Hi all,
Long time, no post!
We have our annual school production coming up. A lot of the schools staffing has changed since last year, so peoples roles in this production are going to be different.
We have two overall directors who cooperate (to a workable extent). We have someone (new) who will be designing and building the set. We have a musical director, who to some extent is concerned with the sound set-up, and to an even lesser extent, with the lighting.
In previous years, the person who designed and built the set was also, to some extent in charge of stage management, although he never really took an active hardline 'management' approach, which sort of worked. We also had one person stood on either side of the stage next to the comms, who were loosely organising people going on and off stage.
The last production wasn't great to be honest (the acting, and the set on the other hand, were pretty fantastic). The tech just didn't work properly, and in the end, the first run through of the whole show from start to finish was on the first night. The plan last year was for me to run the microphones, for the person with me to run the band, and for the four people doing lighting in the lighting booth (one in charge with the script, one on the board, and two on spotlights) to be autonomous. However, the person doing the band and the person doing the lighting board swapped, halfway through the first show, much to my utter amazement, meaning I pretty much ended up running both the microphones and the band, as well as barking orders over the comms to the lighting.
Enough is enough, this is what I'd like to see happen this year:
I also want to make sure that the light board is fully programmed, so that the show can be ran through from start to finish with me simply giving cues and the person on the board clicking 'Go'. Of course, the person on the board should be competent enough to be able to take over manually if necessary.
I'm fairly positive about what I'm doing, I just want to run my ideas by you to make sure I'm heading in the right direction.
I am wondering about where to locate myself though?
Any input/advice is appreciated.
Of course, all this advanced thinking could be in vain, as I haven't discussed this with the directors-in-chief yet
- Gav
Long time, no post!
We have our annual school production coming up. A lot of the schools staffing has changed since last year, so peoples roles in this production are going to be different.
We have two overall directors who cooperate (to a workable extent). We have someone (new) who will be designing and building the set. We have a musical director, who to some extent is concerned with the sound set-up, and to an even lesser extent, with the lighting.
In previous years, the person who designed and built the set was also, to some extent in charge of stage management, although he never really took an active hardline 'management' approach, which sort of worked. We also had one person stood on either side of the stage next to the comms, who were loosely organising people going on and off stage.
The last production wasn't great to be honest (the acting, and the set on the other hand, were pretty fantastic). The tech just didn't work properly, and in the end, the first run through of the whole show from start to finish was on the first night. The plan last year was for me to run the microphones, for the person with me to run the band, and for the four people doing lighting in the lighting booth (one in charge with the script, one on the board, and two on spotlights) to be autonomous. However, the person doing the band and the person doing the lighting board swapped, halfway through the first show, much to my utter amazement, meaning I pretty much ended up running both the microphones and the band, as well as barking orders over the comms to the lighting.
Enough is enough, this is what I'd like to see happen this year:
- Stage Manager (Me)
- Stage Left
- Stage Right
- Changing Rooms --> Stage 'Runner'
- Sound Desk (Primary)
- Sound Desk (Secondary)
- Lighting Board
- Spotlight #1
- Spotlight #2
I also want to make sure that the light board is fully programmed, so that the show can be ran through from start to finish with me simply giving cues and the person on the board clicking 'Go'. Of course, the person on the board should be competent enough to be able to take over manually if necessary.
I'm fairly positive about what I'm doing, I just want to run my ideas by you to make sure I'm heading in the right direction.
I am wondering about where to locate myself though?
- Stage Left. Main passage from changing rooms to the stage, sees the most 'action'.
- Stage Right. More room for me to stand, clear view of the stage and near the dimmer racks should anything blow.
- Sound Desk. Back of the hall, downstairs, behind the audience. I wouldn't be able to give cues here, so not a great idea I don't think.
- Lighting Gallery. Above the audience. Excellent view, but sound doesn't travel up there very well, so couldn't judge the levels.
Any input/advice is appreciated.
Of course, all this advanced thinking could be in vain, as I haven't discussed this with the directors-in-chief yet
- Gav