By Daniel Buckland level 3
North Kent college: Miskin
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The christmas show
The dance show
TIE and level 2 show
The dance show 2
Helping with the Level 2 show tech
Today I was watching the level 2 tech rehearsals and I was going in and out doing things to help. First, I moved the green armchair that they didn’t need since they found one that looked like it belonged in an old people’s home from the studio to in the backstage corridor. Then I went into the studio to foot a ladder for a person to fill up the snow machine with the fabric leaves then we moved the ladder out of the way. Then we moved one of the boxes on wheels filled with curtains from the studio to the auditorium but there wasn’t enough room in the dock, so we moved some things about and then we pushed it in. Then I moved the rehearsal boxes that they didn’t need into design. Then I went into the studio and after I put a head torch on with red light we started to make a list of what props they had so I looked at the props and then I told him how many of them there were and where it was and after the other person had written it down, I told him about the next prop. Some of the prop locations were underneath the seating bank near the entrance side, under the table entrance side under seating bank, on the table under seating bank entrance side, under other side of seating bank and behind the set. Then I got the white gaffer tape and glow tape and I put some down where the metal stuck out that kept the seating bank up that was underneath the seating bank that the actors go through to get to the other side. Then I reset the album with the 13 cards and bluetack. Then I moved a stage block from design that someone else had painted yesterday to the studio with another person carrying it the other side. Then I grabbed some props that we found in the music venue to the prop store, and I put them where I found that would go for example, I put the skull glass and whiskey box with the kitchenware, and I put the skateboard next to a scooter. After a while of watching the tech rehearsal I got told to paint the open box with leaves in which somehow got missed. So, I took the box down to the workshop and I found some white paint that I opened then I got a paint brush that I used to paint the box white. Then I put the lid back onto the white paint can, put back the white paint and then I washed up the paint brush that I used.
Green armchair that was moved
Box of curtains moved into the dock
Rehearsal boxes moved into design
Props and glow tape
reseting, painting and moving props
Props that I moved into the prop store
Box that I painted white
Presetting Puzzle pieces
Today I was in the studio and then I was shown where and how to spread puzzle pieces on the floor which is something to preset before the show starts. The puzzle pieces are in a pile in a line either side of the set, but the line is shorter on stage left. So, I grabbed a handful of puzzle pieces from a box and sprinkled them on the floor. They stay on the floor for the whole show and when the actor use the big blue cloth the movement of it will create air that will make the puzzle pieces spread out more which will make us take longer to pick them up after the show. After a while of watching the tech me and some others went to design where we folded down the rehearsal boxes and then we put them in the paper and cardboard bin. Then we moved the rehearsal leaves from in the upside down stage box and an open cardboard box into a big bag of leaves. Then we cleared up the table by putting away the tape and scissors and moving props to a smaller table with props already on it. Then I moved a mug, some light up letters and an empty briefcase that was found in the music venue and the polystyrene square that were cut from the show to the prop store. Then I moved some spare chairs from the studio to the corridor and after that I continued to watch tech.
The preset puzzle pieces
Boxes, leaves and prop store
Leaves in a bag
Folded boxes before in bin
Props I moved into props store
The last tech
Today I continued to watch tech but first I had to sort out the puzzle pieces by moving them by hand into the curved line and shorter line. Then I folded up the blankets that were piled on a chair underneath the seating bank then while watching tech I got told to note down pre setting the cane before the show starts on the railing near the blue cloth. Then the actors rehearsed the scene with the blue cloth being used as an ocean which was held across the whole stage and moved up and down to create waves of air and then the actors take off the blue cloth, but it makes the puzzle pieces spread out all over the floor so we also noted down to sweep up the puzzle pieces and re do them at the end of the show. Then we were doing a tech run of the show which is a full run through of the show and is stopped if anything goes wrong. Then we used a list which another ASM had been noting down to pre set things for the show. First, I fixed the puzzle pieces which got messed up from the actors warming up then me and another ASM picked up the blue cloth and after shaking it out for puzzle pieces we moved it onto the railing. Then I grabbed the album, bluetack and some spare cards to put in the cards on the pages which had been changed from 13 to 14 cards. Then I looked backstage to check if 2 balloons were behind the set and there was 1 so I grabbed another balloon and put it with the other balloon. After that I counted how many balloons were in the box under the seating bank and there should be 7 balloons with 1 spare which there was. Then I checked to see if there was a pack of biscuits on the trolley which there was. During the tech run me and another ASM were underneath the seating bank to stack the chair quietly after a certain scene, to help the actors if they can’t find a prop and during the show if an audience member leaves during the show to make sure they don’t touch any of the props. Underneath the seating bank there were two head torches with red light hanging above the props and I had a head torch in my pocket in case I needed it to look around, but one of the two head torches ran out of charge near the beginning of the show so I swapped out the head torch for the one in my pocket. Also, some of the actors left their props where the audience walk to leave not under the seating bank but I didn’t want to move them in case the actor was going to grab it again and not be able to find it but after the show I got told to move the prop under the seating bank if that happens. I also noticed that it was too bright from the head torches for the glow tape to glow which created a hazard of the actor running into the metal frame keeping the seating bank up. Also, I realized that the actors put the balloons into the wrong box and the flowers were in the box that the balloons should have been in and the flowers were needed to for a later scene but they were far under the seating bank and the balloons they already used was closer to them so I moved the flowers and balloons into their correct box. Also, in one of the scenes two snow machines fire out fabric leaves but only one of them fired out the leaves. Also, a couple of the actors had come up to us talking about not having enough time for a quick costume change, so they didn’t change, or they put it on wrong like how one of the actors put on a uniform inside out. Then after the show I told the stage management tutor the problems on our side that we noticed. Then we pre set the stage for tomorrow but this time we had to pick up the leaves and put them into a bag with other fabric leaves.
Pre setting for the tech run
During the tech run
The dress rehearsals
Today I did 2 dress rehearsals where in the first one I was watching from an audience seat timing how long the show was while taking notes on anything that went wrong. During the show for some reason 2 balloons that were meant to be grabbed weren’t and they were mimed instead, and a prop teacup was left on stage which an actor took off stage and a couple of scenes of it being left there. Also, the actors were very loud when they were underneath the seating bank with whispering, coat hangers being dropped, chair being slammed to the bang and head being banged against the metal frame underneath the seating bank which was very distracting which took away my focus from watching the show. Before the show started, I helped pre set and then an actor said to me if I could help with a quick change by holding a costume piece for him to grab and go into as soon as he comes off stage after a specific scene in the show that was easy to know when that scene was because a song called Flamingo was played which I said I would help with. Then I grabbed and put another head torch underneath the seating bank for quick changes, finding props easier and for the actors to bump their heads less. During the show we told the actors to put their chairs in a line against the wall which they did so it was quieter then during the next loud scene me and another ASM moved the blankets off of the chairs and then we moved the chairs to be stacked underneath the seating bank. Later on in the show I grabbed an actor's costume piece, and I stood near the side where he exited and then I gave it to him which he then puts on and goes back on stage. After I pre set for the second show night I helped the same as I did for the last show by moving the chairs and helping an actor with a quick change, but an actor said to me during the show when the scene is nearer can you lay out the flowers so they’re easier to grab which I said yes to. So, a bit later me, another ASM and an actor that wasn’t needed on stage moved the flowers out of the box to on the floor which a bit later the actors all grabbed one for the final scene which was easier than them all grabbing one from a box under a table under a seating bank.
The shows
Weekly evaluation 6
This week I watched level 2 tech rehearsals, moved armchair, footed ladder, moved curtain box to dock, moved rehearsal boxes into design, made list of props in studio, put down glow tape, made list of what props to preset before show starts, preset props, moved props from music venue into prop store, painted box white, preset puzzle pieces on floor and helped for the level 2 show. I solved the problem of a box not being painted that we got told during tech rehearsals and the box that wasn’t painted was going to be an open box for leaves to be put in for an actor to grab out of the box. Originally, we thought that the not painted box was a rehearsal prop and that they would open up one of the spare closed painted boxes, but they turned into spare boxes in case any of them broke so the box was then forgotten to be painted. So, during the tech rehearsal I took the open box to the workshop, and I painted it white. I have improved on my inactive of doing thing without being asked to and spotting thing that needed to be done like putting down white gaffer tape and glow tape which I didn’t know that it wouldn’t work from the headtorch being too bright. I also came up with the idea of adding a 3rd head torch underneath the seating bank for the actors to quickly change costumes and find props. I can improve on my coursework by writing up my project proposal in my time off of college and I plan to make a gravestone for a song in the dance show. I have also been given a guide of what ti include when writing about my project proposal which will be useful.