Backstage

Tired... Redux...

Well, as I mentioned... I was pretty tired when I got home yesterday... I was so tired I put my wallet in an odd place in my bedroom... There's just nothing like spending the whole day trying to figure out where you put your wallet without thinking you've actually lost it... Fortunatly, I found it when I got home so I didn't have to cancel cards... There's just no time to wait for new ones... I tell ya, I can't wait untill the summer time when we're slow...

Tired?... Me?...

hmmm... Well its now a little over 37 hours since I woke up... most of which I was working... (yes, there was the brief period I spent figureing out a little about the MT setup...)
Strangely enough, I'm not actually tired yet... I mean my feet feel like they want to declare independance from my legs, but otherwise, I'm fine... Now I know from past experience, that in reality I'm exhausted... I know that my reflexes are down... My decisions are clouded... My spelling goes right out the window... And yet, I only know this from the past... I just never feel like I'm that out of it... I swear I need a vacation tis year some time...

Nothing to See Here... Move Along...

Test... Test... Is this thing on?... (anyone else notice how loud the crickets are in here besides me?)

Moving Out...

Well, I got offered new digs over at Mu.Nu... I have had a great time here at Blog-City, but I want to try a MT run blog... Now my main problem will be actually learning MT since I'm swampped right now at work... (now, all I need to do is start writing better content so I fit in over there...)

So in the intrest of not looseing what I already have here, I'm going to cross post when I manage to get enough time to blog... And then, some time in May probably, I'll move over there full time when I've had time to get the page set up the way I want it...

Many thanks go out to Blog-City for hosting me for nothing for just over 6 months... They run a great place and I've had very little to complain about here... (unlike some people who have all kinds of issues at some of the other blog hosting sites) Perhaps I'll hang on here, and let this spin off in a different direction from my main blog... One never knows

New Address...

The Ostrich

Ogden Nash

The ostrich roams the great Sahara.
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs,
I'm glad it sits to lay its eggs.

A Day Off... (Kinda)

Well due to the planets being aligned I suppose, we managed to get a show done more than 24 hours before it has to go in the door... That means I get tommorow off!!!... Woo Hooo!!!! 'Course, I have to load this show in starting at 7:30pm tommorow night, running all night long, then doing the show in the morning, and finishing by takeing it out in the afternoon... We should be back at my shop by 5pm, and then I have to clear-cote those scenic units that one of my clients returned to me... So it'll be about 7 by the time I get out of my shop... Usually we work all day right up to loading in this show for some reason... This year will be a breeze only haveing to work 24 hours straight...

Somehow, I don't think normal people would find that acceptable... This however is the reality of entertainment industry work... I've actually managed to avoid doing this once a week like I used to in the freelance market... I still wonder how I managed to do as many hours as I used to...

Ask a Stagehand...

(I penned this a couple days ago, but haven't been able to get in to my admin since then... Amazing how it will go down, just when I actually have a post... sheesh...)

Thankfully, I got a question the other day from Mookie about how to work in the tech theatre environment, and yet, not be dirt poor… (hey, I said my next post would be theatre related) I suppose I should warn everyone right now, that I don’t think there is a correct answer to this question as the exact method would vary somewhat based on where exactly you are in the world. The next issue is to define dirt poor… What is dirt poor?... To me dirt poor is not being able to live in a decent apartment, and pay your bills or buy food… Most stagehands I know never hit that level since they all have marketable skills that apply outside the theatre industry if things get real tight. (I for instance, have been known to do house renovations over summers when things are slow for my company.) Now, if the question is how to avoid being poor, without the dirt qualifier, the answer is more vague… For me, the answer was to get out of the regional theatre market and move into professional theatre, and then on to corporate production. While many areas will have a regional theatre, you mostly need to be near or in a “city” to find professional theatres, and to find work on corporate shows, you need to be in an area with one or more corporate headquarters, or at least major divisions of that corporation. ( my preference is for the pharmaceutical industry since the economy doesn’t seem to shake them up too much)

The main problem is that almost nobody can go straight in to the higher levels of production right out of school… Most people go through the summer-stock and regional scene while they learn what the real world is. Learning all the crap you have to deal with at those lower levels is invaluable later on…

There are other options certainly… There is touring, which has its own food chain you have to climb until you make a nice living… There is the film and video scene that is no different… There is also the academic road, where you move from undergrad, to grad school, to teaching without ever leaving the academic environment. Personally, I don’t support that as you just end up teaching from books without any real-world experience… Its far more common than you might think, and its part of the reason that people come out of college not knowing how to handle reality…

So the answer remains vague… The best answer is to learn everything you can from school, and work every chance you get to outside the theatre department in college… Naturally your grades end up suffering if you’re always working, but that experience will prepare you far better for reality unless you are going the academic route… The best way to avoid the poor house is to be damn good, and live in an area with lots of opportunities… (central Jersey is good that way… close to NYC, Philly, a few regional theatres, professional theatres/shops, and a bunch of corporations.)

Lack of Sleep?

So I've been pretty busy of late with a few different projects going on at once... It adds up to a lack of sleep, that while normal, isn't ever fun, and it gets worse as I get a tad older each year... We shipped out a project today, and honestly, it seemed ok to me... Not perfect by any means, but then the client had specified cheap materials to use, so I didn't have the highest expectations to begin with... Well a few hours later, I got a rather angry phone call while I was driving around picking up some equipment for the next show... The guy was spouting invective all over the place at me, which is generally about the worst way to approach a problem with me, but hey, I was in a decent mood, so I didn't snap back... The guy claims there are huge areas that weren't stained on the scenery... As I said, I shipped this stuff out today myself, and I've been walking through a maze of it on the way to my office for a couple days... I think I'd have noticed large un-stained areas, but I'm willing to allow that I'm looseing my mind... So the scenery is coming back to me tommorow for re-finishing... To be honest, I suspect that what this guy is trying to pull is to get a darker stain on the scenery without paying for it, but again, we'll see when it gets back to me tommorow... If that's the case, he's going to get a lesson in invective... He doesn't represent a client that I'd worry about looseing in the least...

Stay tuned... This will get another post to be sure...

Mood Swings...

Ok... this has nothing to do with theatre... Or even my bitching about theatre... This is a random observation on something that hits me occasionally...

How is it that when I'm haveing a compleatly non-noteworthy day, I can all of a sudden be having a miserable day, for reasons I can't see?... I'm used to a day being ruined by a client in some way... I'm used to it going south over and employee, or my partner... I can understand the bottom falling out if you get dumpped, or some family tragedy... It can happen due to a traffic accident, or just someone cutting you off in traffic... Hell there are a million ways to ruin a perfectly good or even adequate day... The thing I don't get is how I can manage to swing around 180 degrees in almost the blink of an eye, and there is not one single reason I can put my finger on... Not even a vague idea...

No, its not alcohol related, as it happens at times without haveing consumed any... It only happens when I'm away from my apartment, and it only happens at night... So I have to beleave its some kind of outside factor involved... Its not like this is a common deal... Once every few months at most... So am I having a bad day and not noticeing it?... Am I picking up on someone else's bad mood?... Is someone slighting me without my knowing it?...

Hell I don't mind having a bad day... I accept that they are part of life, and don't buy in to the idea that one should be happy all the time... What really ticks me off is not knowing who or what to direct the anger at... What a pain...

(and now, I swear, I'm going to post something theatre related in the next post... This current string of posts has pretty much sucked...)

Assumptions...

Why is it that my clients always assume that I have all the material needed to build their entire set sitting around in stock?... They all know I have a small place... They all know material is expensive to just keep sitting around... So why do I get these long pauses on the other end of the phone when I tell them that I can't make their ideal deadline because I have to wait for their material to be delivered?... Sure, we keep material in stock... a half dozen sheets of plywood... a healthy stack of luan... a dozen sticks of 1x... but come on... I ordered for the show that we are delivering next week... It needs around 40 sheets of plywood... My rack for that size ply doesn't even hold that much material, so we'll be walking over the stack that will sit on the floor... Now of course, I'm the bad guy to the client... I don't have much sympathy today... They have had my quote since last Wednesday... I could be virtually done building everything by now if they had decided to spend the money back then... Now we'll be working through the weekend, and it sounds like I'll be short one partner... (his wife has apparently made plans already, and the odds of that changeing are pretty damn slim) Fortunatly, the show isn't too big... It's just a little tedious...

Guinness Physics

My adult beverage of choice has been Guinness for some time... So knowing that there are people out there doing research on the "cascade" while it settles amuses me to no end... Apparently, the bubbles are actually moving downward in defiance of gravity...

The Edinburgh team, working with researchers at Stanford University in California have produced high-speed video footage of the sinking bubbles -- to put at rest the minds of any drinkers who might have felt they were seeing things.

Or, read the whole artical yourself...

What'd He Say?...

So I was over at Parkway Reststop reading about the frustrations of dealing with tech support that had a) no clue and b) an impossible accent to overcome. I have faced this myself on occasion, and it caused me to decide I will never, and I mean never call tech services, for any reason. I have actually purchased a new computer rather than sit through that nightmare again. (it’s a Dell, so you can bet I’ll never bother to call them either after reading about Jim’s struggles) Fortunately, over the years, I’ve gotten quite good at solving any of the issues that come up with a computer, or the internet. Mostly, I attribute that to keeping the same ISP for many years now… If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… I’m getting up to speed on my DSL provider at my office now too, and have had very few problems I couldn’t handle there…

This, however is not what I’m writing about….

I deal with a graphic production company periodically to make large graphics, banners, and signs. They are absolutely excellent at their business, and deal well with the insane time frame I throw at them now and again… My sales rep was a very nice woman originally from Norway, and though she had an accent, it was never a major hindrance to communication. Well unfortunately for me, she decided to move to another company, which I believe is back over in Europe someplace, so I have a new sales rep. Now, when I call for a quote, I deal with a very nice fellow (lets call him W) that happens to be from India I believe. W’s accent is so heavy that it makes him almost unintelligible. I can tell that he knows his capabilities, and equipment, but the fact is I have to spend outrageous amounts of time just trying to communicate basic things to and from him. This is not good. When things get hectic, I don’t have time to play that game. My clients make changes so frequently that it makes my head spin, so I need suppliers that can handle my lack of sanity at those times. As I said, W knows his job, but since it is impossible to communicate with him, what good is that?... I have asked to speak to a different sales rep, and I have now gone through every single one of them, finding that W is the best one available. (hello?... I know there are great graphic arts programs at lots of US universities with tons of qualified people coming out of them with little or no accent… what the hell is going on?...) The thought is now running through my mind to find a different supplier, but developing the kind of trust I have for this company is kinda rough… I suppose I’m left with little to no choice, but damn if I’m not going to sweat over using someone else…

Martians...

No... Not the kind that Spirit and Opportunity might run across running around Mars...

As I was sitting in my usual pub tonight, I was trying to pay attention to someone I know... While I wasn't overly intrested in the conversation, I do try to pay attention incase it flows in a better direction... Only problem was, that no matter how hard I tried, all I heard was the Martians from the movie Mars Attacks!

Ack!.... Ack! Ack!.... Ack! Ack! Ack!

"Art"

In the recent past, I've caught some peoples thoughts on art on other sites, (Rocket Jones had one, and Jennifer did too that I recall, but there were others as well). Even though I have a sheet of paper hanging on my wall that claims I have a degree in fine art, I wasn't really able to come up with a good post on my thoughts on art. (and let me tell you, I tried in my free time) So as I have had some slow days of late, I started thinking about it casually again... Better late than never right?... Well this morning, I was trumpped when I was catching up on past Dave Barry columns... He has hit the nail squarely on the head in my thoughts on "art"... Not theatre, but what most people think of immeadiatly when they hear art... That essoteric massively subjective realm...

This is hard, because a lot of Serious Art consists of bizarre or startlingly unattractive objects, or ''performances'' wherein artists do something Conceptual, such as squirt Cheez Whiz into an orifice that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for snack toppings.

But no matter what the art is, a Serious Art Person will view it with the somber expression of a radiologist examining X-rays of a tumor.

Whereas an amateur will eventually give himself away by laughing; or saying ''Huh?''; or (this is the most embarrassing) asking an art-gallery person: ''Is this wastebasket a piece of art? Or can I put my gum wrapper in it?''

Read the whole thing yourself!

And so, I fall into the amateur catagory... I have worked countless "art" showings, and preformance art peices... I just don't get it 90% of the time... Once someone explains what the artist was thinking, I can usually force my brain to see it that way, but it is just that, forceing it... I won't sit here and say that the art is bad... I will say it does not speak to a large number of people, and I find that to be sad... When art becomes eliteist, what exactly is the point? I am happiest when something I work on is accessible to everyone... Something that requires no major explanation... Something where you do not need to be an "artist" or "expert" to understand it...

The Week That Will Not End...

So this week has sucked... It has been one thing after another that just has not let me shake the funk... The week started last week with the annoyance of the Show From Hell ^(TM). It did indeed tank for the good of all mankind. Of course that leave the pesky topic of getting paid for the remaining invoices, which are for several thousand bucks. Unfortunatly, that's not a small amount of cash for a small shop like mine. I'll get back to this in a minute since I'm going to go cronlogically... Sunday was a great day... Nice weather... I got out and enjoyeed it for a while, and then had a decent night at a pub... All in all nice...

Monday I had a show in NYC, that started at 9am... So it was a lovely commute of 2+ hours in a truck... The client in this case was a new one, but the producer was one I have done several shows for in the past... Every show this guy produces is a miserable experience. Mostly it comes from a lack of orginization, and a disregard for how these events are usually run. The guy is a control freak, but changes his mind on a whim, so we spend the entire day re-doing everything that is already done... He never schedules any breaks for food for the crew, nor does he have any brought in... I don't mind missing a meal or even two, but we were there from 9am untill 2am... The end result of his shows is in my opinion is not good... There are tons of very blatent errors, and yet at the end of the night he can't help but pat himself on the back what a great job he did... To top off the job, the client did not have the checks for the companies such as mine. That's when I lost it... Unlike the video company that can hold their tapes hostage, I have nothing... All I had was the payroll for the entire day, so I let the crew know there would be a delay in their payment if the check didn't happen... They in turn became quite surley toward the producer and client... I left that night with a personal check from the client, but I was already set up for a miserable mood...

When I got home from that event at 3am I checked my email and found that the Show From Hell ^(TM) was getting pulled out of the trucks it was sitting in, and shifted to storage trailers at 10am... So I dragged myself up there by 11am after yet another hour commute, to recover the equipment they were renting from me. (ladders, tools, hampers, etc) It was then that the producers called my partner who was still in the office. They asked if our invoices were negotiable. What they felt was fair was 50% of what we were chargeing. Well natually my partner declined their offer to screw us. Then they called the Production Manager who was with me at the time to have him ask me if we'd take 50%... Come on now folks, did they really think I would give them a different answer?... Fortunatly, my partner had called me while they were on the phone with the PM to warn me. So now they are hemming and hawing over our charges some more... I am having a hard time shaking the feeling I'm never going to see that money... As I said, its a healthy chunk of change for us, since we have already laid out the majority of that money... We'll see where it goes...

Wedsday I came in, and spent the day working on bids for a few clients... Nothing highly out of the ordinary... It was just a tedious day of paperwork, that I know mostly will go to waste as most bids do.

Thursday my partner headed to Philly to survey a set that we are supposed to be recreateing. I stayed back at the shop to finish the bid, and start in on the drawings, since I know we're doing the show. Well by 3:30, I was almost done with the drawings for the entire show, (no small feat) when my partner called with the update. Basicly, they have decided to change the entire design. From what my partner tells me, they knew they were doing that when they gave me the prints. Why the hell do these people keep giving me prints that they know are not going to happen?... Are they actively trying to waste my time and keep me in a bad mood?... I can tell you, when I am in a bad mood, the prices go up on everything...

Today is Friday... I hope it is an uneventfull day... I'm tired of snapping at my friends because of the stupidity at work... I have to say I miss doing all corperate work... We didn't work nearly as much, but when we did, there was never any of this garbage to keep me constantly pissed off... Two more "art" art shows untill the summer... Several corperate deals... I can't wait untill June and some serious down time...

Add Another one...

Well in my daily check over at the TTLB Ecosystem I find that yet another blog has added the Axis to their blogroll... Welcome aboard Damn the Muse... Seems like there's quite a large archive over there, so it's been around a while... I'll have to get around to reading a bit of the archive when I'm in a better mood... (wouldn't want to be negative in an asessment)