[SML] designer responsibility, was Newspaper Scenic Treatment

[Donald Robert Fox]

Well stated June.

Donald Robert Fox

-----Original Message-----
From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft-bounces at theatrical.net] On Behalf Of
June Abernathy via Stagecraft
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 12:17 AM
To: New New Stagecraft
Subject: Re: [SML] designer responsibility, was Newspaper Scenic Treatment

I can understand both sides of the "Design Responsibilities" debate. I agree
that if you know what you are getting yourself into ahead of time and agree
to those terms, then no harm no foul, for the most part.

However, very often, companies get so used to having their designers
participate in hands on things like programming the light board or painting
the set or fitting the costumes that they literally lose sight of the actual
job parameters of a Designer. They forget that such things aren't
technically part of the designer's job, and they tend to forget to mention
that such duties will be expected of any designers coming in to work at the
company in their advertisements or interview process. And if any incoming
designers DO balk at such assignments, or balk at the pay once they realize
the extra work expected, they tend to consider them fussy Divas, rather than
rather normal Designers with rather normal expectations.

This happens the other way around, too. Many places get used to having their
Master Electrician design lights for shows, or their TD or Head Carpenter
design sets, or their Wardrobe Mistress design costumes. Usually, this means
having them cobble together what the show needs from what items are
currently available in house with as little extra buying/renting/building as
possible. And many Technicians enjoy doing that in addition to their regular
job. But some do not, and they get usually labled as unhelpful or
overreaching if they either want someone else to do that stuff, or if they
want to get paid extra to do it.

At the end of the day, sometimes having a Designer also do some or all of
the Technical work, or a Technician do some or all of the Design work, works
out. But sometimes, you lose something along the way, as one person doesn't
really have time to do either job as well as they might if that was all they
had to do, and that one person may be significantly less skilled in the
other area than someone who specializes in that thing would be, and
sometimes shows suffer from having one vision when collaboration might have
allowed for some different input that might have resulted in something more
inspired for the end product.

Also, some Designers, who have spent a lot of time in small theaters where
the Designer typically does a lot of the hands on work have a hard time when
they book a job in a place where they are not expected (or allowed) to do
such things. They haven't developed good skills in calling focus to a crew,
or working out show programming with a Light Board Programmer, or doing
detailed drawings, elevations and samples for someone else to paint or build
or fit your stuff without you there. Those things takes skills and building
those skills takes practice, and you won't get that by doing it all
yourself. But they are very necessary skills to have if you want to move up
into bigger commercial productions.

And, every person doubling up is potentially cutting someone else out of a
job, and may actually put MORE stress on the person or department that you
are trying to help. Because "helping out" turns into "We don't have to hire
you an assistant, because you have the Designer to help you out with that
stuff", or even into "We don't need to hire a Technician at all, because you
can handle all that stuff" faster than you would believe.

As I always say in the old recurring "Stage Manager running the light board"
discussion, there is usually nothing wrong with one person doing two jobs,
as long as the People in a Hiring Position (and the person up for the job!)
realize that that person actually IS DOING TWO JOBS. It's also really
helpful if they pay them commensurately. But it's rarely an ideal solution.


June Abernathy
AEA Stage Manager
IATSE #321 (Tampa, FL)
FOH Electrician
The Lion King National Tour

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:00 PM, stagecraft-request at theatrical.net wrote:
> 
> Re: [SML] designer responsibility, was Newspaper Scenic
> 	Treatment


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