Journals

Week 2: 21/09/2020

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I have decided not include week 1 as I was in catch-up sessions for the latter half of the week and had no PA work.

Catch up sessions all week.

Meeting Notes 23/09/20:

My duties are yet to be handed to me as I am still in catch-up.

I have been asked by PM Josh Collins to go into Milton Court with other PAs to move Steel Deck back to its storage from level 1 to -2.

Look into necessary COVID 19 related PPE for each department. Including Visors, Masks, Disposable Gloves, Hand Sanitiser, Multi-surface wipes, Clothes, Disinfectant and Zero Waste Box.

24/09/20

Version 1 of PPE Spreadsheet

Reflection of the Week:

I was in continued catch-up sessions all week, therefore could not fully being any PA work this week. I was nice to meet all the PAs. in person when I went into Milton Court, we all had a good discussion about how we feel about the nature of the allocation. I am happy with what I could get done to kick off the COVID safety measures for this production, all ready to be available to members of the team for fit up.

Week 3: 27/09/20

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27/09/20

(Scenic Art Allocation Catch-up, full day)

Looked into materials needed to buy for the masking flats. Jess Wilson (Technical Manager) reckoned we needed some pieces of 3x1 with screws for the bracing of the flats as they will not be flown. Communicated this with Josh Collins and he said to ask Max-Rodriquez Thorp (Head of Construction) on his thoughts on materials. Max believes it will take 4 lengths of 5x2 timber. He claims all this is already in construction store and can be signed off for use.

Went to look for Comm inventory available to us in Silk Street with Emily. We seem to have 8 sets of wireless comms and battery packs ready for use. Emily estimates we will need 24+ packs in order to accommodate for each department as well as doubled roles (eg. 2 costume supervisors). As they cannot be shared due to COVID 19.

I have updated the PPE Spreadsheet. Added another quantity of visors and sourced some reusable masks. Updated the total- a lot more expensive than before. My ‘SUM’ formula must have not worked correctly the first time around.

28/09/20

I got the PPE List finalised. One main spreadsheet to keep in my files with a separate table for the items being handed out the fit-up crew of 60 participants.
I sent Josh Collins another version of this without the visors to then be purchased through a prime order.
We discussed putting the get-in items into a paper goody bag to then hand out, but decided against it as it’s another item to handle as well as organise. Instead, we decided to hand them out whilst checking participants through at the start of the day.
The Skip company called me in the morning and asked details about what kind of service we wanted. I asked for a medium sized mixed waste skip to set on private land. The quote came to a total of £318.00 including VAT. Here is the quote on email:
I contacted Julia Bermingham to say that we are giving £750 to WHAM.
By using Jess Wilsons LX Plot sketch of where the LX Bars, Borders and Signs are going to go on the ground plan- I added in this in the CAD version.

30/09/20

PM Item List/Inventory

Started the PM Item list/Inventory checklist. I reached a Guildhall alumnus, Chloe Stally-Gibson, of whom was a Production Manager, about what kind of equipment would be best. She was kind enough to give me a list from memory of what she thought would be useful as well as the inventory list they did on an Opera (Angel Esmeralda) last year in Silk Street.

Version 1

This is Version 1 of the PM Item List/Inventory. The Green is what we have in stock, the Grey is what we need to search for, and the white is what we need to order. This version was whilst going through PM inventory in Silk Street. Luckily a decent majority of the items was in either the Silk Street Theatre PM Flight case or Cupboard.

Version 2

The second version was me just finishing it off, adding in the amazon prime links, quantities and pricing where needed. The final total came to £465.07

Screenshots of PPE being purchased from Julia Bermingham:

I tested the visors whilst wearing a hardhat with a chin strap that isn’t detachable. I had issues putting this on whilst wearing the visor. In conclusion, the hard hat has to have a clip or fastening for it to safety sit on the head with a visor. I said to Josh Collins to advise towards masks instead. I contacted Julia for another 30 (3 packs) of visors to be ordered, of which is half the get-in crew total- and see how the response is to it next week.

CAD Alterations

CAD Drawings: added in vertical 2m masking
Changed portal masking on both sides to 1m
Changed Blue Fly Bar to 1m
Added in Curtain downstage next to blue flybar
Altered door masking lengths. (DS 1207, MS 2030, US 2000)

Got good feedback from Josh, seems like the alterations were correct.

Management Meeting Notes 30/09/2020 @14.30.

Ed Walters need to look at Risk Assessments for next week.
Claire Partington is building a Teams page for Covid related Risk Assessments
Idea to create one covid related paragraph to then add into all relevant risk assessments
Need to collate all risk assessments and add in risks for smoking and the bed splitting in the Opera. If need be, Rose Bailey is head of props, so we can contact her for further details.
The masking potentially may change downstage so I need to talk to Sam Bull
I need to try on a hard hat on with a visor
Myself and Georgie need to look through Silk Street PM inventory
Emily is continuing to locate prop tables
The orchestra members near SS Auditorium doors is a licensing issue that still needs to be looked into by Josh Collins
Emily Robertson needs to ask Aled Roberts (Chief LX) about Storage space that he needs in SS Auditorium.
The sharktooth gauze needs to be confirmed by Sam Bull as Simon Sturgess believes the width is too small to even stretch. Edges will be shown and needs to be corrected.
Eve needs to go the Milton Court Stage Door and check of any PPE Deliveries.

01/10/20

I emailed Fiona about floor tape

This is the task I was set by Simon Sturgess once I received Cordelias new groundplan:

Orchestra Plan added in

DS and MS ones at 2000m and US at 1.207m

Screen Partitions

I mentioned to Josh that we could use glass partitions to avoid having to build two rows of production desks for social distancing reasons. So I sourced some we could use but unfortunately the best deal wasn’t an amazon prime option.

When sending my findings to Julia and Josh, Julia said that she saw a large amount of them being already sent to Sllk Street and that Andy Taylor may have more information.

02/10/20

I emailed Andy about screen partitions as Julia believes he knows where we might have some in Silk Street.

These were even more CAD requests from Simon Sturgess. A lot of them weren't too necessary and a few of these requests I didn't fully understand.

CAD Alterations:

I changed Counter-weight 4 back to Border at 5650. I then put blue pros either side further in Downstage to just hit the edge of the Dounstage Masking Flats

Extended the softs to the Downstage edge of the Masking Flats

I’m am then going to talk about PPE in the Fit-Up Meeting @1.00. Such as what we ordered what plans we have to use screen partitions in between each production desk/department.

Reflection of the Week:

This is definitely the first week of acting like a full PA. I feel a lot more useful and needed than before and was productive each day of the week. I have managed to assist Josh with amended PPE requirements as well as inventory checks, emailing specific members of the production and updating CAD plans. Even though it has been far more stressful, I feel like I have learnt a lot more as to what my role is as a production assistant.

Week 4: 05/10/2020

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05/10/2020

Created and amended several risk assessments such as: Raised flooring onstage, Using Genie in the TV Studio and Using Platform Ladders in the TV Studio
Created two running expenditures for WHAM (Wigs, hair and makeup) and Production Management.
Helped Ed Walters mark out the set onstage
Went onto Loading to set weights for the fly floor
Talk to Julia about green skip and seeing what the price and size of the normal skip is- ended up emailing Shelle Bridgeman for details. As well as emailing Green Clover company

06/10/2020

Used the SS Lift to move seating bank chairs, old timber, railings and flight cases sub-stage
Set up the railings for the SS Lift
Used lift once more to bring up borders from the cloth store as well as black chairs for the orchestra.
Tying cloths to bars and running conduit through them
Measuring everything that needs to sit in the wings such as flight cases, tables, boxes, railings etc.
Take masking tape off of the floor
Measure everything that will be sitting in the wings and then work out how much space we have to store it
Draw up pathing for performers as well as props tables in CAD

07/10/2020

Assisted with LX- FOH bridges and booms

08/10/2020

Had a Progress meeting in the morning with the prodcution team.
I collected Petty Cash (£500 for WHAM) from the Barbican Finance office with Julia Bermingham.
Assist LX: tidy up cabling on the galleries, moving light off and around the meat racks, hoisting Source Fours and Robes on a triple purchase to the FOH Bridges/Gallery.
Measure up-down soft masking flats and put into CAD.
I finished 8 Risk Assessments with Georgie.
I wrote down the meeting minutes for this progress meeting.
I researched into Auorora Skips and see if they’re a green company.

09/10/2020

I wrote up a Bed Splitting Risk Assessment
Me and Georgie helped organise backstage, such as moving around flight cases, general tidying and moving items.
All PAs, myself and Simon Sturgess moved the auditorium left seating banks to make room for an orchestra member to achieve social distancing
We then cleaned up Auditorium as much as possible, so similar to backstage, moving flightcases, cleaning and re-arranging. This is to make the stage ready for painting black

Reflection of this week:

This definitely was a busy week for the PM team. A lot of the tasks involve moving and re-organising the space. Further work on the CAD plan helped me develop my CAD skills further. My main concern of this week was when I was put in charge of £500 worth of petty cash from Wigs, Hair and Makeup. It doesnt sit too well with me that no other PA was asked, and that this reponsibility was given to me without even asking. I dont have an issue with looking after it, but I thought the way it was approached could have been better.

Week 4: 05/10/2020

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12/10/2020 (Self-Isolating)

Merge Joshs version of CAD over to the new 12th October CAD Plan.
Order more tables from facilities

13/10/2020

I built steel deck with Emily Robertson for the second row of production desks at the back of the auditorium
We set up all production desks, label names and measure 2m from middle of each chair with walkways.
The usual amount of desk lamps were applied pre-covid therefore we are lacking the usual amount.

14/10/2020

Afternoon of Camera Training @2.00 with Izzy from AV in Milton Court TV Room.

15/10/2020

Create and Print signage for the doors as well as some COVID safety guidelines to spread around the production desks
Begun taping all backstage for the walkway
Added in all props tables backstage
Collected standing desk parcels for Josh from Milton Court Stage Door.

16/10/2020

Finish off taping up back-stage with White Gaffa, both going off the CAD plan and altering it dependant on certain areas, such as the crossover section.
Paint Footlight covers black in Scenic Art with our Flints supply. Left them to dry over the weekend by the dock doors.
Arrange desk lamps for production desks

Reflection of this week:

I found this week rather frustrating as I feel most of the tasks we were doing didn’t feel too productive. On the Monday, I had to self-isloate and on the Wednesday we had a very short session of camera training so I felt out of the loop from the PA role. However, when I was in, the work was quite intense at times, especially nearer the end as we lost a Technical Manager, Chief LX, Production Assistant and Production Sound Engineer due to a member of their household having COVID symptoms. Overall, this week was very slow in comparison to the others.

Week 6: 19/10/2020

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19/10/2020

Built Footlight Covers
Made sure the up and down masking was put up by Sam Bull
Cut and screw in 3, 3x1 timber approx. 455cm to attach to the bracing at the back of the set to act as brailing for the up stage full black
Liaise with Katherine for costume petty cash
Move unwanted items such as cloths onto the pit lift
Inserted pit lift rails
Pit drop, moved various unwanted items into the pit and brought out the 2 timpanis, and all the necessary music stands
Move the music stands into the alcoves for the time being

20/10/2020

Tape down the boom wiring with white gaffa
Camera Operating for Susanna
Pre-rigged for broadcast
Highlighted my camera cues on the cue sheet
Programme camera pre-sets (Camera 2, 4 and 6)
Camera 2: Auditorium Centre Camera (Static Wide Shot)
Camera 4: Stage Right Camera/Floor Left Camera
Camera 6: Centre Stage Overhead Camera
Rehearse with camera caller, Daniel Davis
Add more vertical soft masking far DS behind the booms in the wings.

21/10/2020

Camera Operating for Zanetto
Most if not all camera shots are improvised
Camera 6 is rarely used and camera 2 is not in use until Friday for streaming reasons
Clear the gallery ready for desks and chairs for the creatives, costume, language coach and music teacher.
Moved chairs to the gallery and have already set up auditorium right

22/10/2020

Camera Operating for Rita
In the evening we put away all of the production desks that we aren’t putting onto the gallery.
Disassembled the steel deck and put that away in its designated place on the CAD drawing.
Bring 2 full sized tables up to the gallery, one for Stephen and one for Cordy
Move the Zarges ladder and re-arrange the flight cases and ladder store backstage
Move the two timpani into their designated space
Lower the pit lift and get rid of the piano
Raise the pit lift with the correct amount of blue chairs for the gallery seats. The extra black chairs to be brought down for more orchestral seats.
Amend the auditorium exit sign and email to Josh for printing

23/10/2020

Run through Susanna again with the orchestra with broadcast
Many more alterations have been made to the camera cues for Susanna
Re-evaluated the dream sequence with the director
Taped down more sound wires where the orchestra sits
Printed off more exit and entrance signs
Updated Running Expenditures for WHAM and PM

Reflection of this week:

I have really enjoyed this week, probably the most fun I have had so far in this allocation. Mostly because I am now in a show role and really feel valuable in this production. On the more PA side, I have completed a lot of tasks that feel a lot more satisfying in completion, such as building the footlight covers, bringing out the music stands, and reorganising the space for the orchestra to be moved in as well as getting rid of production desks.

Week 7: 26/10/2020

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26/10/2020

Ran through Zanetto and Rita with new cue sheets
New cues/presets made. Especially for Zanetto dream sequence
No more PA work to be done in the evening

27/10/2020

Added extra masking by adding black tack to existing masking using a staple and kimble gun
Painted the stage floor black - off stage of each door
Looked through camera shots with Stephen Medcalf and AD May Howard-Shigeno for Zanetto from yesterday’s broadcast
Completed first full dress rehearsals of the triple bill with just piano and stage.
Looked through camera shots of Rita from today’s broadcast with Stephen and May as it needs the most work.

28/10/2020

Rewrite cue notes on new cue sheets
Had stage and piano dress rehearsal with Cast B
Further Tech Notes for Rita
Sharpied the hinges again on the set and overlooked the taping on the floor for the orchestra

29/10/2020

Tech notes for Susanna and Zanetto
Stage and Orchestra Dress Rehearsal with cast A
Added some white LX tape to the boom arms in the wings so they are more visible
Wrote the Risk Assessment for the Bed Splitting in Susannas Secret

30/10/2020

Tech notes for all three operas
Stage and Orchestra Dress Rehearsal with cast B
(Broadcast) Have issues with:

Susanna- cam 4 to cam 2 after Gil catches her smoking. Preset CAM 2 in aria (when finished using this camera) OR cut it (1:08:22)

Zanetto - “no, never” cam 2 wasn’t wide and exposure was too bright - same with georgies camera (2:07:46)- “by the time it withers you’ll have forgotten me” - keep cam 2 really wide as zanetto crossing far DSL.(2:21:58)

Rita - Gasparo entrance before he sees Rita for the first time in CAM 4- make sure I get this (3:36:51)

Running through the beginning and end of each Opera for LX, Video, Broadcast and DSM.

Reflection of this week:

The stress of this camera role has really built up for me this week. The constant cue changing is really demanding and is making our roles much harder rather than easier as we have to learn a new show for every dress. My start of allocation meeting with Ben and Sam was really enlightening- learning more what production management and theatre producing entails. Made me more passionate and confident in the management aspect of working in a team.

Week 8: 02/11/2020

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02/11/2020

Further Tech Notes/Discussions with the director about Cueing and Camera Positions
Re-wrote cue sheet with newest changes
Opening Night! First Live Broadcasted performance with Cast A. A few errors but overall not bad at all.
Try out cued camera script for the bows/curtain call as well as the credits

03/11/2020

Met Maisie Roberts in person to have a meeting about the PA Allocation for POD
Down-day for the Opera

04/11/2020

Been in at 4 for further notes from the director
Printed out new Cue Sheets once more- this should be the last time I have new cue sheets
Night 2 of the Live Broadcast for the Opera with Cast B. Probably our best run through yet!

05/11/2020

Down-day for the Opera.

06/11/2020

Been in at 4 for Rig Check then dinner before the 3rd Live Performance
This live performance did not go according to plan- the exposures on most cameras were too high and we did not notice this until after the first opera began. Camera 2 was the opposite- it was far too dark and I couldnt correct it. After the first performance, everything mostly went to plan, however the singers and the orchestra all had issues.

Reflection of this week:

This week has been very odd- mostly because of the large amounts of time off between shows. The first show went relatively well with a few hiccups that was expected as we are only human and will make mistakes. The second show was probably our best one yet- however we regressed on the last show which a number of issues, not just for the AV department but for the singers and the orchestra. Me and Georgie also had a brief chat with Dan and Jon about how constantly reminding us of an exposure issue is NOT helpful. We understand it is the vision mixers job to make sure that the cameras levels are all equal but we have heard it once- we dont need reminding. It got so bad on the friday performance, I had to console Georgie in the interval to calm her down. For the last performance on Monday, I aim to make sure Jon checks all of the exposure level in all the cameras, and that my zoom and pan speeds are at a medium level.

Week 9: 09/11/2020

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09/11/2020

Had a Strike Meeting over Zoom detailing what the schedule will be for the next two days and if it suits everyone.
Helped Josh Collins prepare for the Strike tomorrow by stacking up the blue chairs at the side of the auditorium as well as the music stands to get ready to move.
4th and Final Show. Susanna had to be cancelled as both Susanna singers caught Covid syptoms.

10/11/2020

All Day Opera Strike:
Took the tape off of the floor in the auditorium and backstage
Took the Opera door signs off the entrances and exits
Put the hard masking that was against the dock doors between the quick change area and LX Cage in SR.
Put the different headboards and bedside tables into the skip
Put the orchestra chairs and music stands on the pit lift.
Put pit lift rails on and lowered the pit lift
Reorganised the sub-stage area, and brought up seating bank chairs, seating bank rails, old lights and broken scenic art frame
Organise the space in the auditorium a bit more
Paint the Auditorium back to black

12/11/2020

Opera Production Review Meeting
Opera Strike:
Strike the overhead LX rig whilst getting in the majority of the rig for POD
Put the cloths down in the clothstore
Skip the Zanetto Sign Post
Put the Rita sign in the Gel Room
Dismantled half of the quick change area and moved it to MC Theatre

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Reflection of this week:

The final week has been bittersweet- I am glad to finally see the Opera end, but it has been a very stressful week. Especially as we had to transition straight away to be PA/Camera Operator again for Drama 2. The last two days was non-stop work to get this show out. We thought that by the middle of the first day of strike, that we wont have much to do for the second day. Only de-rigging the overhead bars. But it turned out that the bars were weighted wrong and if any more weights were put onto the loading gallery- it will collapse. So we had to maticulously unload an reload every bar and work out its weight. So our 2nd day of strike took us all the way to 9pm.

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