Showing posts with label production meetings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label production meetings. Show all posts

Friday, February 17, 2012

What Happens at a Production Meeting?

This week we had the first production meeting for a new show: The Whipping Man.

The director and I had already met to talk about the set, so I showed up with sketches about 95% approved.  My first business - before the meeting - was to explain our idea to the producer for their approval.

A first production meeting always starts with a "This is our quest" speech by the director, explaining his or her approach to the text and this production.  Sometimes the producer will speak, but often that happens (if you'll forgive the expression) off stage, between director and producer.  Sometimes the stage manager will have contracts to sign.

The next speaker is often the set designer.

At this point you explain your design concept to the rest of the production team.  The set tends to lead the visual tone of a show, effecting the other designers' work.   These "others" include costume, lighting, prop, and sound designers and other specialists like choreographers, fight designers etc.  A interesting crowd.

The Mad Hatter's production meeting - public domain image

The actual set builder tends not to be at the production meeting.  Set designer, producer, and maybe director, usually talk to the technical director (TD) and/or head carpenter separately...  mostly so set doesn't monopolize the production meeting.  Costumes, props, light, and sound all need discussion too!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Set Designer's Day, the Press, and Treasure Hunting

Always nice when a day starts with a photo of one of your shows on the cover of the Dallas Morning News' weekend Guide: a close-up of actress Molly Franco, who plays Anne Frank.  (Beautifully plays.)  So far both The Diary of Anne Frank and The Frequency of Death! are getting good reviews... and with those, a few nice mentions for their sets.  (I'll take "pretty spectacular" when I can get it.)  Deeper into the Guide is a nice shot of Frequency under "Hot Show of the Week."

(You can read DMN's online review of The Diary of Anne Frank  HERE.  And HERE's their review of The Frequency of Death.)

But no time to reread for me.  I need to hop into the car to make the visit with the scenic painter on The Secrets of a Soccer Mom that was supposed to happen yesterday.  It's even colder this morning!  Poor painter.

After that, a shopping trip to that favorite source for discount fabric, The Golden d'Or (which translates as "The Golden Golden").  It's having its annual HUGE SALE.  I'll see what treasure I can dig up!

Pirate treasure painting by, I believe, Howard Pyle, public domain

Later tonight is a run-through of Collapse at Kitchen Dog, followed by a really late production meeting.  So much for Friday Date Night, huh?