This book is written by Richard Cadena, who is the technical editor of Lighting and Sound America. It will answer virtually every question you've asked in your post, and it will also help you stay safe on the job. Worth every penny.
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EDIT: Submit your questions for Richard's r/livesound Q+A here.
Hi, Ive been a stagehand for 22 years, buy her this if she likes the technical side of theater.
Go pick up the Backstage Handbook and read it cover to cover. That will give you enough basic understanding of terms and rough practices to survive overhire calls.
The Chord Wheel: The Ultimate Tool for All Musicians (TOUS INSTRUMENT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0634021427/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RT1BHVCPP332SRMDSFEV
I hope I’m allowed to link things from Amazon here. Sorry If I’m not mods.
I think this is a really good book for entry level enharmonics theory
Great question! This is something that comes up in acting a lot. You, the actor, already know where the story is going, so how can you make it seem fresh for the character in the moment?
What works for me is to clear my head in the moment. When the PCs begin their interaction with the NPCs, I consciously shift focus into that character's head, imagining their life and backstory. I (try to) let everything else drop away and just let that character fill my head. It has to be a deliberate act.
A little improv practice can help with this a lot, particularly the idea of "narrowing and broadening the spotlight". Instead of focusing on the world or the situation, you narrow your attention to just the character. Keith Johnstone's book <em>Impro</em> goes into more on this as I recall.
It takes practice, though!
This is what you want. It works from the inside out, but it’s the same concept, plus it has key signatures. Personally I’ve always found chord wheels to be overly complicated, but I learned theory fairly young, and discovered these afterwards.
Edit: this one also has the advantage of rotating to highlight all the diatonic chords in that key.
One book that I learned a lot from was Kristen Linklater's "Freeing the Natural Voice". If you can pick up a copy from Amazon or something, it's so worth it. There's lots of useful techniques and exercises for getting down in your gut even if your natural inclination is to be restricted to your upper level. She talks a lot about the core and nature of animals to make noise from their gut.
Link to her Wikipedia page if you want to learn more about her
Give it a try :) If it doesn't work for you, there are plenty of voice coaches out there who would charge a reasonable fee to get you where you want to be.
Of course! It’s a book by Lin-Manuel Miranda (writer of the play and the guy who plays Hamilton). It’s basically the book of the play but with more info and facts.
I don’t know where you’re from so I went with the USA but you can most likely find it on the amazon of your country as well:
What's helped me is Hamilton the Podcast and LMM's book Hamilton the Revolution (which I now am seeing that I paid a lot more for at my local bookstore than it is on Amazon. Trying here!)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hamilton-the-podcast/id1087073710?mt=2
Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1455539740/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NumJFbF0Z096J
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From 2018 Thread:
Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern, Del Close and Kim Johnson
Art by Committee: A Guide to Advanced Improvisation by Charna Halpern
Well, these are going to be shit on, right?
Ok, so I guess context before roll our eyes and move on: Truth in Comedy was published in 1994 before longform improv, the Harold and iO were on anyone's radar. And let's face it, they're still not on the radar. Anyways, it makes sense that this book is somewhat self-aggrandizing with celebrity namedrops to give the work legitimacy and is basically a book-length ad for taking Harold classes at iO.
This book presents the very basics of improv theory (with name drops), then walks us into longform improv techniques (with name drops) and then culminates with explaining a very basic, training wheels Harold (with name drops). For a pure absolute improv noobie, this is a decent basic book to read...even if the name drops and references are ~~a bit~~ very dated. For anyone with a modicum of experience, it can be a bit of slog to find a nugget of wisdom--that was probably already parroted to you by one of your teachers or coaches.
Loan your copy of Truth In Comedy to an improv noobie then tell them too keep it.
As for Art by Committee, honestly, I was so bored by reading it I skimmed most of of the pages. It also kept referring me to check out a mentioned technique or style on the included DVD (which I still haven't watched). If you're wondering about the 13 pages of just iO photos, I can assure you Charna is in 1/3 of them.
I'll let someone else speak to the DVD and the quality of production and improv therein, but I'm pretty confident that Art by Committee is probably among the lowest tier of improv books on this list.
2020 Update
Remember when there was an iO?
Well my position is that your lighting fixtures, gels, diffusion tools and rigging knowledge are your creative tools as a dp and a gaffer akin to paintbrushes and different kinds of paint without which there is no art or creativity happening.
But that aside this book is a staple of the industry and will serve you well
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240810759/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_X2wrFbF7ARJGJ
First of all, don't call it "the grip," that's like your mom calling it "the Facebook."
> nothing important only c-stands
Arguably one of the most important stands on a set.
I recommend Set Lighting Technician's Handbook by Harry C. Box. It includes a ton of information about lighting, power, and grip on set.
If your local store doesn't have it. it can be found at amazon:
I've scrolled and scrolled, but still haven't seen improv! Many theaters have a "pay-to-play" structure, wherein you're required to take classes at the theater in order to be considered for stage time. The founder Del Close is a mythical figure who established the founding principles of long-form improv. Lots of insider lingo. Many foundational texts (with Del Close's Truth In Comedy arguably being the most influential). Many who participate form the entirety of their social circles around the theater of their choice -- hell, I met my spouse through improv! There are festivals such as the now defunct Del Close Marathon that are considered quintessential pilgrimages for dedicated improvisers. Theaters also often offer many opportunities for unpaid labor to performers/students in exchange for opportunities/favor amongst leadership. And, as in any arts scene, it can also be a breeding ground for predatory behavior. Also, Second City casts literally work on cruises (shades of Sea Org). There's a whole BoJack ep about it.
You might want to pick up this
Page 139-140 of the fourth edition Set Lighting Technicians Handbook.
Using diffusion makes the source larger relative to the subject.
We move lamps to control shadows all the time, at least in Atlanta. I'm sure in other parts of the world optical physics works differently.
LOL -
I light my house however my husband tells me it needs to be lit - which is warm white led bulbs from costco in many desk lamps.
My OFFICE is lit by a 24-inch paper lantern, with a 60w frosted incandescent.
I agree modifiers are a fantastic way to learn to control light of any kind.
If you want to dig in - https://www.amazon.com/Set-Lighting-Technicians-Handbook-Distribution/dp/0240810759
Step one, read Mr. Box.
This is the one I have and it's still retailing for $45-60 CAD. Worth every penny tho.
> the book is called "Hamilton the revolution" by Lin Manuel Miranda
The book is $23.69...
> i forgot too say we cant watch the play as i currently cant afford disney+. And even if we could, my daughter would still want the book
A month costs $8, can't your daughter get that with her birthday money if you can't?
Buddy. YTA. That book is 23.99 dollars on Amazon for a hard cover book.
The link is
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455539740/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_4MKC41ZAWB4HBHG14EYX_0
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Massive YTA. Persy jackson lighting thief is 20 dollars on Amazon.
"Expensive" give me a break.
this book is pretty good: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-Songwriting-Techniques-Writing-Berklee/dp/063400638X
it’s one of the only books i know of that develops a theory of melody separate from any harmonic considerations
This is well explained in Richard Cadena's book on electricity for event technicians. It's a great investment: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834
Thank you, but I'm looking for the audiobook, not the podcast.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0896762505 - This is what it looks like.
The audiobook was available just a couple of days ago on Audible.
https://www.amazon.com/Freeing-Natural-Voice-Practice-Language/dp/0896762505
Best book/method out there for voice and breath for actors.
These are always such good comments.
/u/ducidni_1, I would really recommend, if not taking a sketch class, then at least reading the UCB Manual. There's a lot of improv-specific stuff there, obviously, but their approach to improv and sketch is essentially the same thing, so everything in there about how to play game is applicable to both.
Well, a book could be written on it, but essentially it's only one page, one diagram as Luke says. It's simply a chart of the 12 keys, where each one has one more or less sharps or flats than the one next to it. That's why they are arranged in perfect 5ths (clockwise = perfect 4ths anticlocwise).
It so happens that there are other ways you can exploit it, especially by pretending the keys are chords, and then noticing that lots of chord progressions have root movements around the circle - in either direction, but traditionally anticlockwise.
One useful application (or adaptation) of it in that way is the chord wheel. Beware the "Ultimate Tool" exaggeration, but cheap enough to be fun to look at, at least. And you can probably make your own for nothing just by examining the cover.
It's about improv comedy, but I think the UCB manual is the comedy book I'd keep if I had to get rid of all but one. It explains the broad concept of "Game," which is the UCB's term for "the funny part." The gist of it is that you have a "normal" as the base layer that you build your comedy on top of. And the concept of Game applies to all comedy imo: improv, sketch, stand up, prose, film, TV...
Look at something like Parks & Rec. It takes place in the real, "normal" world, and every character has their own weird point of view or personality quirk (their Game) where the comedy comes from: Ron Swanson is an anti-government government employee, Tom Haverford is obsessed with swag and being a hip hop business mogul, Chris Traeger wants to be the healthiest man alive, Andy Dwyer is a total idiot, etc. The show puts these characters in various situations, and the jokes come from how they react to those situations through their unique lenses.
I would also recommend the How to Write Funny series (but really, you probably only need the first book). I'm not a fan of the terminology used, specifically the "funny filters," which I think sounds cornier than Nebraska, but overall I think the methodology explained is pretty good (a lot of it is just Game, but a little more dialed in).
Edit just to add that I think /u/TheBaconBurpeeBeast is right on: performing comedy is the best way to get better at it. Write some jokes, do some open mic nights, you will get immensely better at writing jokes that people will laugh at