http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/ An online community for students and professionals in Technical Theatre en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:11:48 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/images/bgold/misc/rss.jpg http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/ http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/10-sound-class-day-three.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:44:09 GMT A few more random thoughts from class to share: -If you are in a high school with no money and VHF microphones. Put the receivers as close to the... A few more random thoughts from class to share:

-If you are in a high school with no money and VHF microphones. Put the receivers as close to the stage as possible. Now line the area around them with aluminum foil and experiment. Hopefully you can find a way to block out all the other signals except the ones you want.

-Looking for some sound design music that fits a style but is a little different. Check out Pandora. It lets you enter a musician and it creates a play list of similar songs for you to listen to. Cool way to find music that's appropriate for a show and a little less known.

-Sound design inspiration: If you can't find an obvious musical style choice in the script, try this. Research the life of the author, try to determine what type of music the author may have been listening to when writing the show.

-Celtex an interesting pre-production software. Obviously very useful in Hollywood. Its definitely got some cool tricks that would be helpful in theater as well, but I'm not sure how useful it will be for me as it appears to take a lot of time to setup if the script you want isn't in the database. Check it out.

-Sound design inspiration: Doing a show in the 40's? Listen to the 40's station on XM radio or the music channels on your cable tv.

-And my favorite tip. If there was a fire backstage or some sort of an emergency that required you to evacuate the audience... what would you say? Who would say it? Write a script that is to be read. Decide who reads it (for example sound op on God mic?). Train that person what to do. Post the scripted message on the wall near the person. Don't say, "there's a fire backstage" say "we are experiencing technical difficulties". ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/10-sound-class-day-three.html http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/8-i-have-heat-class-good-too.html Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:41:52 GMT Well the maintenance people fixed my heat and now I'm back again happy but bored in my little hut.

Class was good. The prof. has done a LOT of live sound over the last 20 years... and she's a GIRL too. She said she's only met like three other female pro sound ops over the years and had some funny stories about men thinking she didn't know anything about sound.

She mostly talked about her philosophy as an op and designer, and how that relates to educational theater. A few random points that struck me as interesting today:

-She trains her student sound engineers that they must personally hand the microphone to each actor in a musical. When handing off the mic they are to ask, "How is your voice tonight?" What a great idea to help prepare for a singer who needs a little help because it's feeling a little off.

-She said she has heard that Samuel French and others are cracking down on videos posted on the internet of productions and charging the people producing the show up to $10k per violation! Ouch! More reason to be a real jerk about video recordings.

-If FORCED to mic dialogue, during a musical never try to mix it. Just set a level and leave it. Mix during the singing, not talking.

-She likes to teach about sound board operation using a Mackie manual. They are well written and easy to understand.

-She calls Planned Parenthood to get free expired condoms for use when protecting mic body packs from sweat.

-She likes getting sound effects from The Free Sound Project or www.freesound.org I don't remember hearing of them around CB before. Looks like a great site!

-When designing for a period show, change your radio station to an appropriate era radio station. You'll be amazed at why you might find out about the era by listening to it AND you may just find music you need for the show.

That's all for now. ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/8-i-have-heat-class-good-too.html http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/7-ack-no-heat.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:47:35 GMT It was a cool windy night. I discovered in the night the main heat registers aren't working. Since it's summer and usually hot they only provide a single sheet and one of those fake velour blankets. I was able to survive by closing off my bedroom and opening the door to the bathroom and running a small forced air electric fan in the bathroom on high all night. This morning it's 49 degrees outside, my part of the duplex is cool but adequate. The kitchen and living area is 58 degrees. Leaving my icy cell to forage for food.

Never fear my friends. Gaff is a survivor and has the choice of McDonalds, Burger King, OR Jack in the Box for breakfast.

Now along with class from 9-5 I have to find a way to have them fix my heat or move me.

(Dave I found the edit button. I wasn't looking for an icon, I was looking for the standard CB edit button.) ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/7-ack-no-heat.html http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/6-im-here-im-bored.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:11:23 GMT Well I'm here in the vast wasteland that is Ellensburg, WA. It's a very dry environment here. Often in the 90's in the summer. But situated very close to the mountains so every afternoon winds come rushing down out of the pass. Today it's cold, cloudy, and the winds are blasting as usual. I'm in a complex of about 40 "cottage/duplexes" I don't have a room mate yet. I look out around me and don't see any other cars so apparently I'm the only one here now. I'm debating driving over to the theater and watching the new Jack Black cave man movien or Night at the museum. However both films are likely to suck and It's even more depressing going to a movie and being the only one there.

Sigh... can't wait to get to class tomorrow. ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/6-im-here-im-bored.html http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/5-off-school-week.html Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:33:49 GMT Well I'm off to take a class on Sound Design and Engineering for the next 5 days. I take these every summer at Central Washington University. Thorin81 will be there to. It's a program offered for teachers. You can either work on a masters degree (like Thorin's doing) or just take them for professional development. I've already got a masters in Education and don't really want a second one... 7 years of college was enough for me thank you. I'm going to maintain my high school teaching certification and to just expand my own knowledge. It's a really intense program. I'll be in class for 5 days from 9am to 5pm and get three 500 level credits when I'm done.

I'm really excited. Although I've done just about everything and I've been doing it a long time, how I learned it is a little odd. I spent about two years doing tons of volunteer work at a small community college working with an amazing T.D. who knew everything. He taught me HOW to do everything and do it well... but he didn't always teach me why because we were working on shows, not taking classes. So, every year I take these classes and find these weird gaps in my theory. I always come back refreshed and excited about applying some new techniques I have learned along the way.

The downside is that I'll be stuck in Ellensburg, WA. Once class is over, there's NOTHING to do in Ellensburg WA except eat and drink.

Hopefully Thorin will have some free time and we can hang out a bit. ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/5-off-school-week.html http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/2-must-catch-up-derek.html Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:41:25 GMT Well I have no idea why I need a blog... I already post too much around here as it is. BUT we have blogs now and I had to be the second person to... Well I have no idea why I need a blog... I already post too much around here as it is. BUT we have blogs now and I had to be the second person to post one because it was there!

So I'm supposed to tell you about my life I guess. Well this last week I've been busy spending money left over at the end of the school year this week. Today I spent about 12 hours going to MANY different hardware stores and other places all over town buying heavy things... which led to a rather entertaining story.

I purchased a little over 400 square feet of laminate flooring to use on sets. Nice dark cherry. I went to load it in my truck. My car alarm automatically arms itself 15 seconds after the door closes. So while loading I had the door propped open. We finished loading and I drove two miles to the lumber yard. I parked right in front of the door. I did my shopping ($120 of misc nuts, bolts, and screws to just build up my stock :dance:). I finished and went out to my truck... no alarm fob on my keyring. It's missing. I search the lumber store... nothing. The employees are all watching as I'm right in front of the door. I decide okay I'm going in. I open the door the alarm goes off I search the car... nothing. I try putting my key in the ignition to stop it... no good. The alarm keeps going as 6 guys stare at me from behind the counter. CRAP! So I call the flooring guy, he checks the parking lot. YEP it's there. Double CRAP! My director lives 2 minutes away I call her for a ride. Not home. Our costumer lives 5 minutes away... not home. I'm stuck riding the bus back to the flooring place. As I'm starting to cross the street, a block from the flooring place, a car passes by honking, a friends teen daughter waiving at me from the passenger window. CRAP on a CRACKER! (a rather amusing expression a student of mine uses, give it a try, it's a great way to cuss a but and cheer yourself up at the same time). Now someone has seen me so eventually I'm going to have to admit this shameful experience. But of course he didn't stop to give me a ride. :rolleyes: An amused salesman, chewing on an apple gives me the fob when I finally arrive, I tell him the real fun was at the lumber yard with my alarm going of nonstop. I ride the bus back to the lumber place. I walk up turn off the alarm and all 6 guys inside applaud. :oops: It's been a long day.

On the other hand this week I've purchase:
4 rugs and 400 sq feet of flooring, $500 worth of wigs, 25 cds of ambience sound effects, a set of boarder curtains, a bench grinder, jigsaw, corded drill, and the Makita Li-on cordless drill and Li-on impact wrench combo kit, a wad of Muslin, a bunch of makeup, misc small supplies for the shop, and over $500 worth of Unistrut pieces... I can't wait to play with Unistrut! It's been a lot of work spending all this money this fast but we have really beefed us the department's inventory. :mrgreen: ]]> gafftaper http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/blogs/gafftaper/2-must-catch-up-derek.html