Uh-huh. Let me know what happens the first time you do that to an Equity actor.
If you ever hope to be a professional, you might want to start acting like one. Yesterday.
Eavesdropping tales~
- Thread starterMillburyAuditorium
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Uh-huh. Let me know what happens the first time you do that to an Equity actor.
If you ever hope to be a professional, you might want to start acting like one. Yesterday.
OK, not quite the same, but in college I spent too much of my time at the campus radio station. Not one of those low-power ones that only the dorms get, but a 10kW FM station. It was 3AM, and I decided to read some news (we were pretty free-format at that hour of the morning). Well, "Linda Ronstadt" came out as "Rinda Lonstadt." Realizing my mistake, I made the same comment as the actress above. Then, realizing what I'd just said over the air, I started to make *the same comment* again! After a few seconds of silence, killed my mic, and started the next record. Luckily, we didn't have many listeners at that hour of the morning.
-Fred
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We were doing a religious community theatre in a local HS. The school hired me as the board op and to oversee the hang and focus. We were in preshow of the opening show. Now it was a low budget operation and they were using Radio Shack wireless headsets and had a small child mic with a Realistic wireless. During move-in we tested the headsets and the mic but not both at the same time. It turns out they were the same frequency. Remember this was a religious show and the booth seems to be reverse soundproofed, everything said can be heard but you can't hear live. The SM was telling me that they had been skinnydipping at the hotel pool the night before. Halfway through the story I realize she is broadcasting through the PA. Not pretty but funny.
Anonymous067
Active Member
I always warn my actors/actresses that they are subject to being listened to, not because people will, but because it is technically possible. It's also not unlikely for them to accidentally end up in a recording or backstage bus, so please be appropriate. Now, I have better %$#@ to do than eavesdrop on my talent, but I do occasionally listen to see if an actor is preset in the right place, or if they are ready etc etc.
Once I heard an actor talking about me, and saying things that were kinda rude. I didn't think much of it, because it's true, I am a jerk. But I did mysteriously pop up in the dressing room and hear a few "oh he's here stop talking shhh".
With regards to the comment about the "I see breasts" post earlier...
It was opening night, and I'd been having wireless problems like CRAZY. I slapped a new bodypack on my lead actress before the show, and as it turned out, it was worse than the first one. Well, she had a huge wardrobe malfunction that night (we had a really bad opening night, not gonna lie), her entire dress fell apart basically. She ran off stage and her understudy was playing a background part at the time (she took over).
I go flying backstage to get a different bodypack to her. As I come flying around the corner to the backstage entrance...I barely get around the corner, and saw that her and the dresser hadn't fixed her bra yet...and I involuntarily had a view of the poor girls body. I immediately spun around so I couldn't see, and in no more than two seconds later she said "will its ok, you can come fix the mic now."
She later thanked me for my professionalism and maturity in the matter.
Once I heard an actor talking about me, and saying things that were kinda rude. I didn't think much of it, because it's true, I am a jerk. But I did mysteriously pop up in the dressing room and hear a few "oh he's here stop talking shhh".
With regards to the comment about the "I see breasts" post earlier...
It was opening night, and I'd been having wireless problems like CRAZY. I slapped a new bodypack on my lead actress before the show, and as it turned out, it was worse than the first one. Well, she had a huge wardrobe malfunction that night (we had a really bad opening night, not gonna lie), her entire dress fell apart basically. She ran off stage and her understudy was playing a background part at the time (she took over).
I go flying backstage to get a different bodypack to her. As I come flying around the corner to the backstage entrance...I barely get around the corner, and saw that her and the dresser hadn't fixed her bra yet...and I involuntarily had a view of the poor girls body. I immediately spun around so I couldn't see, and in no more than two seconds later she said "will its ok, you can come fix the mic now."
She later thanked me for my professionalism and maturity in the matter.
The blackbox booth at my old hs was like that. You couldn't hear the actors screaming, but the audience could hear the techs whispering/laughing in the booth.
Soloing mics to hear the actors wise... I've never done it (other than for show reasons), but I once had an L2 that REALLY wanted to know what a group of actors were talking about (they were onstage whispering during a dress...). So I kinda wanted to know if there was an issue (it was pretty obvious/bad) and I REALLY wanted L2/op to stop pestering me, so I handed her my headphones and soloed their mics for her. Big mistake... they were just talking about food or something totally stupid, but L2 would not stop asking me for the headphones so she could eavesdrop for the rest of the show :-(... she eventually got replaced due to, uh, the fact that she couldn't run the show.
As far as the never speak near an open mic... I was doing strike at this TV studio, and was giving the crew chief crap about something he broke (I knew the people that would've tattled on him were out of earshot), next thing I know I'm getting a shut-up-don't-you-know-this-is-a-tv-studio. Opps... fortunately no one was listening/decided to tell. Worst part was I had been wondering all week why we'd all go outside to talk..... moral of that story is don't say anything in a TV studio you don't want overheard....
Being generally the only girl on the crew (and often the only student on the larger productions) I often got the job of getting the wireless mics on the girls... yeah fun times. Somehow the mics going to have to go (insert awkward place) doesn't always go over so well.
Soloing mics to hear the actors wise... I've never done it (other than for show reasons), but I once had an L2 that REALLY wanted to know what a group of actors were talking about (they were onstage whispering during a dress...). So I kinda wanted to know if there was an issue (it was pretty obvious/bad) and I REALLY wanted L2/op to stop pestering me, so I handed her my headphones and soloed their mics for her. Big mistake... they were just talking about food or something totally stupid, but L2 would not stop asking me for the headphones so she could eavesdrop for the rest of the show :-(... she eventually got replaced due to, uh, the fact that she couldn't run the show.
As far as the never speak near an open mic... I was doing strike at this TV studio, and was giving the crew chief crap about something he broke (I knew the people that would've tattled on him were out of earshot), next thing I know I'm getting a shut-up-don't-you-know-this-is-a-tv-studio. Opps... fortunately no one was listening/decided to tell. Worst part was I had been wondering all week why we'd all go outside to talk..... moral of that story is don't say anything in a TV studio you don't want overheard....
Being generally the only girl on the crew (and often the only student on the larger productions) I often got the job of getting the wireless mics on the girls... yeah fun times. Somehow the mics going to have to go (insert awkward place) doesn't always go over so well.
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I know what you mean. I'm the sound and light op for our church's children's Christmas musical each year. This always entails wiring up 10 to 12 chiuldren with body packs and mics. When akward placement issues arise, I just hand the mic to the girl and say, "This has to go up under your shirt and come out here."
The only real problems I have are kids whose parents dress them with no belt or pocket to clip the body pack to.
If you've never had the pleasure (not) of figuring out how to put a mic on a girl wearing a skin tight dress, who has to come running in, in a skit where the audience can't have noticed she had the mic on previously... be glad. There were really only very awkward places that fit the description... she did end up putting it on herself with me standing outside the bathroom telling her how to put it on.
On two other occasion I nearly ended up needing to be miced in a way that a person standing next to me wouldn't have noticed... one of which would have involved a costume change in the middle. Yeah, glad neither of those happened... I wasn't looking forward to how those would have had to go...
On two other occasion I nearly ended up needing to be miced in a way that a person standing next to me wouldn't have noticed... one of which would have involved a costume change in the middle. Yeah, glad neither of those happened... I wasn't looking forward to how those would have had to go...
NickVon
Well-Known Member
in a past run of "Sound of Music" there was a time where i let Leisel know that she needed to try and quite the kids before they made a particular entrances, as the enter and immediatly had lines. Trouble was I was not having enough time to punch in all their mics inbetween them chit chatting about school, and entering the stage. I'll usually pre cue mic's in headphones before turning them on especially with Children. The last thing you want is to broadcast non-stage talk over your system as well. After I told Leisel this and she passed it to the littlun's, all i heard during my pre cue of their mics is them teasing the Sound guy
Cue mic in Headphones should be done proffesionally and never to listen in privately on convosations. I don't usually even cue adult actors before the enter but children are little bit larger wild cards
Cue mic in Headphones should be done proffesionally and never to listen in privately on convosations. I don't usually even cue adult actors before the enter but children are little bit larger wild cards
I'll PFL a mic before an actor comes on just to double check it, and occasionally that happens during a mic switch. I've gotten someone singing Brittney Spears (because I called the large obnoxious headset mics a Birttney Mic) and I've also gotten "Hmm this is gonna sound weird if Anthony(me) is listening."
Dionysus
Well-Known Member
I of course also PFL wireless occasionally and agree that it is unprofessional to "eavesdrop" on the line. Before I start micing any cast, I arrange with the SM to sit down with the entire cast. I talk to them about the packs, whats up with them (how they will be put on them, who will be doing it, etc, along with telling them not to get them or the mics wet, to put on 'tophats' (I use heat-shrink to make little mic covers to protect them) when they touchup makeup and hair or not onstage for a long time, to make sure the tophats come off, etc), and tell them that they have to be conscientious about what is said backstage.
Generally something like "you should be careful what you say backstage anyways, you don't want to offend or put off others you are working with, but be extra careful around wireless. They could accidentally come on, and occasionally be listened in on among other things.". I am very clear up-front that they should not say ANYTHING that they do not wish EVERYONE to hear.
It's sometimes important to listen in on a mic if it has not come up for a while to make sure it is still functioning before it comes on the stage.
I also always say that they should make sure not to say things directly before coming on or off stage in-case a cue is early or late.
Of course sometimes you do hear interesting things accidentally, who is 'dating' who, etc. But this is not to repeated or used as gossip-fodder.
I remember once I had an actress show up late, so I could not do a proper mic-check with her. So as it was being strapped onto her, I PFLed it so I could make sure it was working. Heard a most interesting thing said, and immediatly stopped listening. A couple minutes later, when it was surely completely in-place I listened again for a check-see... Decided that she was getting a cold and adjusted her EQ, then stopped listening.
I've been to a few shows where mics did not get turned on/off in time to miss something being said... Most often a curse as the actor/actress finally got off the stage. I remember once at a show (I was an audience member) suddenly hearing "You're ON, get the %Y&# OUT THERE!" "OH %Y&^#&, SON OF A %(^#U" "Susshh, your mic is HOT!" "OH $^#$^".... Then the actress strolled onto the stage, face red as could be.
Generally something like "you should be careful what you say backstage anyways, you don't want to offend or put off others you are working with, but be extra careful around wireless. They could accidentally come on, and occasionally be listened in on among other things.". I am very clear up-front that they should not say ANYTHING that they do not wish EVERYONE to hear.
It's sometimes important to listen in on a mic if it has not come up for a while to make sure it is still functioning before it comes on the stage.
I also always say that they should make sure not to say things directly before coming on or off stage in-case a cue is early or late.
Of course sometimes you do hear interesting things accidentally, who is 'dating' who, etc. But this is not to repeated or used as gossip-fodder.
I remember once I had an actress show up late, so I could not do a proper mic-check with her. So as it was being strapped onto her, I PFLed it so I could make sure it was working. Heard a most interesting thing said, and immediatly stopped listening. A couple minutes later, when it was surely completely in-place I listened again for a check-see... Decided that she was getting a cold and adjusted her EQ, then stopped listening.
I've been to a few shows where mics did not get turned on/off in time to miss something being said... Most often a curse as the actor/actress finally got off the stage. I remember once at a show (I was an audience member) suddenly hearing "You're ON, get the %Y&# OUT THERE!" "OH %Y&^#&, SON OF A %(^#U" "Susshh, your mic is HOT!" "OH $^#$^".... Then the actress strolled onto the stage, face red as could be.
