I think just maybe Director Witch is having withdrawal symptoms from Blogging. I only make this observation because I know that I did, when I stopped writing allaboutdick and because at the Production meeting last night, when I asked if either he, Director Demon or Producer Him would also like to be able to write contributions on here; his eyes lit up!!!
Director Witch said "No. No. I won't blog officially. I'll just add the odd comment now and then" Hmmm. At 00:21 this he had sent me a rather long 'comment'. I read Director Witch's quick comment and wondered whether he'd taken a breath during typing.
Director Demon won't be blogging for the time being at least. He's just started a new job and is very busy. He's also currently minus email, phone and car.
Producer Him said something like "Oh good. I've been waiting to be able to reply to Director Witch's comments in allaboutdeath where he called me THE RIVAL" Yes please.
So; Watch this space. Not only will you have my missives to keep you abreast of what's going on. You've also go the others to contend with too!!!!!!!
Lyric of the Blog: "I have a tale to tell. Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well" Madonna
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
The Production Meeting
Producer Him and I sat down with Director Witch and Director Demon last night to discuss the scary bit of the show. MONEY! Simple stuff like where it's going to come from. In theory, this should be an inexpensive show with minimum costs. Two one act plays both on minimal sets. That's what Director Witch told the EGM last Thursday. Yeah Right.
Two one act plays equals two sets, however minimal. Two one act plays equals two show licences. Two one act plays equals two sets of scripts to buy. two one act plays equals less ticket sales than a musical, hence why we started doing 'supper night' shows as a smaller audience seated around large circular tables makes the hall look fuller for the cast. Supper night shows equal table hire.
I sat at the table in the George in Colnbrook with laptop in front of me, manipulating the figures and reducing costs left, right and centre to get us to just break even 'on paper' as we discussed first the hall hire costs and hall bookings, subs, script cost and script licences, group overheads, advertising, set, costumes etc. Director Witch (and most of the rest of the committee to be honest) take the mick about my love of Excel spreadsheets. Director Witch and Director Demon may come to hate them (and both Producer Him and I ) by the end of July. They have to reduce their costs or find more income. End of story.
Thought: In all the time I've been involved with shows we've never discussed the finer points of a show budget with the cast. It's always been left to the Production Team to get the sums right do the worrying about finances and the cast have only been advised about the ticket sales to date and how far on or off target we are. Should the show budget be open to the whole cast to see> There in black and white. Exactly how much everything associated with a putting on a show costs. Do members of the cast really know just how much it costs to put on a show? Do they care? Do they realise that until the ticket sale revenue comes in, the bulk of the expenses are met by the Directors and Producers out of their own pockets, often with sundry smaller items being written off or forgotten about.... I wonder.
One things for sure. My brain hurts.
Lyric of the Blog: "All the things I could do, If I had a little money, It's a rich man's world" ABBA
Two one act plays equals two sets, however minimal. Two one act plays equals two show licences. Two one act plays equals two sets of scripts to buy. two one act plays equals less ticket sales than a musical, hence why we started doing 'supper night' shows as a smaller audience seated around large circular tables makes the hall look fuller for the cast. Supper night shows equal table hire.
I sat at the table in the George in Colnbrook with laptop in front of me, manipulating the figures and reducing costs left, right and centre to get us to just break even 'on paper' as we discussed first the hall hire costs and hall bookings, subs, script cost and script licences, group overheads, advertising, set, costumes etc. Director Witch (and most of the rest of the committee to be honest) take the mick about my love of Excel spreadsheets. Director Witch and Director Demon may come to hate them (and both Producer Him and I ) by the end of July. They have to reduce their costs or find more income. End of story.
Thought: In all the time I've been involved with shows we've never discussed the finer points of a show budget with the cast. It's always been left to the Production Team to get the sums right do the worrying about finances and the cast have only been advised about the ticket sales to date and how far on or off target we are. Should the show budget be open to the whole cast to see> There in black and white. Exactly how much everything associated with a putting on a show costs. Do members of the cast really know just how much it costs to put on a show? Do they care? Do they realise that until the ticket sale revenue comes in, the bulk of the expenses are met by the Directors and Producers out of their own pockets, often with sundry smaller items being written off or forgotten about.... I wonder.
One things for sure. My brain hurts.
Lyric of the Blog: "All the things I could do, If I had a little money, It's a rich man's world" ABBA
Friday, 6 April 2007
Witches & Demons
It's not the actual name of the show, that can wait for the first Production Meeting next Tuesday evening but it will do for now. The show will be two separate one act plays, both on a similar dark theme.
Act 1. After Midnight - Before Dawn.
This a play by David Compton and it's set in a prison cell. The characters await death, having been sentenced for witchcraft. It is the late 1600s or early 1700s. Only the Calm Woman remains unmoved. On being questioned, she replies she will not hang. The Devil will look after his own. The others conclude she is indeed a witch - and beg her to tell them how they too may gain Satan's protection.
After Midnight - Before Dawn will be directed by Director Witch.
Act 2. The Demon.
This is a thriller by Martin Downing and it's set in a flat. Escaping torrential rain, six friends flee to a high rise apartment and hear a terrifying announcement: one of them may be a serial killer possessed by the Devil. Then one meets a hideous death. The survivors embark on a desperate quest to find and destroy the fiend in their midst before more blood is spilled. ....
The Demon will be directed by Director Demon.
And now for the really, really complicated bit ....... have you read http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/ and http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com/ yet ?
NO? Why not ? Right; Here goes....
Director Witch was Producer for Mort and wrote http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com/. Previous to that he featured as Programme Editor in http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/
Director Demon played the part of Albert in Mort and features quite a lot in http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com. Director Demon is also my big Cousin. Sort of. More about that some other time.
Producer Him is new to the blog scene and new to Producing. He hasn't previously featured in any of the "All About" series. He's very artistic and often gets involved with designing and painting the sets for shows, in fact he taught me everything I know about set design and set painting. He's played the Dame in panto more times than he cares to mention and hates the fact that we all remember that he once said he'd be in a panto 'over his dead body'. He's still with us.
and finally there's me, Producer or to be more precise for this particular show, Producer Her as I will be sharing the role with Him. I wrote http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/
It's all my fault.
Act 1. After Midnight - Before Dawn.
This a play by David Compton and it's set in a prison cell. The characters await death, having been sentenced for witchcraft. It is the late 1600s or early 1700s. Only the Calm Woman remains unmoved. On being questioned, she replies she will not hang. The Devil will look after his own. The others conclude she is indeed a witch - and beg her to tell them how they too may gain Satan's protection.
After Midnight - Before Dawn will be directed by Director Witch.
Act 2. The Demon.
This is a thriller by Martin Downing and it's set in a flat. Escaping torrential rain, six friends flee to a high rise apartment and hear a terrifying announcement: one of them may be a serial killer possessed by the Devil. Then one meets a hideous death. The survivors embark on a desperate quest to find and destroy the fiend in their midst before more blood is spilled. ....
The Demon will be directed by Director Demon.
And now for the really, really complicated bit ....... have you read http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/ and http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com/ yet ?
NO? Why not ? Right; Here goes....
Director Witch was Producer for Mort and wrote http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com/. Previous to that he featured as Programme Editor in http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/
Director Demon played the part of Albert in Mort and features quite a lot in http://allaboutdeath.blogspot.com. Director Demon is also my big Cousin. Sort of. More about that some other time.
Producer Him is new to the blog scene and new to Producing. He hasn't previously featured in any of the "All About" series. He's very artistic and often gets involved with designing and painting the sets for shows, in fact he taught me everything I know about set design and set painting. He's played the Dame in panto more times than he cares to mention and hates the fact that we all remember that he once said he'd be in a panto 'over his dead body'. He's still with us.
and finally there's me, Producer or to be more precise for this particular show, Producer Her as I will be sharing the role with Him. I wrote http://allaboutdick.blogspot.com/
It's all my fault.
The EGM
SHHHHHHH!!!!!! Don't tell anyone but I've started another blog and this time I can rightfully post as "Producer", well actually Producer Her to be more precise !!!!!!!
Not being able to secure the services of an MD, the group has had to put it's plans on hold to do our original choice of summer show which was Return to the Forbidden Planet, so tonight the group held an EGM or Extraordinary General Meeting to vote in a new show for the summer slot. When it came down to it, only one person actually put forward a suggestion for a show..... so it's in!!!!!!!!!!!!
I rang that person after the meeting to ask if I could borrow the scripts to get a synopsis of each play and character assassinations, sorry, descriptions on the group website asap for the read-through and audition night but there was no answer. I got a voicemail message from that person a little later which said " I assume you were ringing me to ask me what to call the blog. I think All About Devils would be appropriate, don't you ?, ring me back, bye!"
No, said I. It was just to get some info for the website. I'll do the blog at some point over the weekend but not yet.
I lied. I'm wide awake ....... and so another "All About" tale is about to unfold before you.
This time it's All About Devils!
Not being able to secure the services of an MD, the group has had to put it's plans on hold to do our original choice of summer show which was Return to the Forbidden Planet, so tonight the group held an EGM or Extraordinary General Meeting to vote in a new show for the summer slot. When it came down to it, only one person actually put forward a suggestion for a show..... so it's in!!!!!!!!!!!!
I rang that person after the meeting to ask if I could borrow the scripts to get a synopsis of each play and character assassinations, sorry, descriptions on the group website asap for the read-through and audition night but there was no answer. I got a voicemail message from that person a little later which said " I assume you were ringing me to ask me what to call the blog. I think All About Devils would be appropriate, don't you ?, ring me back, bye!"
No, said I. It was just to get some info for the website. I'll do the blog at some point over the weekend but not yet.
I lied. I'm wide awake ....... and so another "All About" tale is about to unfold before you.
This time it's All About Devils!
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