PRE-PRODUCTION: Marking Out Techniques: empty Stage, Set flies in.

[Eleni Konstantatou]

Hello!

I am actually a Set Designer Assistant in the Regie System in Germany, but I hope you will accept my inquiry =)

I would like to ask if anyone has experience with Sets hanging from the Fly System, causing an empty Stage effect.
The project I am working on at the moment consists from several layers hanging from the Flying System of the Stage
which results in 2 things:

1st of all we have a totally empty Stage, which makes it difficult for the Singers (it is an opera) to orientate themselves.
2nd we have lots of cues due to the layers coming up and down, how could we find a simpler system to help them out.

My first thought was to use glow tape and then use different colors or shape symbols and then maybe make a second
simpler numbering system just for the singers. The main characters are 4 so it could be maybe not so difficult to mark
them out? Would a totally simple solution like the dance tracking steps method be a way to go or does any of you have
any other similar experiences during other productions that could maybe help?

Any suggestions appreciated, thanks a lot!!

xxxo
Eleni

Edited to add topic tag and simplify title - Maribeth

[leastlikely]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.

Are you asking how to help actors be out of the way when set pieces fly in?

Are there lots of different combinations of set pieces that get flown in at any time? Or is it the same set every time, or maybe the same set for one act but then it's different in the next? If it's one set or just a few combinations, I would suggest taping out the shapes on the floor. If for instance act 1 is one combination of pieces, but act 2 is different, then you could use two different colors. However if it's like, one time a single wall flies in, another time there's a different wall and a staircase, and then later it's a tree, and then it's the first wall again... that might get too complicated for color-coding.

[cdavisnyc]

Will you have a completely empty stage, or will the lighting designer have booms for sidelight? If so, that's a great way for them to visually align themselves.

If you have a truly empty stage, colored cue/xmas tree lights on offstage walls can help them position themselves, if sightlines & design allow. Masked LED's on the downstage edge of the stage are great - center line is one color, quarter marks a different color. That gives you a visual grid that only the performers can see.

You can put small LED lights on the upstage sides of scenery for visibility & safety.

I like shape symbols over colors any day, for floor marking.

If you find you have one or two performers who are very good at hitting their marks, spike their mark, make them the "anchor" and others position themselves relative to him/her.

Most importantly, make sure your stage manager has enough deck assistants to watch scenery fly and can communicate with the rail to stop if a performer is in danger! If anyone wants to cut deck positions to save money, support your stage manager and argue to keep them! Your SM and your performers will thank you.

-Colleen

[brettnexx]

Depending on how much take you'd be willing to have on the deck of the stage, you could put numbers running from DC to DR and DL like this:

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Space them a certain amount apart (something like a foot each, so the number corresponds to the foot marking). And do the same on the sides going from DS to US, so it could help the actors orient themselves in a grid like pattern.

[SMeustace]

I think the question is how to mark on the floor where drops will be when they are flown in?

I mark them with broke up line of spike tape with "drop" as a label. Once I introduce the actors to what the tape signifies on the floor I mention to them that this line is a wall that stays throughout the show, this line is where a drop will be during scene x, y and z.