So that’s the summer over and I’m back at the Academy. Same old faces mixed in with some new ones. I’m starting this up again just so I have something reference which isn’t personal thoughts when I have to hand in my journals. I had a pretty average summer which had one amazing highlight.

I had workshop classes last week which while interesting were a little bit repetitive at times. I felt that it is just because like most things, a skill isn’t really a skill until you’ve mastered and practised it.

Also, like to mention a bit about my summer PLX projects. I kept putting it off because I kept thinking that I had loads of time to do it. Pretty quickly 3 months rolled into 2 months which very quickly became 1 month and then 2 weeks before the start of term I actually started it properly because I realised I would have to hand it in. I’m not sure how I did with it but I’ll no doubt be writing it on here after the presentation of it. I don’t want to sound like a know-it-all but I was surprised with how much of it was actually in my head when I was reproducing it onto paper, it was a lot of hard work. While I understand that their is not necessarily no right or wrong answer as such, I hope people can appreciate the effort that went in to writing and compiling the whole thing.

It’s weird being back. This year I am going to set myself a few goals:

1. Try to be more receptive of everyone, try talking to people who I maybe wouldn’t have for what ever reason.

2. Be more considerate to members of the lesson/class who maybe don’t have the same amount of experience as others.

3. Give more than normal, make more of my time at the academy. (It scares me that I’ve only got 2 years left ’til I have to get a grown-up job).

I think a mixture of all of these things will make me a more adaptable person, on stage and off.

So here’s to the new term and second year. I hope its a good one.

Out.

ALL FIGURES AND VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS POST ARE MY OWN AND HAVE BEEN COLLECTED AND COLLATED PERSONALLY. IN NO WAY HAVE THEY BEEN VERIFIED OR SECONDED AS ACCURATE OR CORRECT.

This ones gonna be real heavy and not for the faint hearted. I never used to have a place to do this, but now I do and the academy helped me to find it. Somewhere to get things off my chest and let others help me with. Most of whom are going through the same thoughts and feelings as myself, and those who are not feeling the same, to critcise me and then I can learn from that. So here goes….

Ok. I am studying a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Technical and Production Arts. This course is all about gaining a knowledge of the stage and how the production teams are structured and how they all merge together to create all different types of performance. Within my course their are 3 strands. These are; Design, Applied Arts and Production. I myself have chosen to follow the production strand. This decision must be made before entering the course and also prior to the interview. The production strand is then broken down again into 3 specific subjects, which are (but not limited to) Stage Management, Technical Stage Management and Production Electrics.

Stage Manager

1. To serve as overall supervisor of the stage and actors for (a theatrical production).

2. To direct or manipulate from behind the scenes, as to achieve a desired effect.

Production Electrician

The senior member of the theatre’s stage lighting team, although not necessarily the lighting designer.

Technical Stage Manager

A worker in a theater who is in overall charge of the flying elements and movement of scenery during the set up and running of a performance.

I thought I’d put those in to let everyone know what several different dictionaries describe each job as. Now onto my point.

Technical theatre and production isn’t just a job. It has to be your life. It’s not 9-5 and it’s not lecture theatre and exam based to train for. It requires physical, hands-on work to get it right and to practice it. Its just so happens now that in the world we all live in and have created that a degree tends to get you pretty far. I also fully understand that this is not always the case. So if your going to be spending your life doing something then surely you know something about it. I mean, you’ve been involved in professional or amatuer shows, theatre, events, live music, a school musical at least?

Some people are very, very serious about what it is they do for a living. I am one of them. I don’t like to be working on a show with bad energy. This often occurs when people make a rubbish job of it, not because they are incapable, but because they think “It’s just another show”. I’ve also spent  nearly half my life working on loads, and loads of shows and different types of productions.

Bare with me and don’t worry I’m not drifting here.

So, I finally decide that at some point in my life technical theatre was for me. This is it. “When I grow up I want to do the lights”. Think about it long and hard and then apply to some courses. Turns out first year went a bit in the wrong direction in terms of what I applied to do. My choices in 2007 were either RSAMD or QMU. Unfortunately I got into neither and probably for all the right reasons. RSAMD at that time seemed so distant and I headed off to Reid Kerr for a year. What an unforgettable experience. Of course, some was good, some was bad. I then went back the RSAMD in 2008 with a new view and different outlook on things, and thanks to Reid Kerr, I got in. I wasn’t the only person who had been trying for a second time and when I got their on my first day I knew I wouldn’t look back on my choice.

In the first few weeks at RSAMD I am to discover the following things. (Please note these are after all the reshuffling between strands)

Stage Management Count: 6

TSM Count: 2

Electricians Count: 5

Total is 13 decided and only 1 person I know of to be undecided at this time.

This seemed like a good spread across all the specialisms and like a good way to make up the production teams. Afterall during the application and the interviewing process you are asked, but no final word has to be given, to indicate what it is you would be most likely to pick. This TO ME would mean that everyone is interviewed and then rejected/accepted based on what it is they say here regarding specialism choices. E.G. It is just not possible to accept 14 Technical Stage Managers, 14 Stage Managers, or 14 Electricians because the course cannot work or run efficiently. Their must be a good blend between them all. I understand fully that people may change,  and have no doubts that the lecturers are thinking of this when awarding places on the course. People have now changed their minds, (Of course they have, they are allowed to afterall, their only human beings, it’s what we do). I believe the numbers are now as follows;

Stage Management Count: 2

TSM Count: 3

Electricians Count: 8

Total is 13 decided and still only 1 person I know of to be undecided at this time.

Now for the questions which I am asking myself over and over again.

Why is this happening? What does it mean for everyone else? Will you get to have a go at the bigger roles next year, knowing yourself that you would like the challenge? Will their be interference between different knowledge backgrounds? Explaining the basics again? Are people seriously thinking about what they are doing? How this will affect their future? When they get into third year they will be taking on a management role? If your picking electrics for example and graduate with a specialism in it. Then future employers will no doubt want you to be working up a tallescope when it’s extended at 9  metres? If you are picking Technical Stage Management then furture employers will no doubt be need you to lift heavy objects for long perdiods of time is this suited to you? If your picking stage management then building good relationships quickly, and excellent people skills are absolutely essential? Have people decided that stage management is to ‘Officy’, TSM is to much like hard work and lots of grafting, and LX is an easy option out? Or vice versa on this stance in any way at all. Is LX and TSM to much work and being in the office doing propping is easiest?

I just don’t know. These aren’t points I’m making. They are questions.

These are just some of things I have been thinking about. The latter of those are what I have based my choice around. Fully knowing what will be expected of me when I leave.

Something else which had came to me is that although you have a specialism in one area, you still have a degree in Technical and Production Arts. Everyone on the course who graduates will leave with the same bit of paper.

I’m publishing this now not in a bitching or annoying manner, that is never, ever my intentions. I’m trying to help everyone in the same position as me and also to understand my own thoughts and feelings on what could be a massive decision which I feel has been brushed off as “Nothing at all”.

I hope I haven’t offended anyone, and if I have then I’ll be willing to talk about what I have written here.

I’m also not mocking anything. I am living the dream with what I am doing and know I won’t make millions from my job, but I know I will make people go away saying “That looked amazing”, like I have done myself with so many things I have seen.

Shout to Nighthawk. Who gave me some of the inspiration and material for this post. Thanks man. You help me alot.

This is about my second visit to the rehearsal room to see a run through. Please read my other post on the first run and, if you can, view my Mahara View on it please

So a second time to see it, it’s the most valuable thing to anyone working on a show, you are definetly more alert, you know what’s round the next corner. The twists have been unfolded, the monologues seem to be longer this time, the comedy parts have dissapeared almost to non-exist. Yet still it’s a great feeling to know a show inside out, though I’m not talking only lines. Everything is almost falling into place for you, this truck comes on now, the tabs go out here, she makes her entrance USR. These are the vital things.

The second run for me was to continue how I answered the set of questions which John asked me. They really helped me to prepare for this time round. Although to watch it as an audience member may have been useful also this time, making notes on props and questions seemed more logic than just sitting watching.

I don’t know if anyone else gets this… But when I see an advert on TV which seems to go in forever, the second time it is always so short, same with films etc. (That last sentence has absolutely no relevance at all just wondered if anyone else gets that?).

Another point which I would like to bring up is about the style in which the director works. It fascinating for me, I’m sure I just haven’t seen it before and plenty others out there do it but I like Lu’s style. It’s very laid back, but at the same time she seems to be on top of everything, if that makes sense? I also like the way she involved everyone. We all gathered at the end of the run and she went through all the notes she had. I like this, after all why should cast and crew be treated different? I’m sure if this is right, but I think she likes to refer to the designing teams as “The Creators” I just think that’s general niceness.

So it feels great to have the team strengthened again outwith the stage management side if things. I feel part of the company now and much more involved in what is going on. In conclusion a nice day and we made some decent progress. I get a great feeling on what I am to expect over the next few weeks, and certainly what looks like potential to have some great laughs and a bit of fun. Is that not why we do things? For a bit of enjoyment.

Thanks for stopping by RSAMD.

Out.

Time to reflect on the last couple of days. The pace has picked up again just as I expected, nothing new here. Really enjoyed doing the pick-ups on Friday. This is definitely the side of things which actually feels like proper work. Of course all those phone calls and paperwork are worth something, we don’t do them for no reason, it’s just that for me doing physical work is my thing. This sounds minging but being sweaty and feeling tired at the end of the day is much more fulfilling to me than knowing I have met a written report deadline.

This is probably the reason why I have chosen the career path that I have. People are usually really surprised when I say to them that I actually “Do the Shows” at university. They can’t grasp the fact that I don’t sit in a lecture theatre, or go to labs. We really do just get in about the hard grafting. I’m not sure if this is something you can compare when seeing how graduates from different types of institutions cope with their first jobs, but I know for sure everyone who has come from the academy will know exactly what to expect at one of the tougher jobs.

My personal thoughts on my good points so far; Made a good bond with the team, Used some previous knowledge when looking for props within the RSAMD and outwith the building, Helped with all the tasks I have been asked to do, and Maintained a decent communication within the team (Electronic and Verbal).

My personal thoughts on my bad points so far; Knowing when to be quiet, Not trying to take over, Keeping to the plan, Adjusting to other peoples style of working, Adjusting to the mannerisms of others, Understanding why people do the things which I wouldn’t.

The last one is pretty important I believe to anyone who is working within any team.

Why do people do the things the that way they do?

It always bothers me, watching someone doing something which I wouldn’t. How do we learn? Of course by it is by making mistakes then correcting them the next time round. If we were to stop everyone making mistakes then they will never learn… But I often wondered when I will overcome this thing I always get. I’m sure it happens to others, you just want to jump in and say “What are you doing? Nah, waken up. This is how you do it”. Should a manager try to stop you making the mistakes? So many questions.

Over the next couple of weeks we really have to start getting the props together. It’s not much to get now, we have made progress and I hope this continues. I just can’t wait to get into the run of the show now. Really looking forward to being part of one of the most controversial pieces of theatre ever written. Looking forward to a slick, sharp show. I’m sure with our excellent team that it can grow to it’s full potential and be all that it can be.

Till next time,

Out.

I’ll start with a response to Johns comment. He asked me these questions,

1. What did you take from the Run?
2. How did you prepare yourself for it?
3. Did you enjoy it?

1. For me the run was a first time to see what has been happening in rehearsals, of course by reading the notes I will know but thats not like actually being in the room. Secondly it gives me a feel for the cast and directors way of working. Lastly I get a feel for the show. The more times anyone sees anything the better they will understand it. There is nothing worse than anyone turning up at a tech and not knowing what the hell is going on, let alone the stage management team.

2. I had already prepared my script, eg. Unboud it, put it in a folder, punched it, hole reinforced every page to save tearing and marked up all the scenes with stickies. I also made sure that I a note pad and pen. These are the most essential items for anyone attending a rehearsal. If you can’t write notes during a run then all you are doing is watching it as an audience member and unfortunately this usually means that the rehearsal will have no outcome for you. By this I mean, write things down to ask the Stage Manager or DSM, Director, Designer. Either what you have written down will eventually come to you or you will have something sensible to say when they ask you “How did you find that then?”.

3. Watching anything new is exciting, so I guess that means I enjoyed it. Having a script in front of you, following the lines just doesn’t have the edge of a live performance about it. You know what they are going to say but what are they going to do? This I suppose comes under the same heading as the first question. Maybe the second time I will enjoy it, who knows? It’s just about learning it, know what’s going on everywhere at any one time. Don’t let your mind slip as you will always have to be thinking and concentrating from that opening night until the curtain falls on the last bow.

I thought it would have been nice to answer these questions in this entry instead of in the comments section. I feel that I have added some valuable information for anyone who is either looking forward to there SM allocation and for those who are not. It’s really not all bad, I felt at first that I would rather have gone to the gallows than do it but we’re into the second week now and I am still enjoying it.

So today the pace picked up once again. I feel we made good progress today, but unfortuantely the designer failed to show again. For those who don’t know I shall explain…

Props list are made up by the stage management and design team. The designer should then provide “References” for all the props. These usually include pictures/drawings and a short description for that particular property. We are sadly lacking this and cannot make progress because, for example, there are loads of “Letter Racks” to chose from. We must then think about things such as, what is it made out of?, what colour should it be?, what size should it be?. This is where a reference is handy. Hopefully soon we can start to tick the things off which we have already gathered and then get the propping DONE. CAPS.

I also had my stage management tutorial with John today. We talked mainly about eLearning. Using tools such as Mahara and WordPress to further reflect on what we are learning. We chatted about surface learning and the documentation to back it up. Mahara really is great and he told me how he plans to work it into something spectacular when we graduate. The idea behind it is to add a link to your covering letter along with you C.V. This way the employer can look through all your work in as much detail as they like I suppose. Sometimes in an interview, a potential employer may be stuck with a particular time schedule. Say for example each candidate only gets a 45min slot. A lot of this time could be spent talking about you personally and are you suited to the job? Very little may be spent looking at you work. It gives the employer a chance to see your work,  at there own pace, at there own time for as long as they like. Say you are the first candidate of the day, the other 5 candidates after you during that day will be fresher in the minds of the interview panel. By allowing them access to your work they can be reminded of what you have done and what you are capable of bringing to that company.

I hope form this people can see that benefits of Mahara and will join with me in what could be a very interesting and futuristic way of seeing peoples work.

I’m gonna wrap up here and at some point start writing a lot more about Mahara. It’s awesome and people need to start realising that we are moving forward in this computer world where we now live. Imagine twenty years ago if someone thought that in 2009 every single C.V would be typed by a computer :O Gasp!!

Well once again that’s all from us here at ralphy89.wordpress.com

Until next time, I’m Craig Ralph,

You stay classy RSAMD.

Out.

Stage Management, Stage Technology or Production Electrics.

You can’t ask the audience, phone a friend or 50/50 on this one.

So it’s now come to that stage where we have been asked what our futures will have in store for us. It’s no biggy just yet, we have until the end of June before we have to make our final decisions, but now the time has come where we have the option to chose. It’s all a bit much so that I would see what I can get from this reflection before I have any tutorials  and whatever else.

I really have my heart set on something. I always, always, always wanted to “Do the lights”. From a young age that was my thing. I didn’t really know about anything else to be perfectly honest. Until the age of about 16 I had no experience in Stage Technology or Stage Management. Being at the academy has really taught me that what you have your mind set-to might not be what your best at. I think personally that I have excelled in all of my subject areas. That’s right there is me boasting but why shouldn’t I? There is no point in anyone putting in hard work and then taking all my praise and keeping it to myself. (No doubt the first comment on this post will be about being big headed haha FTW). Everyone in the Production Strand should talk about there own praise on there blog.

So what should I pick?

I was hoping to get more out of this but I’m not really concentrating right now. I suppose what I should be thinking about is, do I pick what I think is best? Or something which I do like a lot but it’s not first choice, but I am best at it? I’m sure it will just come to me. *Distant Voice: “Follow your heart Craig…”*

Enough of that, What did I do today? Watched a first run through. This was quite interesting for me. The last time I saw a run through of a show which I was working on was when I was at college last year doing my stage management allocation. The RSAMD has so many potentially great actors. We are into the second week of rehearsals now and they know there lines! Thats the standard which I think I will have to start getting used to at the academy. I’m not slagging off any other theatre schools. It’s just that it is pretty much what I would imagine the real world to be like. For a first run today it had a nice pace and Lu the director seems very nice and easy to work with. Propping is another big thing which is going on right now. We are making a steady progress, we do have to get the designer and directors approval on certain things but hopefully all goes well. I’m still enjoying my allocation, but as with most things at the academy I find it hard to pick out big things which I either don’t like or that are just a bit rubbishy. Everything is just swell at the academy and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m not one to continue doing something which I don’t like, and look I’m still here!

So maybe sometime in the near future I will have decided what is going to be best for me. My childhood dreams? Or a new found skill which I would never have given a second thought a few years ago?

So, until next time, thats all from us here at Ralphy89.wordpress.com.

I’m Craig Ralph, you stay classy RSAMD.

Out.

So I have neglected my blog for a while due to the holiday, but it’s ok we talked about it and explained it all, we’re back on good terms again, so here’s my first reflection in proper ages man know wah a mean like?

I’M AN ASM FOR A SHOW. Fact. Yeah, but to my surprise I’m really enjoying it. Everything is so far so good and everyone has been great to me. I’ve had most contact during the working day with Mark who’s the stage manager. Mark is awesome. I feel that we are getting along well and having a good laugh too. I read recently that something which is very important during a live performance team is a great sense of humour, never leave it behind at any point. If you do then what’s going to happen during those stressful moments when everyone is at each others throats? So Mark and Lesly have been really good so far, and I like the way they both work. I have told Mark that Stage Management isn’t something which I am considering to much as a choice next year. (Sorry John) Its just it’s one of the more demanding jobs. You do have to be really organised and on the ball. Unfortunately this is definetly not me. It’s not that I don’t like stage management it’s more of the fact that I don’t posess these essential skills. Sure, I could work on them but even then people who want to be SM already have this drive behind them, they are ready and raring to go at all times with that stage managementy attitude which I just don’t have. It’s saddens me that I can’t get this motivation about SM because it really is a great job. People who are stage managers are all down to earth, spot on people. This is where I give it it’s credit. I suppose in a way I take my hat off to anyone who is a stage manager because I know it’s something it would take me a lifetime to master.

All that being said I am trying my personal best to give this role 110% and try and prove to myself that maybe I can do these which I am saying right now I can’t. Who knows I may be writing on here next week some time that I DO have the skills and determination to become a stage manager, you never know…

What have I done so far?

My highlight of the past couple of days was making my trip to Argos to buy sand. What a job. I worked hard that day I lifted 15kg from the bottom of Argyle street all the way up to the Academy. My arms are still sore. Oh and Dave killed a pigeon by running over it, what a guy!

I kept this one short to get back into the swing of it. Prepare for some long ones over the next couple of weeks.

So heres to Stage Management! I hope I can perform to the best of my abilities and I know for sure I will be taking away some valuable lessons as this is what I like and am generally loving about being at the academy. It really is a life changing experience,

Out.

We often all dream about making a dream become a reality. When your young you want to be that super hero you see on television, or the character from the book you have just finished. It is only when we grow up we begin to think that these things will never happen, there all just such rubbish.

I think I’m writing this because I just finished watching Back To The Future. For me Dr. Emmet Brown is one of the most influential characters in a film ever. It’s only when you look deeper than the crazy hairstyle, wide fixed eyes, and his dress sense that we really see he is not “crazy” but merely that little boy who never really grew up. For me the clever part though is that he is the one now laughing in the face of society, because he has created something which he is so proud of. He never gave up, or stopped because anyone else teased him, or questioned his ideas. Do we really ALL have to stop believeing in things just because others do, or stop doing things because they are “Immature” all becuase a majority aren’t happy with what you are doing.

This leads me to something which I feel I am now gradually overcoming now that I am at the academy. I think that having that freedom to experiment and do what you like is something which you can only ever experience when you have overcome the barrier of not caring what anyone else thinks. This is important because if you cannot do this then unfortunately you will be unlikely to produce any good work. Being a people pleaser will produce some really boring results. Things which we say are “Good” or “Clever” are because they are different. No other reason.

Being pressured by your peers and others around you is a horrible feeling, I feel I had to put up with it throughtout my school years and now I obviously wish I could go back and just do it all again, with the confidence I have now.

Leading onto…

My goal:

To create an App for my iPhone. I’ve started the ideas for it and I’m trying my best not to let anything get in the way. I’m going to note my, achievements, goals, barriers and what I gain from the overall experience. I hope it is a success. Looking forward to making it, and possibly sharing it with the world.

I just feel that I had to get this out. It’s always tough and ashame when people are concentrating to hard on what other people will think as opposed to the task at hand.

Out.

Picture this, doing 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, lots of takeaway food, sitting about doing nothing all day, then 20 cues at once, then a day off.

That day off happens to be in the middle of the run of an opera. It’s been sunny the previous week, then as soon as it gets to your day off it’s raining. You’ve made plans, then you are sitting about doing nothing, its just “One of those things” I suppose.

The reason I’m writing this is because myself and the other students have been blogging about how we never get any time off then as soon as we do I’m sitting about doing nothing with my time. I suppose this may just be one of those points that maybe only I find funny. So, I spent my day off doing nothing, sitting on twitter, blogging, watching films, television, listening to music.

Achh, Publish.

Out.

Please read here before continuing:

http://martinsm.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/tuesday-10th-march/

Oh and also Jonny’s comment on my last post.

Selfishness. We have all probably committed the crime once or twice in our lives, if not more. The following post is a reflection on my last blog entry. (Pretty neat eh? Reflecting on a reflection). I’ll try and keep it short.

I’m gonna seem like such a turncoat when I say what I am about to… I think what I wrote about in the last post was pretty wrong. I don’t mean the way  I wrote it I think just what I said wasn’t correct. Martin’s Blog really made me think so much that I had to blog again so soon. I think now that having had a long hard think maybe we are being overworked. I keep hearing all these things about reimbursing time lost, working hours agreements, meal allowance, but what does it really all mean?

I think maybe it would have been a lot harder for me if I wasn’t staying at home, I don’t get money given to me, I have a constant income from a Saturday job which I have had since I was 16 yet still I find myself scraping together £4 everyday for a train. I think really we all have it tough. As students that is. Essays, Lectures, Productions, Late nights, Pubs, Clubs, Drugs. I am now starting to think though that that’s what it is all about. I love that feeling of spending the last of your money as long as it is on something you love.

Martin did mention though that although he would like to be raking in the dough, when would you spend it? We are working very long, hard hours. People don’t seem to understand just how long it takes to put a theatre production together, for example. It took us weeks to get the entire stage ready even before the cast had arrived for rehearsals. And then this evening one of the flying pieces got caught, and that one simple error can make weeks of work look shit.

I think what I am trying to say is, no doubt we are all making mistakes due to exhaustion, but is this really what we are going to have to expect in the real world? I mentioned in the last post that I thought it would always be like this in the industry but now I am questioning my own thoughts, does anyone have the answer?

Out.