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How To :: Technical Director

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The Technical Director (TD) has three key roles:

1. Oversee/manage all the technical aspects of the show
2. Act as a liaison between the show production team and StageSoc
3. Ensure the interests of StageSoc are maintained

What is Covered in this Guide

1. Getting the Job
2. A Summary of the Role
3. Responsibilities
4. Health & Safety
5. Front of House Manager
6. Packing Up the Annex
7. Late Night Working
8. Invoices
9. Safety Talk
10. Keys
11. TD Locker & Consumables
12. Security at Weekends

Getting the Job

A production team for the show will contact the StageSoc committee with a short show summary describing the technical requirements. The position will be advertised to all society members via email, forum and/or otherwise. Any member interested in becoming a TD may nominate themselves. They will be asked to prepare a short pitch and will be invited to a committee meeting where they will present their pitch and asked questions. The position will then be allocated by means of a committee vote. There is a variety of options if you do not want to TD on your own if it is your first time.

Summary of the Role

These are the main steps of the TD role:

1. Talk to the production team about their tech requirements (set, lighting, sound, special effects), identify anything that needs to be externally hired.
2. Make a plan of dates when things need to be done by, and post on the shows forum asking for crew. Provide as much detail as possible about the show and tech.
3. Choose your crew and organise a crew meeting to let the crew meet each other and find out what they will be doing.
4. Make sure your production team are happy, be contactable.
5. You will be asked by the StageSoc committee to provide updates, at their meetings, about your progress and are able to answer any queries you may have.
6. Get-in: Male a list of jobs that need doing and a rough timescale in which to do them.
7. Tech run: LX plotting takes the most time to try to get as much ground-work and pre-plotting done beforehand. Your main job is to make sure the crew are happy and they are fed/watered. You are to be the go-between for the production team and the crew. If the production team has a problem they must go through you first.
8. Show: Your job is to make sure it runs smoothly, making notes of problems that can be corrected.
9. Get-out: Have a list of jobs, and have everybody doing something, arrange a house run (see responsibilities).

Responsibilities

• Liaising with the production team throughout, especially early in to establish the technical requirements of the show. Preferably go to any production meetings.
• Advise the production team on what is/isn't possible whilst considering time, budget and available crew. It's unlikely you're going to know everything, if you don't know something ask other people in the society that probably will.
• Ensuring equipment (StageSoc and otherwise) is available to be used, there may be another show StageSoc is involved with on at the same time.
• Establishing what additional equipment is needed for the show and arranging the hires (see invoices section).
• Arranging late night working (see late-night working section).
• Liaising with iSoloutions about using the space (see iSoloutions section).
• Ensuring that all health and safety paperwork is done (see H&S section).
• Advertising for and recruiting crew fairly, ensuring all members get an opportunity to be involved if they want to. You should refrain from promising positions to members until you have asked for crew on the forum.
• There is a Mailchimp account for TDs that can be used to send society emails if you need help recruiting crew. Contact the webmaster for details.
• Ensuring all crew members are trained and competent to use the equipment. If they aren't, then arrange mentors to help teach them.
• If the show is in the Annex, make sure the Annex Officer or an appointed substitute will be around during the get-out to make sure everything gets put back tidily and in the correct places. They will accept the state of the Annex as suitable for lectures. If there is a show following immediately after then the incoming TD is strongly recommended to be present at the out before. They can ask for lights to be left out, legs left up, deck left behind etc., this can help speed up the ins and outs for both shows involved. They will also need to inspect for and damage to equipment as their show accepts responsibility for damage (if the cause is unable to be found) when they accept the state of the Annex.
• They need to arrange a person to make the House run during the out. This person will need house keys and know where stuff goes in the House. If possible the PA Facilities Officer should be asked to do this; if they can't, then a production team member, or crew member, can do it.
• At the end of the show week a feedback form will become available. You should distribute a link to your crew and production team.

Health & Safety

Most of what StageSoc do is covered by our Annual General Risk Assessment, found here. It is annually reviewed to ensure it is up-to-date. As a TD you need to read this so you are aware of the hazards of what we do and how they can be minimised. If your show has hazards outside of this then a supplementary risk assessment will need to be passed by the StageSoc Committee. This risk assessment should be passed no later than 2 weeks before the show. When you meet with production teams you need to tell them this and try to identify anything that is outside the scope of our general Risk assessment (e.g. standing on tables, lack of handrails on deck, dancing on lecture benches). Pyrotechnics (fire) and cryogenics (dry ice) have additional safety requirements that need to have considered, the StageSoc committee needs to be informed about the use of these at least two weeks before the start of the show run. If you want to use cryogenics there is a guide for TDs here.

A cut-down risk assessment containing information only relevent to cast and bands is available. It is reccommended that this is email out to all cast well before then run so they can read it at their leisure. It is available here.

Before the tech-run (and afterwards if changes have occurred) an inspection of the set will be carried out by a committee member, this is usually the Annex Officer. They will inspect the set looking for any issues or problems that need to be rectified. The changes recommended need to be carried out before the tech-run starts. The safety of all people involved comes above all other factors, including budget, time and aesthetics. All committee members are responsible for the safety of the society so if they are telling you to do something it is because there is a good reason.

Several things need to be done if your set will pass inspection by iSoloutions:

• Any cables that run along the front of the stage must be completely taped down over their entire length (strips of tape along the length of the cable), and no slack or coils are allowed on the stage. Slack must be coiled and taped to the face of the front step.
• Signs indicating the dangers of the set must be placed in prominent positions on the set.
• The backstage areas need to be taped off with PPE tape, barriers can also be used.
• Any dangerous set needs to be 'fenced-off' with tape and/or barriers.
• The fire escape through the lift store needs to be kept clear.
• The black tabs must be able to be closed (unless by prior agreement with the Annex Officer).
• No set/cables should be left in front of the tab-line.
• 'Band pits' need to be tidied with music stands placed in a corner (unless if they are under deck).

Front of House Manager

For every performance a Front of House (FoH) Manager needs to be appointed. This person needs to be appointed by the production team, so a quick talk needs to take place before each performance. In the interests of security it may be worth having one for rehearsals when everybody is on stage.

The FoH Manager has three main purposes:

1. To assist in the evacuation of the audience during a fire. Hence they will need to read the jobs of the FoH Manager during a fire (on the fire action poster).
2. To remain in the foyer the rest of the time as a security measure.
3. To let audience/cast/crew into the foyer if the main doors have been put onto card access.

Packing Up the Annex

At the end of a show, rehearsal, get-in or out, the space needs to be left in a clean, tidy and safe state for lectures.

• Ensure items are not left in: the H or J lecture theatres, in the space between H and J, or in the Foyer.
• Any props or set left in L/T H should be tidily stacked behind the line of the black curtains against the sides or the back wall. The big store should be used wherever possible to leave the lecture theatres clear.
• Tools and equipment should be put away in their appropriate locations in the stores. All spaces should be left tidy and organised. Locations are clearly labelled as to where items should go, if in doubt, ask!
• The building should be left in a clean and tidy state, including all litter. Bins should be emptied and rubbish disposed of properly; bins can be emptied into the large wheelie bins in the outside cupboard between the doors at the interchange end of the Annex.
• Ensure any issues whatsoever arising during the use of the space are reported to the Annex Officer. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, these will be passed onto the relevant University contacts.
• Ensure all stores are locked (try to open them to make sure).
• Ensure isolation is removed (if enabled).
• Ensure all health and safety requirements are met.
• Leaving anything in the Foyer should be avoided if possible. If absolutely necessary, permission needs to first be obtained from the buildings and estates manager. Anything left in the Foyer should be clearly marked and left tidily stacked against the side of the building. A clear exit route should be left, and items should be fireproofed.
• The area in front of the black tabs (curtains) in H is the area for lectures, and should be left totally clear for lectures, with the tabs left closed.
• Ensure both lecture theatres are left equipped for lectures: Board pens in both and the two portable whiteboards left in H.
• Once the Annex is clear contact security to lock up on: Ext22811, or 02380 592811.

Late Night Working

Late night working is required if the Annex is to be used beyond 23:00 (11p.m.) on any night (or before 09:00 in the morning).

To get late night working permission, send an email to the Assistant Security Manager, Chris Newland, and copy it to the Annex Officer. Chris Newland, Assistant Security Manager: C.Newland@soton.ac.uk

In the email you need to mention:

• The Name of the show
• Dates and times (start and finish) of when late night working permission is required (anything after 23:00). It is usually best to add some extra time onto what you think you need, as you can always leave early. The nights most likely to need it ate the get-in, tech and dress runs, maybe the first night and the get-out.
• The number of people present (or a good estimate).
• That all members on site will be students of the University, members of {insert performing society here} or StageSoc. If other people are to be present (e.g. audience), explain who they are too.
• That all people on site will be made fully aware of the risks of late working, including: fatigue, dehydration and lapses of concentration (this in included in the general risk assessment). Briefly state the control measures we use: bottled water, encouraged continual monitoring of each-other, shift patterns of work, etc.
• Who will be the individual (or group of people) responsible for the safety of all present on site. This will probably be you as the TD if you are there, if you are not state who will.
• Contact details for yourself, and anybody else of responsibility.

An example can be found here.

Invoices

When ordering anything, whether it be from an external company, the union or elsewhere, make sure that the society listed on any paperwork (i.e. the invoices) is the performing society (e.g. LOpSoc, Theatre Group, etc.). Never put StageSoc down as the society hiring, otherwise we are liable for the hire (i.e. legally responsible for it). This is because the performing society hires StageSoc to crew the show and hires any extra equipment for the show.

Once the show run is finished the Treasurer will send an invoice for all of the consumables or lost items to the treasurer of the performing society. This is usually allocated for on the tech budget (so remember to allocate money for consumables).

Safety Talk

Before the Tech Run the cast need to be given a safety talk. This talk must not be rushed and should clearly state the dangers of performing in the annex.

The talk should cover the following things in detail:

1. Introduce key people (e.g. yourself, the Stage Manager, First Aiders, people in charge of dangerous effects, etc.).
2. Check for any existing health conditions which may cause problems with the production, either now or privately after the talk.
3. No drinking in the Annex, and other things that invalidate the risk assessment and insurance (e.g. drinking, drugs, being a serving member of the armed forces, solvent abuse, self-inflicted injury through negligence).
4. The fire procedure (as shown on the fire action poster and evacuation route poster).
5. Check if people are aware of the risk assessment, this should be worded as such: "We have an annual risk assessment which we strongly recommend that you read. You can choose not to read it, but you do so at your own risk. By signing the log book you accept this." They will then need to sign the risk assessment log book (kept in the Annex Officer's cupboard). If there is an additional risk assessment then the cast must also sign the addition risk assessment log book (kept with above).
6. Mention typical hazards encountered (e.g. cables on the floor, falling from deck, pokey out pieces of set, etc.).
7. Mention hazards specific to your show (e.g. a water drop, oddly placed treads, cryogenics, pyrotechnics, etc.).
8. If cryogenics or pyrotechnics are used an additional safety briefing is required, arrange these with the Annex Officer.

TD Locker & Consumables:

The TD locker houses consumables and equipement which the TD can use. Consumables kept in the locker include: gaffer tape (black & white), electrical tape, masking tape, drill bits, pozi bits and PPE hazard tape. The number is monitored and if they are used the current show will be invoiced (PPE tape and drill parts are not charged for). There are also items which are kept there to stop them going missing: rigging gloves, head torches, 10" torch.

The rest of the blue cabinet also contains consumables & equipement; the key-holders are the Treasurer and the Annex Officer. If you know you require additional consumables (or equipment), you need to arrange with the Annex Officer or Treasurer, before-hand, to have them checked out. Items available include (starred items are charged to shows):

• Gaffer tape (black & white)*
• Masking tape*
• Electrical tape (black, white, green & red)*
• Transpore tape
• Spare drill bits & drivers
• 2 sets of cold handling gloves
• 2 sets of heat-proof gloves

Black Flints paint is also available and charged to shows in quantities of half a tin. This is kept in the COSHH cupboard.

Security at Weekends

Due to the lack of a secure opping box our equipment is left out in the lecture space between the nights of Fri-Sat and Sat-Sun. When you call security, you need to inform the control room that we have equipment left out, so they should only open the room to members of StageSoc the following day. You should then wait for a security guard to turn up to lock the building.

Most of our stuff can be left out over these nights, but there are a few exceptions. The drapes over the doors need to be removed, also the covers over the windows of the doors to J need removing. The working and aisle lights need to be turned on. The fire escapes need to be left clear and any dangerous/unsafe pieces of set made safe (in case anybody were to get in).

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