Set Changes

[nate]

We use Microsoft Word. It is a good program for this sort of use becasue it has the shape-making capabilities and is relatively simple.

[FxDrew]

I've seen this a couple different ways. If the stage manager is handling this all through the rehearsal process, the table is often too crowded to have another notebook for set notes. We take our script and photocopy it to fill the page. On the other side of the script we photocopy and scale down the floorplan to fit at least two drawings on the page. This way the stage manager can diagram the blocking of the current scene and show when the new set pieces come in and where in association to their cue in the script. Now if you've got time... you can use Power Point. You take a basic floorplan and make it a master slide (so you can have it as the backgorund for every scenechange). Now make each set piece that moves a simple object. Using the transition tools you can show which side the stage it moves in, how fast it takes, etc.. Now using the text tools or the space for presenters comments, you can note who takes the set piece on or off, what cue number it is, etc.. (you might want to label that particular slide the Cue # it refers to). Doing it this way gives you a visual tool to show the director if that's what they want and when you go to the crew, you have a working "playbook" of all the moves. If you want to get ambitious and you have a lot of moves, you can make spheres, label them as your crew members and move them with the set pieces so you know where your crew members are and if they can get to another set piece to make the next move.

[macas]

We draw out each scene and just list if it apears more than once. We then make a list of scene order and normally the SM and ASMs will have most of the show memorised.

[paul]

Sometimes at my place, we give each scene (change) a nic-name. Something thats catchy, and easy to remember. Usualy we all throw out nic-names for a scene, and then go with the stupidest/funnyest ones.
Example:
....Stand By for: "Your Mom"....
.........."Standing by"......
Hey, it works for us.
Sometimes.

[SocksOnly]

Originally Posted by AudMan_Farva

Sometimes at my place, we give each scene (change) a nic-name. Something thats catchy, and easy to remember. Usualy we all throw out nic-names for a scene, and then go with the stupidest/funnyest ones.
Example:
....Stand By for: "Your Mom"....
.........."Standing by"......
Hey, it works for us.
Sometimes.

That's actually an awesome idea. At our school we usually get a large bit of posterboard and divide it into set-changes. Then within each set-change, we list each thing to be done (and how) and who should be doing it. For example:

BELLE (TOWN SCENE)
-Fountain on (from right)...Claire, Becca, Tristan
-Town backdrop in...Kyle
-Scrim out...Amanda

[TechiGoz]

I usually just use either hand plots and photocopy it, or i use simple diagrams made on microsoft word, using the drawing diagrams etc.

I do two diagrams to a page, what it is before and what the set is after. I assign crew members different letters and then put a list of who does what on the side of the diagram, whether it be main scenery, props, flys, floor electrics or whatever.

Hope that helps

[GeneralDoom]

Micrsoft Word is good, I've also worked a show where the SM used Microsoft Excel to do a stage plot, it work out rather nicely.....

[bendersen]

For my last show, which had 31 set changes, I used a format like this:

SC 14 During Scene 16

MUSIC CUE and STONE: “How’d you know it was my birthday?”

- Chris and Jesse: Bed CSR
- Christine: Night table USL of bed

SC 15 During Scene 18

STONE: "First, you level."

- Chris and Jesse: Bed offstage
- Christine: Night table offstage

SC 16 At end of Scene 18

VOICEOVER CUE: "Another dame. Another gun."

- Sam and Noah: Bed offstage
- Emy: Table offstage
- Emma: Phone booth USL
- Chris and Jesse: Gurney DSL

SC 17 At end of Scene 20

BUDDY: "And just one morgue scene!"

- Noah: Phone booth offstage

[maggyx13]

we use excel. at the top is: what needs to be done (phrase it however you want, but its when things have to be moved or rigged or what-not). who does it. page number. cue (light, line, whatever would help someone). thats the basics. also for things we moved, we would highlight them with the same color as the tape that marks where it goes.

[gafftaper]

Hey Maggy Great ides highlighting in the same color as the spike tape. I never thought of that one. Love it! Got to go buy a bunch of different colors of highlighter now.