Observations

As I'm nearing the end of my rehearsal process and moving closer to tech, I just wanted to list a few observations I've had regarding a paperless rehearsal:

• Reports, blocking, and line notes are much easier- Because I can update my documents at the source, I cut out the step of having to transfer the information that I've written down, risking forgetting small details that came up at the time.
• Finding information is quicker- any questions that arise during rehearsal can be easily solved by shooting out an email, searching for information online, or checking documents on the production website.
• People distrust that you are paying attention- Although the work that is being done on my computer is the same that would be done on a printed script in a binder, people in the room are less willing to believe that what I am looking at on the computer screen is a copy of my blocking script and that I am not simply surfing the internet.
• Distractions are more difficult to ignore- Because I am working from my personal computer, I find that I am often distracted by reminders of other tasks that do not involve Still Life. Every so often I have to work harder to remain focused than I normally would if I were working off of a computer that wasn't my own or out of a binder.

Overall, I think it has been a smooth rehearsal process as far as the switch to paperless is concerned. I feel that it will prove more beneficial as we move into tech and performances, but we will see!

Paperless Prompt Book

As A Number is getting ready to go into tech tomorrow, I am putting the final touches on my prompt script.  When starting this process, there were a few things that were a priority.  The first criterion was the ability to quickly edit the placement content of the cues is one of the most important things during a tech process.  The second factor is the ability to output to a form that can be easily distributed (the “got hit by a bus” contingency”).  Third, I wanted to be able to track the changes that were made during the process (that is lost by not having those marks that never go away after you erase a pencil mark).

In sticking with the same idea of using tools that many people have access to, I decided to use Microsoft Word again.  However, the “comments” function that I used for the blocking script was not agile enough to be edited quick enough in tech.  Instead, I used a combination of lines and text boxes to make a completely editable cue placement system.

In experimenting with possible situations that may come up in tech, I found that this electronic editing system actually proved more efficient in real time than the paper/pencil/erasing version that would be used in a standard prompt script.  Also, it eliminates the sometimes hours of necessary “go back and clean up your book” time and instead allows you to save at the end of tech and deal with the more interesting and important issues that may arise.

The prompt script was one of the things I was most worried about doing without the use of paper.  However, with this system I have in place, I can see the tech process actually being expedited by this paperless solution.  We will see how it goes!

Paperless Line Notes

As we approach tech for A Number, David and I have been looking for an efficient, paperless way of delivering line notes for the actors when they run the show in rehearsal. The best route, we found, was similar to David's blocking notation - while I'm on "book" (ha) during the run, it's quick and easy to post a comment on the line in question with what the actor said and the correction. At the end of the run, that day's script with the line notes is password protected and posted on the production website. This process is working because it's very efficient during the run (I don't have to leave the "on book" script to write notes) and easy to navigate (using the Comments toolbar in Word, actors can jump from comment to comment to find the notes intended for them and can see the context of the line they missed). See below for an example of what a page looks like:

Paper Mache?!

As part of the children-character building and potential props for Still Life, our actors are currently making paper mache bugs. I was invited to join in the craftwork, but I politely declined, feeling that paper mache flies directly in the face of Project Paperless.

In other news, I've discovered how much easier it is to accommodate changes in the script when it's all electronic. Our scene 9 got changed a few days ago- some lines were cut, some added, and some moved around. As I simply saved the new scene onto my desktop, replaced it in my script and saved a new copy (so that the old script is still available) I was so pleased that I didn't have to copy, print and hole-punch an entirely new script to put into a heavy binder that I would have to lug around.

So the score is:

• Paper Mache: 1
• Project Paperless: 1

More to come!

Today is a paper-filled day...

I am currently overseeing a discussion of Still Life being held by the Director, Asst. Director, and actors. It's a very calm rehearsal, that seems to be going really well. A lot of questions are being answered and a lot of text-work is being done...

...and a lot of paper is being used.

The cast and directors are currently sitting in a circle in the rehearsal space, with a large (3'x2') sheet of butcher paper between them, as well as several sheets of construction paper. There are 2 equally sized sheets of butcher paper waiting to be used in the corner of the room.

Because Still Life is a very children-oriented show, the cast is communicating and developing their characters by drawing pictures and maps of the world they are portraying. Maggie (our director) has also had the cast bring in pictures of themselves when they were younger to post on the walls of our rehearsal room. These are labelled with their names printed on strips of paper...which I cut out and posted.

I knew going into this project that paper was going to be used by everyone except for stage management, but it seems to me that the next step (not anytime soon, mind you) could be expanding the paperless idea into other departments in a production. For things such as signage, which is what a lot of paper has died for today, there are resources that are currently outside of the means of our department that we would need. Also, if Project Paperless was ever expanded to include *all* involved in a production, it would need to be a show that would lend itself to that kind of production. Still Life with Iris is not that kind of show in my mind, but I can see it working with other shows.

Still Life- Week One!

Last week the Still Life with Iris team completed their first week of paperless stage management. My blocking method is very similar to the one David described earlier (although I am a new Mac user, and am still getting used to how I should use it to best benefit my stage management). So far I haven't had many issues with going paperless, and I find it so convenient to be able to carry everything around in my laptop at all times. There are times though when I feel overwhelmed by the amount of items I have open on my computer at once during a rehearsal (daily call, rehearsal report, blocking script, stopwatch...) and I have become a giant fan of toggling between screens on my laptop to keep things cleaner and less distracting.

So far all is going well!

Paperless Blocking Sample

Paperless Blocking Sample

Here is a screenshot of what I am looking at during rehearsal.  See the previous post for an explanation.