 12, 2007, 10:49 pm »
It depends on what kind of report you are talking about.  If you are talking about the "started at 11am, ended at 11pm, took xyz breaks, so and so was late" type of reports that might be needed for union or management documentation that is one thing.  A completely different type of report is the "door broke, fence needs to painted, SQGG has a glitch, etc" type of report.

I take the first type of report during techs for documentation of hours, etc.  The second type of report depends on the theatre.  Sometimes the heads of each dept takes the notes at the end of each night, or I will send emails about any notes that someone who wasn't at the end of rehearsal might have missed.  Another theatre I worked at the Production Manager maintained a list of notes that was kept in a public computer folder.  At the end of each night, items that had been completed were removed from the list, and items that still needed to be completed remained on the list.  New items were added.  It was actually a pretty effective system, since everyone was looking at the same "to-do" list, and there wasn't duplication or things slipping through the cracks.

I guess I am saying what everyone else has said.  It just depends on the situation...  :)
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KMC

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #10 on: Nov 12, 2007, 11:37 pm »
Now, doing a short report that states this was our hours, this is what happened, this is what we covered, and then listing anything special that may have happened - with the note that tech notes were given directly may not be such a bad idea, but I am not sure I would do my full production report style.  (Nor have I ever had a production manager ask,need,  or expect a report during tech.)

This is more to what I was referring.  I suppose an injury is not a terribly effective example, as that would obviously be documented in more than just a rehearsal report (I hope).
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

nmno

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #11 on: Nov 13, 2007, 10:50 am »
<cut> Now, doing a short report that states this was our hours, this is what happened, this is what we covered, and then listing anything special that may have happened - with the note that tech notes were given directly may not be such a bad idea, but I am not sure I would do my full production report style. <cut>

This is exactly the kind of report I do during tech.  I'm still able to give an idea of how things are going for folks are aren't there the entire time.  But I don't get anymore specific than "notes given during rehearsal and at post-show meeting" or maybe if a member of tech staff couldn't be there "production manager has list of notes for prop master" so s/he knows where to get them from in the am (ie. don't call me...)

debos23

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #12 on: Nov 13, 2007, 02:34 pm »
My practice has been what nmno said, with the exception of "don't call me..."  :-)  In consultation with my production manager, I send out an overview-type report usually the day after the tech rehearsal.  If there are notes that came in after the main tech notes session, I call the person that night, and add "new note" to the report, respectively.

d.

StageMgr2Stars

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #13 on: Nov 13, 2007, 07:30 pm »
Since Production Management and all departments are present, it really would be a waste of time.

Matthew, I respectfully disagree here.  In several other threads recently the aspect of record-keeping has come up.  If 10 years later a dancer makes a false injury claim for an injury that allegedly occurred during a tech rehearsal and there is no report to document that the rehearsal even took place - could turn into a sticky situation.  Things like this are rare, but if you don't document every rehearsal and performance you're setting yourself up for trouble.

edit: added "that allegedly"


I agree completely but I also think it's useful to just list the notes with the a nice "As discussed today..." just to have it all there and to make sure they got all the notes. Sometimes things get missed or you just don't realize that someone else's note will affect someone else.
-C-

nmno

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Re: Reports during technicals
« Reply #14 on: Nov 14, 2007, 03:12 am »
<cut>  I also think it's useful to just list the notes with the a nice "As discussed today..." just to have it all there and to make sure they got all the notes. Sometimes things get missed or you just don't realize that someone else's note will affect someone else.

Frankly, my experience in LORT theatres and their tech schedules, this just isn't feasible.  There are hundreds of little notes that come up during the day, many of which I won't even know about let alone have the time to type up to distribute.   That's why we have a tech meeting following, where each department can go thru their notes and make sure we're all on the same page.  (I take handwritten notes at these meeting so if a question comes up I can answer it, but I also expect department heads to take notes for themselves as well.)  I have too much to do during tech and my time is better spent to create a document I know my designers and heads will ignore. 

 

riotous