Labtop vs. Pencil and Script/Notepad

[MarcosPMA]

I know in the past, (before labtops were invented), blocking notation would be done on the script or a notepad.  My SM and I(ASM) have been doing our blocking notes on our labtops and only writing on notepads when we need to make a prop note or anything not related to blocking and I was wondering which is easier/practical: taking notes on paper or typing them out?

[loebtmc]

I think it's what you're used to. I would rather use pencil and eraser since things change too rapidly and too often, and since I can work really fast that way (faster than laptop as far as I am concerned).

And, that clicking of the keyboard drives some directors and actors nuts.

[MatthewShiner]

I think during runs, and rehearsal, having someone in the laptop all the time, you miss what's going in the room . . . it's easy to open a document and edit something, and get sucked into the work . . .

I often will work in rooms, where laptops need to be shut during rehearsal and are only opened during breaks.

When an actor is acting a huge dramatic scene 3 feet in front of a stage manager, hearing the click-clack of the keyboard is slightly distracting.  Working a comedy or musical, it might not be as annoying.

I firmly believe, based on my experience, that young stage managers often get so sucked into the computer the miss what's going on in the room.

[missliz]

I prefer hand writing it all in the script. I use my laptop for nearly everything else, but in a rehearsal I'd rather have the book in hand. Less distracting, quicker to change notes, just all-around easier in a rehearsal space, I think. However, I have in tech had my laptop open for notes, prop tracking, or fixing any other charts, as well as once working through a sound problem with the designer over gchat!

[Thespi620]

I agree with missliz.  I think having a computer out during rehearsals can get far too distracting--both for the actors and for the SM.  I much prefer to take blocking notes by hand, mostly because that's how I learned and it's easier for me to change things without thinking about it that way.  In tech, I can see the attraction of being able to edit plots and tracking on a computer, but I would still keep my pencil & paper out for script notes and reports.

[Cedes]

hm...I honestly might have to somewhat disagree with everyone.  I am not opposed to using it in rehearsal, as long as the director and/or cast is alright with it.  I like to have the current report(s) up, and type them up as I go, rather than spending that extra hour or so after rehearsal working on reports and them sending them out.  I also find it much faster to type forms up during rehearsal rather than writing it down first and then transferring it later to paperwork. Where I work we are required to have all of those forms done before tech, not during. 

[MatthewShiner]

Ceres, all those things to update during rehearsal are great . . . but I have to admit, from both my personal experience, and watching other stage managers, once the computer is open and you start working on it DURING rehearsal, your attention is drawn to the laptop.  And if your job is to keep the room moving, rehearsal going, and pay attention to everything happening in the room, the distraction of the open computer has proven to be a problem in my personal experience.  Seriously, I have had actors stop acting until the SM stopped typing and throw a big fit about it.  I have also seen directors just shut the laptop on a stage manager.

Yeah, it's a pain to stay after an hour, but . . . here's the thing.  I have had assistants in the room for 8 hours, working away on paperwork, and when they look over the report at the end of the day, ask me . . . "When did we change that?", and I say, we worked that in rehearsal today, for about ten minutes, where were you?  The answer is that they had their head in the paperwork, not in the rehearsal.

It's all about style, and there is also the issue of generational differences . . . work with older actors, directors, etc . . . they may not be part of the "computer" experience.  I work with a director, who no matter what I am doing on the computer, they thing I am playing on the internet . . .

I also find, if I type notes as we work, I tend not to be as detailed as I like (I mean, I am split focus) and also, I tend to have to go back and edit a lot - because the note I type at the top of the rehearsal may be changed throughout the rehearsal.

Again, personal style, but I think it's a dangerous path to walk down.  (Who hasn't started to type a note - and bingo, have an actor call for a line . . .)

[missliz]

Ceres, all those things to update during rehearsal are great . . . but I have to admit, from both my personal experience, and watching other stage managers, once the computer is open and you start working on it DURING rehearsal, your attention is drawn to the laptop.  And if your job is to keep the room moving, rehearsal going, and pay attention to everything happening in the room, the distraction of the open computer has proven to be a problem in my personal experience.  Seriously, I have had actors stop acting until the SM stopped typing and throw a big fit about it.  I have also seen directors just shut the laptop on a stage manager.

Yeah, it's a pain to stay after an hour, but . . . here's the thing.  I have had assistants in the room for 8 hours, working away on paperwork, and when they look over the report at the end of the day, ask me . . . "When did we change that?", and I say, we worked that in rehearsal today, for about ten minutes, where were you?  The answer is that they had their head in the paperwork, not in the rehearsal.

It's all about style, and there is also the issue of generational differences . . . work with older actors, directors, etc . . . they may not be part of the "computer" experience.  I work with a director, who no matter what I am doing on the computer, they thing I am playing on the internet . . .

I also find, if I type notes as we work, I tend not to be as detailed as I like (I mean, I am split focus) and also, I tend to have to go back and edit a lot - because the note I type at the top of the rehearsal may be changed throughout the rehearsal.

Again, personal style, but I think it's a dangerous path to walk down.  (Who hasn't started to type a note - and bingo, have an actor call for a line . . .)

This is the main reason I write my report after rehearsal is over- I have some breathing time to reflect, put ideas together, etc. I'm afraid that if I typed every idea as it came up, I wouldn't be looking at the big picture the way I get to when, for example, I'm on the subway headed home.

[MarcosPMA]

Well I don't know if it's any different for operas, but so far we haven't had to give lines because the cast was required to have their music memorized before blocking rehearsals started.  For me, I type faster than I write, so using the labtop is easier for me.  I only take down blocking when the director has finally made up their mind and runs the blocking for the cast to remember it, (the director is prone to change the blocking a lot when first rehearsing it, so i first watch and wait for the finished blocking to come out, then i notate it).

[ReyYaySM]

I only take down blocking when the director has finally made up their mind and runs the blocking for the cast to remember it, (the director is prone to change the blocking a lot when first rehearsing it, so i first watch and wait for the finished blocking to come out, then i notate it).

It may be different for opera, but this can be a dangerous habit to get into. The blocking isn't finally set until the show opens, so if I waited for the director to finalize the blocking before writing it all down I would never be able to take down the blocking.  In early rehearsals I'll write down the basics and then layer in more and more as the rehearsal process goes on.  I'll even notate new things an actor does instinctively because I've had several instances where a director will say to the actor "I love that new move" and the actor will turn to me and say "what was it and when did I do it?"

But back to the original topic, I'm curious how those of you who take blocking on a laptop do it.  Is it simply notes or are you able to do diagrams as well?  Do you have the script up on the laptop as well?  I tend to agree with the other posters comments regarding the use of a laptop in rehearsal and its potential for distracting the SM as well as the cast and director, but I am curious as to the application of the technology.

[Rebbe]

I take blocking notes with pencil and paper in rehearsal.  But for a couple shows, I experimented with transferring the blocking notes to computer when the show opened, so there would be a blocking backup and it would be clearer for take-over SMs.  I had a separate Word document, and on the left side of the page I kept a numbered list of descriptions of the blocking, corresponding with circled numbers on my script where the actions happened.  I also had small PDF drawings of the set on the right side of the page, and used text boxes to put the initials of the characters onto the drawings.  I could also add arrows to show movement, or furniture pieces, with the Shapes in Word.  Then I would print the pages and put them in my call book opposite the text pages.

This process was very time consuming, especially lining up shapes on the PDF, so I never considered doing it in rehearsal.  Ultimately I decided it wasn’t worth the effort at all.  Now when I open the show I review my blocking pages to make sure they are clear and legible, making corrections as needed.  I’ll only type up pages with complicated blocking that I would have needed to rewrite anyway.   

[maximillionx]

I can't ever see myself taking blocking with a laptop.  Pencil and script is muuuch faster for me.  However, I find having a laptop, at my current position, quite helpful during rehearsal. I have my script typed up so I usually find it easier to be on book with a laptop.  The find function especially comes in handy when trying to find a place in the script a few pages back.  I also use the post-it notes function (Stickies on my work Mac) to take notes.  As MatthewShiner does state, it can be distracting at times, so self-control is paramount.

[Libby]

I've been PAing for the past month and the PSM has asked that I type up all the blocking for him as we go. I have it set up with the right side of my computer having the script and the left side with an opposite page (at the top labeled - OP 34 3/17/10- or whatever page and date of the last update). The actual script is also kept up to date with a highlighted number typed in that corresponds to the blocking note. So basically each day, when we finish working the scene, I type up what the blocking was at the end of that session.

As things change every day it becomes almost like keeping a script change log but for blocking. The director can ask what we did last week and instead of flipping through pages of scribble that the PSM would have to keep I can just open up the blocking pages for that day and look it up.

Now that we are in tech, the PSM has turned the entire blocking book over to me. Since I am in the house on book for the cast I have mostly been doing the same thing he did. Writing changes in the script and then transferring to my computer. Though I don't think I will be updating as often as I did in rehearsal, probably waiting until we start previews to really re-type and print new pages.

PROs: Easily readable blocking, log of changes, neat and clean book.
CONs: Time consuming, environmentally un-friendly.

[Scott]

I'm with Matthew on this one, who's nicely articulated my observations and objections to a computer in rehearsal.

I take blocking with pencil and script; none of the Stage Managers I've hired so far take their blocking in computer and that's the way I intend to keep it that way.

I don't see how it's easier to type "counter-clockwise" than to draw a counter-clockwise arrow; I can think of numerous occasions where it's simpler to quick sketch a move than to try to describe it.

But the distraction from the rehearsal process is probably the biggest complaint I have when I've observed stage managers working from a laptop in the rehearsal hall.

(I was using mainframe computers at college to word-process my papers (and used justification tricks to make every paper the correct page count) well before it was common custom so I have no "fear" of technology -- but I'm a big believer in the right tool for the right job.  There are occasions where the analog solution is the most elegant, and I believe the  rehearsal hall is one of them.)
Post Merge: Mar 20, 2010, 02:38 pm

I only take down blocking when the director has finally made up their mind and runs the blocking for the cast to remember it, (the director is prone to change the blocking a lot when first rehearsing it, so i first watch and wait for the finished blocking to come out, then i notate it).

It may be different for opera, but this can be a dangerous habit to get into.

Not different for opera in my experience -- and I would not be likely to hire an opera PSM who worked in that fashion.

[loebtmc]

I cannot fathom taking blocking notes by computer being faster than pencil - not counting the distraction of eyes off the actor/stage as well as the noise of the keyboard - there is no way, no matter how fast you type, you cd notate blocking on some of the heavily-staged shows I've done!