This town aint big enough for the both of us...

Week 12 - 362 days to opening night

Another bit of good news today - we'd heard a couple of months ago from our ties in another group in Southampton that they were looking at doing Mack & Mabel as well next year - in March 2010 - which while not in our catchment area and three months before ours was a bit of a shame as it's always nice to do something no-one else has done for a while, and then to have two Mack & Mabels within 30 miles of each other was just bad luck.

But we've had word today that the Southampton group aren't doing M&M anymore. Phew. But on the downside there was the opportunity to share costs of props etc Every silver lining has a cloud...

I'd like to think that they had heard we were doing it and are running scared... ;) Yes, that'll be it - they were just too much in awe of our awesomeness-ness-ness. Sssh. Ssssh do you hear that? Yes. Yes it's the sound of my head disappearing up my own arse and...muffle...muffle...muffle..

Neil

And Walker said 'Let there be light' and there was and it was cooool...

Week 12 - 363 days to opening night

Excellent news today - Eliot Walker has agreed to light M&M and to ASM. I don't think it's any secret that I think Eliot is a lighting God so it's brilliant to have him on board (and especially as I know he reads all this crap). And it's doubly so because we both like to geek out over the same technical stuff (hurrah - a kindred spirit). Lighting is a much overlooked in the am-dram world so it's a privilege to have him around on this one - I'm very keen to push the lighting for the production so thankfully we've the right man in place. 

**Phew** Another of my 'must-find-excellent-people-to-help-with-the-show' boxes ticked off.

I'm sure this all comes across as a bit sycophantic, but hey, I don't give a rats arse...

Neil

Skatin' on thin ice

Week 12 - 364 days to opening night

That music sounds familiar. Where've I heard that before?

Some people know 'Mack and Mabel' music for one reason, and one reason only - Torville and Dean. They won the olympics in the 1980s for ice skating using the overture as their music. If you haven't got a clue what I mean then follow the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ0DERFHEIU&feature=related

Neil

This time next year...

Week 12 - 365 days to opening night

Three months gone and, officially, one year to go...

Neil

Catching up with M&M stuff

Week 12 - 366 days to opening night

A year and a day until opening night today. I'm now fairly concrete on the style and tone of the show - it's going to be a big show, bigger than any we've done before I think - technically quite difficult, moving sets, animations, film, live feed, stage effects, possible flying. And, obviously, the kitchen sink. A couple of the groups in the area have BIG productions going on next year - Theatre 2000 are putting on 'Beauty and the Beast', BBLOC are doing 'The Producers', P&P 'Oliver' - none of us vying for the same audience luckily, but I'm very confident that we can hold our own with the 'big boys', but only using a third of their budget...

I've been through the music and now edited a working CD for us all to use - it gives me, George, Ian and Pete a rough working structure to base the show on until we get the score. It's been a case of gathering different versions of all the shows songs from all over the place and choosing which one is best for the scene - in a couple of instances I've spliced, using specialist software, one half of a song into another and - gosh darnnit I'm good - you can't tell the difference.

Interesting chat with Eliot (lighting guru) this week which could help the show enormously. (**Hi Eliot, by the way**) and I spoke to Phil a tech vol at the theatre as he has a specialist hobby outside of theatre and work which could be invaluable - but more of that another time. Funnily enough Phil and Barry, both technical bods have been pestering me, yes pestering, for years to be on stage in one of our shows, and they may just get their wish this time...

HCP's summer show was excellent last week (plus I noticed something new HCP had bought for the show which will be perfect for M&M), and Hamlet seems to be going down a storm, so everything seems to be tickety-boo and on target. HCP now move on to the panto Aladdin in Jan 2010, which is my next deadline to get all new publicity done AND **drumroll** an animated 3d 30 sec cartoon (think Pixar, but rubbish) advertising the show which we can rollout over Jan to July 2010....better get started on it soon...

Neil

The sound of silence

Week 11 - 370 days to opening night

It was Les's funeral today. And I have to say he would have loved it. And the best part of the whole thing for me was when the hearse pulled up and we all noticed that the coffin had a giant pair of headphones on it made from flowers - straddling it from once side to the other as if the coffin was listening to its ipod. Genius idea.

The ladies from HCP sang one of Les's favourite songs during the service, and they were fantastic. Bitter sweet day but a worthy send off for a great man.

Sorely missed.

Neil

Too much else to do, I'm afraid

Week 11 - 3hundredodd days to opening night

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. It's all gone a bit quiet on the blog front because everything is happening on lots of other fronts. I open in Hamlet this week (Arrrghh), Georgina and HCP open this week as well (Eeek), we have Les's funeral this wednesday in which some of us are doing things for - so poor old M&M has had to go on the back burner.

However, I popped in on the HCP tech rehearsal to drop off posters and table cards about Mack&Mabel for their run, and the big M&M banner is on the wall, and looked pretty good from my quick glance at it. I don't think there will be any one there who won't know what next years summer show will be now...

Good luck to everyone for the next few days - it's going to be a hell of a week....

Neil

Keeping it going

Week 10 - 379 days to opening night

I'm with Neil.. its been a hell of a week ... We're all devastated that Les is no longer with us.... I can only reiterate what Neil has already said... a fantastic and professional man who will be hugely missed ... .

 

I'm hoping we can lift our spirits for our next production which starts in a week.... i've no doubt that the players will pull it out the bag, they are a very talented bunch who have the amazing ability to make people laugh... which i consider a huge talent and a very important part of life!  Thats what next weeks show relies on , people laughing and if they do it will have been worth the work!

 

On to mack & Mabel..... an elephant (i'm lost) I think I need a chat with Neil :) I'm sure it will all become clear ... but tell me does it need to dance?........ I love reading this blog and I hope you're all enjoying it to .... lets hope we feel a bit more cheery soon xx

Georgina

Les Acton RIP - Sound Guru and Friend

Week 9 - 382 days to opening night

It's been a very sad week this week for me personally, for HCP and the whole local theatre community in general. Sadly Les Acton, who's done sound for every show I've ever directed, and 90% of the shows I've been in for the last 15 years, died from cancer on Wednesday. Les was, and I know it's a cliche but in this case is so true, one of the nicest and most professional people I had the privilige to know and be around. He was the first to draft me onto the lighting desk for several shows, and I was always confident about what I was doing as he was always right  there to jump in if I ever messed up. 

Always helpful, always fun to be with - his passing will hit the local groups hard as he was always there for anyone who used the Regent Centre. He bore his illness with dignity to the end. The sad thing is words aren't enough to describe Les - all this just seems so inadequate to get across how well loved he was in the theatre community.

Mack and Mabel won't be the same without you, mate. At least you'll always have jelly babies now... 

Neil

Elephant in the room...

Week 7 - 396 days to opening night

More set design. And yeah, that's an Elephant there. Yep, elephant. Can't have a parade without an elephant, can you? No, take it from me, you can't. 

And how are we going to build and stage this elephant? (**whispers** no, friggin idea) - but the elephant isn't going to be the 'money shot' of the scene - have had a rather genius staging idea about this scene which if we can pull it off might be one of the (many I hope) things people remember about the show....but that's not for this blog. Have to hold back some surprises for the actual show now, don't we....

Neil

Just wanting to chat

Week 7 - 400 (only 400?) days to opening night

As Neil said we've just spent the weekend doing some gigs using the music from Sandbag.... it was lovely to to sing those songs again and brought back happy memories of the show... still... on to the next one which is actually opens 4 weeks tonight OMG..... i'm stressed to say the least! I know it's going to be fab and I have every confidence in my team and cast! AAAAHHHHHH.... think my head is so full of ideas for everything its nearly exploding but then isnt it great to have something to look forward to!

 

Neils done an amazing job on the graphics etc so far........... and i am loving the directors chairs... can we have real ones??? Seriously tho Neil thanks for working so hard for us, as you know it is much appreciated but you are a trooper and I do hope you weren't actually sick at your desk the other day (he says it wasnt a hangover but um..... there we go!)

 

Thats it really just wanted a chat............ bye for now.............. :) 

Georgina

It's all in the training....

Week 6 - 403 days to opening night

I'd just like to thank Jerry Herman and Micheal Stewart for writing one scene of M&M on the back of train - not in the train, oh no, but on the back. And then one in the train. Thanks, guys. **Mutter-bloody -mumble**

It's fairly easy to do in principal - have a cut out of the trains back and biff baff boff job's done. Ah, but the trouble is it looks pretty piss-poor. Professional theatres usually have the wing space for storing large scenery, but unfortunately there aint any at the Regent - so it'll have to be a combination of digital and free standing scenery to give the illusion. I'll figure it out at some point. Probably after the last night of the show. 

HCP are singing with Swing Unlimited Big Band this weekend doing songs from the last show I directed 'Happy As A Sandbag' - unfortunately I can't make the gigs but it's nice to know that stuff we did almost a year ago still has some legs....

Neil

Doing my tables

Week 6 - 406 days to opening night

**sound of heart attack**

Oh...w**k. Just re-a-lised how little time I have free between now and the HCP summer show to get all the table graphics etc done. I should be able to, but it's going to be blimmin' tight. Ah, well. Did some of it tonight even though I feel rough as a badgers arse (...strange saying)..... Yes, yes I am a 'trooper', aren't I.

Neil

Aw, it's so, so very sad...

Week 5 - 410 days to opening night

**cue rousing music** Tiiiyme heeeels everythiiing, choooos-dayh, fuuuursssday, Tiiiyme heeeels everythiiing... 

**music continues underneath**

Aw, here's the sad-and-yet-oh-so-meaningful-song that always appears somewhere in the second half of every musical. In this case it's set in front of a departing ocean liner near midnight.

More exploratory set design, I'm afraid. This is a case of how the **expletive deleted** am I going to do that. The liner, sea, clouds and moon are going to be digital (so they all can be animated) and we'll double project (yeah you read that right)  water reflections on certain parts of the set - should look oh sooooo pur-dy. But the gangway is a problem - can't store it in the wings, can fly it in from the grid (I don't think) and it needs to be out of the way  for the big tap number that immediately follows. Will have to think about it.

**music swells** Soooo make the moooments fly, oooortumn, weeeenterrrr...etc etc

Neil

Speaking of Choreography....

Week 5 - 410 days to opening night

Well much like everyone else on this planet I have been up to my eyes in it... chasing my tail and disapppearing up i dont know where!!! ... never enough hours in the day and i long to say the words my children do of 'i'm bored'.... oh no... not me.. I still havent had a chance to go thro the stuff Mr Mathieson has sent me and am planning to do that this weekend (in amongst a 9 yr old birthday party and taking my 6 yr old to ngiht at the museum 2) ... he has sent some stuff thro which may be of use on the choreography side of things and particularly relevant to my last blog.
 
Speaking as the choreographer and also Chairman of the society (oooh that sounds funny) I am really thrilled we have the license for this and as Neil so rightly says i'm sure there will be objections from some areas but i believe it is a show we can cast and do well and I hope that everyone will share our enthusiasm and want to be a part of what i know will be a fantastic experience.
 
Thats it for now folks ......... sure there will be much more to talk about once the cats out the bag!! 

Georgina

Getting my balls rollin'

Week 5 - 414 days to opening night

Gah! Rum'n'flip. And gosh-darn-it. Had a bit of an issue with the posters and publicity today, but we think we've got it sorted.  Still, it's all part of the fun and games, eh?

Been updating the HCP website, with the view for it going up on Saturday evening, and then sending out an email on the Sunday or one of the next few days informing people in the area about the show...get the giant ball rollin'. So, within a week it's all official. I'm sure people will complain about the choice - it's usually the way here on 'Planet Luvvy'.

Ah, but then (**whispers**) they don't know what we're planning. Mwah ha ha haaaaaa. **Twirls comedy evil moustache, then stops because frankly it's stupid** 

Neil

Rome wasn't built in a day. Just an afternoon.

Week 4 - 417 days to opening night

Euent Romanus domus...er..film seticus designium. (Yeah, I think I may have got away with that)

It's been an afternoon of 'starting' set design. Thought I'd start with the Roman Set scene - a scene which ends in a custard pie fight. At the moment all film sets in the show will be in black and white, as will the 'film actors' costumes. The problem with this scene is that it doesn't come at the end of Act 1 but two-thirds the way through, which means there could be a lot, and I'll repeat that for emphasis, a LOT of custard everywhere (potentially slipping up dancers and bringing on a lawsuit). So to get over this there is a big cloth on the floor to catch most of the mess  and an arc cyc to catch any flying too far. There will be people with mops in the next scene to tidy up any missed.

Oh, and upon my signal unleash hell.

Maximus (Neil)

Licence to thrill (At Last)

Week 4 - 418 days to opening night

Eureka! the Licence for Mack & Mabel arrived this morning! 

Enclosed with the Licence there is a notice which we need to use for the poster for St. Mark's - 'All producers of Mack and Mabel must give credit to the Authors of the Work in all programmes dstributed in connection with peformances of the Work, and in all instances in which the title of the Work appears for purposes of advertising, publicising or otherwise exploiting a production thereof: including, without limitation, programmes, souvenir books and playbills. The names of the Authors must also appear as set forth, immediately following the title of the Work: MACK AND MABEL Book by Music and Lyrics by Michael Stewart Jerry Herman Revised by Francine Pascal Original New York Production Directed and Choreographed by Gower Champion'

Sue

Musical Director

Week 4 - 418 days to opening night

Headline of the day is that Ian Carter is now on board as our Musical Director - huzzah! So that completes the top tier of the production team. Then it's onto costumes, props, sound, lighting...

We're like the A-team, except we kill people (and if you are under thirty you won't get that reference - quite frankly I can't be arsed to explain...)

Neil

3D Film set props

Week 4 - 423 days to opening night

Day of learning lines today - damn that Billy Shakespeare and his wordy wordyness - but I've managed to grab and sort some modelling time on set stuff . I'll be starting set design next week so these set props will be useful for the first scene to give me an idea of space.

Anyway, my script is calling. I may be back later if all the 'thees, thous, do's, dost' etc don't make my teeny little brain go 'pop'.

**pop**

Neil

Youtube - dontcha just love it

Week 4 - 423 days to opening night

More teaser poster stuff. I'm beginning to bore myself now.

I've had an hour or so today to do some Youtube research which has been very useful - and given me some much needed inspiration (one idea from a ve-ry random place). I've also managed to render a car version of the train teaser which can also be used at the HCP summer show this year.

I've found a short keystone cop film that involves custard pies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axbv_KzbVkM

Obviously humour has changed slightly since then... 

Neil

Genius Silent Movie Title Card

Week 3 - 424 days to opening night

Let's just take a moment to appreciate those Wacky (note the capital 'W' on wacky) Edwardians.

I've been looking for some pre-show stuff - public domain films to show (which I've now found) and also some title cards similar to those originally shown in the early 1900s and I came across these absolute gems.

Bad, yet at the same time strangely brilliant. I will definitely use these, or rework them into the show's 'housestyle' - once I've decided exactly what it'll look like.

You can't half find some unintentionally-brilliant crap on the web if you look hard enough. Hurrah for google.

Neil

To project, or not project. That is the question.

Week 3 - 425 days to opening night

I've been working on some of the staging for the last couple of days - only a few minutes here and there, jotting down a few notes etc - it keeps me sane and is a welcome distraction from the pressures of work, Hamlet, home life - and I think I've come up with an interesting concept for staging one particular scene. 

I've decided, in principal, not to fall back on the digital projector too much for this show - more physical effects than projecting this time. On paper this particular  staging is quite simple, but could quite good, and more importantly unique to this show. Need to look into it a bit more first....

My friend Ian has got back to me about an AV mixer/switch (ahhh, be still my geeking heart) and it looks like we may have several options that we can play with for the show (see May 12th Blog). Hurrah. Hurrah. And one for luck. Hurrah.

Neil

Time to start flag wavin' a little bit.

Week 3 - 427 days to opening night

We're close to starting to publicise the show now, probably only a few days, and the first to know will, of course, be Highcliffe Charity Players. Georgina has asked me to sort out a logo/graphic that we can use for this purpose - which I've done.

Incidentally,I don't think it's been mentioned yet that George and Pete are also committee members - Georgina is the Chairman(woman)(person) and Pete is social secretary of the society - so important people all round. I, of course, am their bitch. No, not really. Ha ha ha ha haaaaa.... (**whispers** no, I am)

Neil

You're just not my type...

Week 3 - 428 days to opening night

I'm a geek. No hush now, I am. Now shush. I'm geek, and very proud of the fact. So it isn't really a big surprise that I've been reworking the font we're using into a more managable one. The original font has some extended crossbars that just get in the way and I had to outline the fonts, remove the extra nodes and close up the kerning on every word. Hmm, I feel I may have lost you...

Well anyway, so that others can use the typeface without the annoying extra bit, I've taken it into a font programme, removed the extra crossbar and resaved it out as a font. No more removing bits by hand, no siree. Now we have a shiny new Mack and Mabel font that can be used by all.

Remember, the Geek shall inherit the earth. If you're nice I'll let you have a bit. Probably Croydon.

Neil

Set in my ways - begin at the beginning

Week 3 - 429 days to opening night

I'm starting to look at the set. The opening is an overture - with an animation over it - so set number 1 is very straight forward. A tracking gauze behind the main tabs. There. Job done. Piece of piss.

Set design's ea-sy.

Neil

Tapping our troubles away...

Week 3 - 429 days to opening night

After watching a couple of versions of the show now ......i'm the same as neil... i know there's a great musical in there but not feeling much excitement after the big production numbers of which there are many.. so i really need to find that 'thing' that is missing....The two i'm most worried about are hit em on the head and big time..... the tap will speak for itself i think... people love tap... but the other two are more tricky.
 
Big time .... fantastic song that the players have done in panto a few times... it involves suitcases.... the question is do you make these a feature or not???  not sure yet.  My main worry with hit em on the head is it tries to do a silent movie within the number and so far from what i've seen this doesnt work... i just switch off about half way thro which is not good!! tho i do have very poor concentration!!I loved the routine that the policemen did in Billy Elliot the musical and thinmk that some elements of that might be good to use..... tho i'm still trying to find that somewhere on you tube.... also off to have look at Jerry's girls a show I love celebrating the music of Jerry Herman...well worth a listen if you dont know it... TTFN 

Georgina

Go on, jump for gods sake....

Week 3 - 430 days to opening night

I've done a quick jump page for the HCP website to this blog, which we'll put up once the show is formally okayed by Samuel French, so that if anyone is in the slightest bit interested they can follow the course of the show from now until July 2010. Still seems a long way off....

Neil

Let's play tag....

Week 3 - 430 days to opening night

Oh the shame. No, no, I'm red-faced. **looks at feet and shifts awkwardly** 

Trying to think of some good/clever tagline for the show. So far the best I can come up with is...ahem...

'Based on a reel story'...

Hmm. I think there may be something wrong with me.

Neil

Chuffed.

Week 2 - 432 days to opening night

Day off today, so I've been catching up on the house chores (Gardening) and learning lines. Basically my morning was:

11:00am - Start gardening 

11:02am - Lawn Mower explodes 

1:00pm - Finish gardening using tiny blunt shears 

1:13pm - Turn on daytime TV 

1:14pm - Turn off daytime TV

But I had a spare hour this afternoon so I started doing some things (illustrations) aimed at HCP's Summer show this year - basically some teaser posters to be dotted around on the tables and on the walls. Well it's a start...

Neil

Money, money, money - makes the vorld go a-rouwnd...

Week 2 - 435 days to opening night

Hey everyone let's talk dosh, mula, wangah, ol casheroony. Let's talk pounds, shillings and pence. Let's talk money.

So what do you do after you come home from a long 3hr rehearsal late at night - chat with your loved one? Watch TV? Go to bed? Do you know what I did...sat working out budgets for the show. Yep, my life is wild beyond comprehension.

Perception is that it's all a bit arty, this theatre thing, but in the end it does come down to cold hard cash. We have a certain number of seats to sell (about 450 per night), we need to set a ticket price that isn't stupid (particularly in this economic climate) - then you times seats by ticket price and that gives you your cap for a budget. Spend more than your income and you make a loss, spend less and you make a profit. Obviously it's a bit more complicated than that but I, quite frankly, can't be arsed to get into all.

I'm not going to talk figures as, Sue (Treasurer/Accountant) will actually grate my testicles off if I do, but compared to other larger groups in the area who can spend £60-70,000 on a show we're  small(ish) fry in budget terms. The trick is use the budget cleverly to make the show look twice as expensive as it actually is.

So I have a rough budget calculated (taking into account all the big spends: theatre, musicians, sound hire, costume etc etc) - a number ending in several zeros (I think I'm safe in giving that much away) - and a rough ticket price. And I'm fairly happy.

This show is about flag waving and letting people know who we are - so the aim is to break even. The last show we (Neil, George, Pete) did sold out well in advance with a relatively unknown show, so I'm fairly confident we can repeat it this time round. Hey, look, a glass half full attitude will get you everywhere....

Neil

Script, script, script

Week 2 - 436 days to opening night

I think I'm over the almost-suicidally-rubbish disappointment of Saturday night now. I think it was good to see, and I'm not against anything the company did, but I was just disappointed that the revised script hadn't really improved anything. And, oh god, how bor-ing it was. Don't get me wrong - I think, no, I KNOW there's a superb musical in there - always have. That's why I want to take it on. It just needs the right approach. Needs a bit of life.

Spent some of yesterday going over the old script I have highlighting the changes, the problem areas etc, but I think I've sorted out the opening - it'll work much better than the standard opening of the show, and without deviating from the script or score at all. 

Yeah, I think there's a faint glimmer of a show starting to appear.

Neil

You little tease you...

Week 2 - 437 days to opening night

I've quickly done an updated version of the teaser which we can start putting up as soon as we get the paperwork through from the license holders of M&M...

Neil

Charity begins at Frome - seeing the revised script in action

Week 2 - 437 days until opening night

We (Georgina, Pete and myself) went to see Mack and Mabel last night in Frome, and in particular to see the revised script. And I'll be honest I'm still seeing the same problems in the revised script - bits are confusing, still has the same sudden ending and there's no real natural progressing of the main relationship. Plus some of the changes actually make the flow worse. But hey, I'm up for a challenge and think we can turn it around. 

Neil

Gettin' Into Character (Design) - Part 2

Week 1 - 438 days until opening night

As with below the animation for the overture will include famous icons of the silent movies, and so I can't really look myself in the eye unless we include Charlie Chaplin, now can I.

I want the Harold Lloyd/Clock face referenced, and the Buster Keaton falling house gag (and if you don't know what I mean - shame on you. That's what Youtube is for). So they will have to be designed as well....

If nothing else, I think I can probably use these for some teasers over the next couple of months anyway.

Off to Frome tonight to see a Am Dram version of Mack and Mabel with Pete and Georgina. Looking forward to it. PLUS, I aint driving. Huzzah!

Neil

Gettin' Into Character (Design)

Week 1 - 438 days to opening night

I've been doing some research for character designs for the overture animation - I'm wanting something fun, bit cutsy and be able to made 3d - and I came across those Japanese toys that you can buy and decorate yourself called 'Munnys'. Their shape is perfect so I've based the first initial look on one of them - I'm still trying to decide between 2d, 3d or a bit of both for the opening. But I like the overall feel so far...

Neil

It's a date

Week 1 - 439 days until opening night

The dates have been confirmed with the Regent Centre in the last couple of days, so it's all moving forward nicely. I've quickly done a teaser that we can start showing on the web (facebook, bebo, myspace etc) once we've let the company members  know what we are doing next year. It's just a filler until proper graphics are worked up.

Spent this lunchtime looking over character designs trying to find a suitable style for the overture, and also watching title sequences at a cool website: The art of the title sequence  for a bit of inspiration. 

July 2010 does seem a long way away to me at the moment...

Neil

Rights (and Rewrites)

Week 1 - 440 days until opening night

Looks like, as of this morning, all the rights for Mack and Mabel are now in place which is good news, with the stipulation that we have to use the revised 2007 script by Francine Pascal.

An updated script is good news, actually. Funnily enough I was just reading about this only last week. The original script has always been acknowledged as having a few problems - in particular a weak ending - it all stops rather quickly, and on a bit of a downer (which is what happened in real life), but apparently the newer script addresses these problems and is much better.

Georgina, Pete and myself are off to Frome on Saturday to see an amateur version of the show,  so I'll be interested to see what they've done with the script.

Where the hell is Frome, anyways? **sound of google maps being accessed** Ah - near Bath.

Neil  

I'm a Model, I am.

Week 1 - 441 days to opening night

I'm just back from passing a fencing exam - I'm playing Hamlet in an outdoor production this July and, if you are familiar with the play, I have to sword fight at the end and then **not much of a spoiler** get poisoned and die.. This is just to explain/give an excuse just in case I accidentally insert Shakepeare stuff into these postings - it's because of Hamlet rehearsals, not because I'm highbrow, or intellectual. Or a bit of a cock.

Anyhoo, to the task at hand Mack'N'Mabel - I'm sorting out 3d models that I'm going to need for the overture. Even at this very, very early stage I know that I want to mimic film title credits and project these during the overture - the plan is to have an animated sequence of about 4 minutes a la the Pink Panther films but in a 1910/20s style and probably featuring the Keystone Cops, a damsel tied to a train track - y'know the kind of thing, a nod to all the classic silent movie moments. So with this in mind I've sorted out the 3D train model and the Keystone car.

I'm pleased with them, i'faith. Verily, so.

Neil

Projection. It's all about projection.

Week 1 - 442 days until opening night

I'm going to get all technical on yer ass now (hell, yeah). I'm a big advocator of using technology in productions - been using digital projections for years - and it's worked out really well. You need to show a train journey - project one. Need to show a giant peach rolling through a town, crushing as it goes - project it. Need to be above the clouds flying - project moving clouds. Up to now it's been very straight forward - connect the computer to the theatre's industrial sized digital projector and press go. Simple. 

But, for this production I'm looking at live feed - realtime images - on a couple of cameras as well as straightforward projection and again, in prinicipal, it's all (fairly) straight forward. I have the cameras, the cables, the projector, the computer, the programs BUT to make it work smoothly I need an AV mixer - and they cost thousands. I've done live feed before successfully but it was a bit clunky with the AV box I was using - then I had the genius idea of talking to one of my closest friends, Ian. He runs a security systems company (cameras, keypads etc) and having sat with him on Saturday and gone through what I want to achieve it sounds like he can help - oh gawd bless ya, Ian. 

This image of a scrappy bit of paper is the first stabbings at entire projection system we've done for M&M...and dammit it will work. Four hundred odd days to iron it out and test. Piece. Of. Cake. **crosses fingers 0h-so-very tightly**

Neil

Research, research, research

Week 1 - 443 days until opening night

Lunchtime's been spent researching today. Probably one of many to come, knowing how anal I can be. Found a good vintage silent movie site with numerous Mack Sennett posters and downloaded a fair few of them - might be able to do some fake versions for publicity purposes. 

Grabbed some Keystone Cops reference  - there's a couple of original Sennett films that I can download - I'm thinking maybe show one in the pre-set stage as the audience are coming in, and possibly one during the interval as they're usually only a couple of reels in length (about 15mins).

And obviously researching images of the main characters - they were real people, of course. S'based on a true(ish) story, dontcha know. 

Here are the titular characters - Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand. They just loved their soft focus didn't they. Not too keen on smiling though...

Neil

Digitally modelling the Regent Centre stage - too much time on my hands

Week 1 - 443 days to opening night

Yeah, eh? Not smiling now, are you. Nooooo.

Y’see they all laughed at me when I said I was going to build a scale 3d digital model of the Regent Centre’s stage. And now? Well, they still laugh at me, but gawddammit the inner geek in me knows just how useful this will be as a director once finished. 

I can use this model to design a set that fits exactly, can work out any storage space issues in the wings months in advance, rather than find out at the get-in that that all-important prop just won't fit. I can rig lights and work out a lighting plot with a realistic idea of how it'll look. I can block cast moves using this model - and see how it looks from any seat in the auditorium. See, it's not a completely stupid idea. Time consuming, yes, but not completely stupid.

For all you technology/software fans, we're using Cinema 4d, rendered out and then photoshopped. 

For all you non-technology/software fans, yes I am wasting my life.

Neil

Mack and Mabel - Royal Variety Performance 1995

Week 1 - 444 days to opening night

Another test I'm afraid - obviously we're going for the dullest blog award - but I just want to check/see how web links work. The link - hopefully - is a youtube video of Mack and Mabel at the Royal Variety Performance 1995...

Click here for 'Mack and Mabel - Royal Variety Performance 1995'

(By Jove, I think I've done it)

Neil

Final Uploading Test - Movies

Week 1 - 445 days to opening night

Yeah, feeling slightly cocky now.

Uploading an image was a massive triumph, so filled with newly found confidence I'm trying the old 'upload movie' button. This show will have projected animations - so here's a quick animation test I've done for it...hopefully it'll appear like magic...

Oh. Quality's a bit crappy, isn't it. 

Neil

Test Teasers

Week 1 - 445 days to opening night

Luckily for this production we have a graphic designer **sound of slightly off-key trumpet fanfare** ...which is me - so we can start getting stuff out pretty much straight away to advertise the show. And no, it aint 'way too early'.

HCP have a Summer Revue Show coming up this July, so we'll be advertising quite heavily the next two shows - the annual pantomime, and of course, Mack and Mabel.

To be honest, the whole reason for this posting is to see if I can upload an image. There, I've confessed. Hopefully if all goes well you'll see a couple of work-in-progress test teaser images. 

Fingers crossed, people.

Huzzah. I am an uploading god.

Neil

Off we jolly well go

Week 1 - 445 days to opening night

So. Here we are. Posting number One. Numero Uno. Blog Eine. Writing our own blog about a theatre production way, way, way off in the distance. Four hundred and something days until opening night.

The idea about this blog is to document the whole production from start to finish, the ups and downs, ins and outs – and trying, basically, not to disappear up our own arses on the way. Hopefully, Georgina (Choreographer) and Pete (Production Manager) will contribute to this whole bloggin’ thing, otherwise it’ll just come across as a bit of a vanity project...

And once we have a cast maybe they'll chime in as well...?

Anyways, we'll see how it goes. It's got some potential, and by golly, we’ve got some potential. Whoop, whoop.

Anyhoo. Time to figure this blogging thing out. First stop: ‘uploading images’

Whoop indeed.

Neil