Performing Arts Articles

Article / Updated 04-27-2023

Editing is more than just piecing together shots into scenes. Understanding the story and the best way to tell it is an art. Editing controls the feel of your film and can make or break the illusion. To edit well, you need to know on what frame to start your shot and on what frame to end it, when to cut to the reaction shot (a visual response from another actor in the scene), and when to stay on the main character. Some of the elements you need to consider when editing are Pacing: The length of shots and scenes gives the entire film a pace — a feeling of moving fast or slow. You don’t want your film to lag. Scene length: Keep scenes under three minutes if possible, so they don’t drag on and seem monotonous. Order of shots and scenes: By arranging your shots in a particular sequence, you can dramatically affect a scene’s meaning. See the later section “Linear versus Nonlinear Editing” for details. Cutting on action: Most shots cut (or edit) better on action. If your actor is opening a car door, have him or her repeat the action while you shoot it from different angles or shot sizes (such as a close-up or a wide shot). You then can overlap the shots as you cut on the motion. This is also called matching, and it helps hide the cut, making the transition appear seamless. Matching shots: You want to join static shots with static shots, and moving shots next to other moving shots. If you have a fast-paced car-chase scene and the camera is moving wildly to follow the action, a sudden static shot of a car sitting quietly at a stop light will be jarring. (Of course, that may be the effect you want.) Varying the angle and size of shots: A jump-cut happens when shots that are too similar in appearance are cut together, making the picture look as if it has jumped, or that the actor has popped from one spot to another. In order to avoid a jump-cut, you need to vary the angle and size of the next shot. One way to avoid a jump-cut is to shoot a cutaway of an actor’s reaction or of a significant object on-set that you can use to tie two different shots together. An appropriate cutaway can often save the day. Showing simultaneous action: You can cut back and forth between scenes happening at the same time. This is called cross-cutting. Or you can make a parallel cut, which is showing the simultaneous action with a split screen. This was often done on the TV show 24. Choosing the best take (or combining the best of several takes): You shoot several takes of a particular scene so that you have a choice in the editing room. Obviously, the more takes you have, the more choices. You can also combine parts of various takes — the beginning of one take, and the end of another, for example, if you have a cutaway to insert between them — to create the scene you want. Choosing an editor: Cut that out! You need to decide whether you’re going to edit the movie yourself or get a fresh pair of eyes to do it for you. Many directors avoid editing their pictures because they’re too close to the material and want to bring another perspective to the story. That’s why, on a big studio production, a picture editor starts assembling your shots and scenes together as you’re shooting, and a sound editor edits the dialogue and other sound elements. You can place an ad seeking an editor in the classified section of many film and trade magazines like Backstage (www.backstage.com) or search online at www.crewnet.com for an editor near you. Look for someone who has at least a few films under their belt and ask to see a sample of their work — do they cut scenes tight so they don’t lag? However, if you’re on a small production, you’re probably your own editor. You’re in good company, though. Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi and Sin City) prefers to cut his own films. One of the advantages of hiring an editor is that they can start assembling what you’ve shot immediately after the first day on the set. This means that your editor can tell you while you’re shooting whether you need extra footage: a cutaway (a reaction shot or something that helps piece two other shots together seamlessly) to make a scene work better, a close-up of some person or object, or an establishing shot (a wide shot of the location that orientates the audience to where the scene is taking place). Shooting enough coverage You need to shoot enough coverage so that you have plenty of different takes and interesting angles to choose from. Every time you add another angle to a scene, you make it more interesting and less monotonous. Using just one shot in a two-minute scene is like having a stare-down — and that’s just dull and annoying (unless it’s a bet to see who wins). The camera never blinks — that’s what cutting is for. Cutting is like blinking from one shot to the next. When you watch a play, you don’t stare at the stage as a whole the entire time; you concentrate on the individual actors as they speak, or on a prop or action sequence that catches your attention. If you don’t have time to shoot several angles, then create movement in the shot, such as having the camera follow or lead your actors as they’re walking and talking. Make the shot as interesting as possible. Some directors shoot a ratio of three takes to get one shot (3:1), and some shoot ten or more. The editor’s job is to find the best take or to combine the best of several takes with cutaways. As you start to piece the movie together, it magically begins to take on a shape of its own, and the story starts to (hopefully) make sense. Assembling a first cut The first step is piecing together what is called an assembly cut, rough cut, or first cut. This is the most basic cut possible, showing the story in continuity (because often the scenes are shot out of order, out of continuity). Editing the visuals of your movie is very similar to writing a screenplay. The first assembly of footage is like the first rough draft, putting things into perspective and giving you a feel for your story. After you have your basic cut, you start shaping, trimming, and cutting until your film feels complete. Like dancing, there’s a rhythm to cutting — it flows, and everything feels like it’s falling into place. Don’t be discouraged if the first cut doesn’t excite you. The pacing may seem too slow, the performances may appear dull. I’ve often been disappointed with a first cut — and apparently, many big studio directors have had concerns after working on their first cuts. After your first cut, you start to get a sense of how to tighten up the picture. You start to cut out long boring exits to the door, pauses that are too long between lines, or a scene that isn’t working and that won’t be missed if you cut it out entirely. You may even want to reshoot or add a completely new scene to make the picture better as a whole. You need to do a lot of shaping and adjusting before your masterpiece shines through. It’s like molding something out of clay — you have to keep chipping away until you like what you see. Also, remember, you are seeing the movie still in its raw form because color-correction, sound effects, music score, special effects, and other elements have not been added yet. Building a director’s cut The director’s contract usually stipulates whether the director gets to make sure their vision is followed in the editing room by approving the final cut of the movie. This final, director-approved cut is called a director’s cut. The director usually views an assembly, or first, cut (scenes assembled loosely in continuity according to the screenplay; see the preceding section) by the picture editor. The director then gives the editor suggestions on where to place specific shots, close-ups, and establishing shots; how to change the order of things; how to tighten a scene; and so on. Usually, a director gets a director’s cut based on their clout in the industry. Ultimately, the big studio has the final say in the cutting of a picture if the director doesn’t contractually have final cut. For example, Steven Spielberg always gets final say because he’s earned that honor and proven himself to know what works and what doesn’t. George Lucas always has the final cut because he doesn’t report to anyone but himself! With the release of most films on DVD or streaming now, many directors who didn’t have the clout to get a director’s cut theatrically in their studio contract now have the opportunity to get a director’s cut featured as one of the bonuses on the DVD or streaming sites, such as on iTunes. Chances are, you are your own studio boss, so you decide who gets final say on editing. You will probably have the director’s cut because you report to yourself! Photo finish: Finalizing a final cut Many times a studio screens a version of the movie to a test audience (a group of people brought in to watch and rate the picture). The audience members fill out a questionnaire, and the studio (or the director, if they have final cut) evaluates all the comments from the screening and may re-edit accordingly. After all the editing is finished and approved, you create the final, locked picture approved by the studio — or by the director if they have the authority to make the final cut (which you probably do have if you’re an independent director). Now the postproduction work on sound begins, and the composer can start timing the scenes that will be scored (set to music). Listening to the sound editor In addition to editing the picture on your movie, you have to assemble and edit the sound elements. These elements are prepared by the sound editor, who is most often the picture editor and even the final postproduction sound mixer on an independent film. The sound elements are put onto separate audio channels (called tracks) and then mixed down into a final soundtrack that combines all channels mixed together. Some of those edited sound elements include: Dialogue (may have separate dialogue tracks for each actor) Sound effects (can have unlimited sound-effects tracks) Music (usually one or two tracks for music) Ambience (background sounds like birds chirping, an air-conditioner humming, ocean waves crashing, and so on) Dialogue editing is as important as your picture edit. The sound editor has a variety of elements to consider, such as overlapping conversations or starting a character’s dialogue over the end of another character’s shot.

Article / Updated 04-25-2023

The key to recording dialogue in digital filmmaking is placing the microphone as close as possible to your actor without the microphone appearing in the shot. Also, aiming the microphone in the direction of the sound helps to keep the dialogue clear. Aiming your microphone can help you get a clear sound. If you’re using an external microphone on a boom pole or a handheld, it’s important to keep it as still as possible when recording because this prevents the device from picking up any noises from the boom operator. Microphones are very sensitive and can pick up noises, including from the hands holding them. The best way to detect unwanted noises is through a pair of headphones. Without headphones, any unwanted noise can easily go undetected, noticed only when you’re importing the footage into the editing tool later. You can use closed‐back headphones, which surround the ears and cut out most of the noise coming from the outside, so that the person monitoring sound can mainly hear what is being picked up by the microphone. These can be expensive, but a budget pair starts at only around $10. If you hear a distracting background noise through the headphones when filming, such as from a plane, gust of wind, or passing car, stop filming and wait for the sound to pass, and then retake that shot. If the sound of a plane appears in the background in one shot and not in the next, the sound will be uneven between shots, and this will sound odd for your audience. The following list describes a few ways to avoid recording unwanted noises during filming: Turn off any air-conditioning units or fan heaters while filming. Microphones can pick up noises that sometimes humans can’t even hear when filming. Make sure all cellphones are off or on silent when filming because if they go off, they can bring a shoot to a stop. Also, sometimes a cellphone’s roaming or searching signal can interfere with the camera and can be heard on the recorded audio. Avoid pointing the microphone in the direction of any clear background noise, including roads, waterfalls, or fountains. Again, these sounds can come across clearly in the recording and can make it hard to hear dialogue. Avoid filming in empty rooms because they can create distracting echoes in your recording (unless, of course, you want echoes in your film). To eliminate echoes, place hand blankets on walls to help deaden the sound.

Article / Updated 04-17-2023

You can use colored gels and filters to achieve certain effects in your digital film. There are different colors of light, which is measured in kelvin. This determines how cold or how warm the color of light is. Daylight is in the middle of the scale. If your shot is cold or too blue in color, then you can set your camera’s white balance higher to make the shot look warmer and more natural. If you’re shooting indoors using the lights in your house, your shots may look orange or red, and lowering the white balance setting on your camera will make your shot look more natural. Most cameras have an automatic white balance setting, which measures the color of the light in the room and changes the white balance setting automatically. You can set your white balance manually, however, because sometimes the camera gets it wrong. To find out how to adjust the white balance on your camera, have a look at the camera’s instructions. You can get different types of filters for film lights that can change the color and mood of a shot. These filter gels are specifically designed for use with studio lights, so they can withstand high temperatures. Some homemade options may not cope with high temperatures as well and could be a fire risk. Colored filter gel sheets can be bought from camera stores for around $5 per sheet, or you can save money by buying them in variety packs. Some lights come with colored filters. Colored filters are handy tools to have when shooting. If you want to create a moonlight effect for a nighttime shot, for example, you can use a blue filter or you could lower the white balance on your camera to create a more blue and cold feel. If you want to create a warmer more sunny effect, on the other hand, you could use an orange or yellow filter over your light or increase the white balance setting on your camera. Here are shots of an actor with and without a blue filter. The blue filter throws a blue light that makes the shot look cold. Making your shots look cold can add a special effect to your film. Most lights used for film can be quite harsh and can create strong shadows around the subject or character. To reduce these shadows, use diffusion filter paper (also called a scrim), which, when placed over your lights, spreads the light over a scene. This helps reduce shadows and create a more natural‐looking light. It also softens the light on your actors’ skin. Here is a shot of an actor with and without diffusion paper. Diffusion paper designed for studio lights can be bought from camera stores for around $5 per sheet. Diffusion lights are a good inexpensive option. Light doesn’t always have to be used on a subject. You can use lights to light the background of a scene instead, which adds depth to a shot. You could also add a colored gel to the background light to throw some color on the background. Any light you add to a scene needs to have a reason. For example, adding a blue filtered light onto one side of an actor’s face would look odd to viewers unless there was a good reason for it to be there — such as, say, to represent the moonlight shining through the window onto the actor.

Article / Updated 04-12-2023

Interviewing someone on camera can be tricky; this video gives you some tips on how to position and frame your interview subjects and how to direct them. It’s a good idea to plan your film before beginning the interview. Knowing how to frame your interview subject will help improve your digital film. First, you need to decide on the type of shot you're going to use for your interview subject. Mid shots and close-ups tend to look best when someone is just talking. You want to see their expressions and possibly their hand movements. You might want to do mostly mid shots but zoom in for a close-up shot when the interview subject is expressing a lot of emotion. Next, you need to decide whether you want the interview subject to look at the camera or to look off camera. If the interview subject is speaking directly to the audience, like Nick is in the video, have them speak to the camera. If they are answering interview questions, have them look to the right of the camera or to the left of the camera and place them in the opposite third of the frame using the rule of thirds. You can even position the interviewer there so that the interview seems more natural. You also want to give your interviewer some direction in how they answer questions. It's important that they repeat or paraphrase the question back when answering on the film. This helps you avoid yes and no answers to questions that the audience is not hearing. Filming documentaries: Tips for filming interviews If your documentary film will include interviews, you may wish to shoot them first, because your subjects’ answers may help you choose what to include in the rest of the documentary. The subjects that you are filming for the interview are unlikely to be actors or people used to being on camera, so it’s very likely that they’ll be nervous, and they may make mistakes. It’s your job as a filmmaker and director to make them feel as comfortable as possible. You can do this by introducing yourself and your role within the documentary film and by explaining to them what will happen during filming and what you would like them to do. Many interview subjects think that they only have one chance to get their answers right, which may make them feel more nervous. Try to keep them calm. Explain that you’re there to help them, and that they can retake the interview if necessary. Allow the subjects to practice their answers in front of the camera: This may help them feel more comfortable and allow them to think about what they’re going to say in the documentary interview. Framing the subject in your documentary interview You will want to frame your subject as you might want to frame him in your documentary film. If you have extra lights you can use, consider using the three‐point lighting technique for the interviews. Make sure you set up the lighting and equipment before your subject arrives. You want to be sure both you and your subject are as comfortable as possible. If you’re still setting up when the subject arrives, you’ll be under pressure to get started quickly. This is how mistakes often happen when filming documentaries. It’s also important to think in advance about how you’ll record sound. Do you have an external microphone you can use or will you be using the onboard microphone? Remember to check for background noises and any other distractions while filming the interviews. Mid shots and close-up shots give the most natural look to a documentary interview. You could use both. You might start with a mid shot for the first question, change to a close‐up for the second question, and then back to a mid shot for the third. This means you can cut out the questions from the interviewer when editing, leaving just the answers. When these pieces are assembled together, this can look like one long answer from the interview subject and you can change the camera angle as he or she moves from one answer to the next. Make sure the interviewer stays quiet while the interview subject is answering the questions because you don’t want any interruptions in your documentary film from off‐camera noises or laughter. Removing background noises during editing can be difficult and sometimes impossible. Remember to use the rule of thirds. Looking off‐camera during the documentary interview Many filmmakers film documentary interviews with the subject looking away from the camera because this can be more comfortable for the audience to watch. Your subjects should look at the camera only when they’re talking directly to the audience. This technique is mainly used when filming TV presenters. To get this effect, have the person asking the questions to sit to one side of the camera, then ask your subject to look at that person when answering. Remind subjects that they can retake the answer if they make a mistake. You can also ask your interviewer to smile, nod, and keep eye contact with the subjects while they’re answering questions. This can help them feel more comfortable. Question in the answer when filming your documentary interview Before you start filming your interview, ask your subject or character to answer the question fully, and to include the question in the answer. For example, one crew asked their subjects what their role was in the film. If the subject just said “camera operator,” this may not make any sense to the audience when the question was cut out later. If instead the answer was “I’m one of the camera operators in this film,” then viewers would have no trouble understanding. Your subjects may forget to do this for every question, however, so you may have to remind them from time to time as you film your documentary. Check here to find additional tips for filming a good documentary.

Article / Updated 03-20-2023

Listen to the article:Download audio Have you thought about being in a musical? Good! You may, therefore, wonder whether being in a musical is easy. The answer is yes! You may also wonder whether being in a musical is hard. The answer is also yes! As contradictory as that sounds, it really is both. Certain things are required for performing in a musical that are intuitive to many people and don’t require training. However, other things are difficult to do without proper training. And no matter what, the more training you have, the more musicals you’ll be cast in. In this article, I'm covering auditioning, but for more about the skills you need for musicals, check out my book Musical Theatre For Dummies. Parts of the audition process Lots of shows hold an initial audition and then callbacks, and then, hopefully, you get the role. But that’s not often the case. There can also be a dance call after the first audition, or another kind of call, like Meet Me In St. Louis, which had an ice-skating audition. (Yes, the Broadway show had an ice rink for Act Two!) Here are some of the common types of auditions: Initial audition This is the first time you’re auditioning for the show. The audition requirement might be to sing something from the show, something in the style of the show, or perhaps just sing something that shows your abilities. If a whole bunch of people are being seen, perhaps the casting office is just asking for 16 bars of music (16 measures is about 1 minute). The creative team might be at this audition or, perhaps, just the casting director or casting associates are. It’s very rare that anyone is offered the job after this audition unless it’s an audition for a role in a show that’s running and they’re bringing in people whom they know are right for the role. That usually means the creative team is at the audition and they decide that day who gets the gig. Callbacks This is the audition after the first audition. Often there’s more than one callback. And sometimes there are lots (like more than five!). Multiple callbacks happen for various reasons: Sometimes you’re given additional material to learn. Sometimes you’re given an acting note to work on and come back. Often, as they whittle down the final candidates for the role, more and more powers-that-be are brought in to watch the audition — like the producers, the writers, and so on. Dance calls For ensemble dance roles, auditions usually begin with a dance call. You audition in a group by learning a dance taught by the choreographer or an associate. After that, they usually call out the names of those whom they want to stay and show more. Everyone else knows to leave. Sometimes you’re asked to stay and sing or sometimes you’re asked to dance a different combination. This is for the ensemble who are labeled as “dancers who sing.” The reverse happens for ensemble members who are “singers who dance.” You come in and sing, and if they like what they hear, you’re asked to come to a dance call. The same audition process happens with roles that have some dancing. You audition with a song (and maybe a scene) and then you may be asked to return and do a dance call specific for that role. Often it’s with a bunch of other people auditioning for that same role! Chemistry calls Sometimes a show holds chemistry calls, in which two people audition together to see if they connect well onstage. As you can see, there’s no set number of auditions one can have for a role. Peeking inside the audition room Though the amount of auditions vary, the majority of them look basically the same. They’re usually held in a rehearsal room at a rehearsal studio. A pianist is present with the people leading the audition sitting behind a table. Sometimes one person is behind the table, but usually a few. Typically you’ll see the casting person, director, and music director. The further along the audition, the more people. Depending on the role, final auditions can have many people there to give their approval — 10, 15, 20! If you have an audition time, you sit in the area outside the rehearsal room with other people who are also waiting to audition. If it’s an open call, meaning anyone can audition, you usually line up and wait — sometimes for long periods of time. The process of waiting can be tedious, but you can chat with the people around you, which is how friendships are formed. Just don’t be the annoying person who can’t take a hint and chats nonstop as a fellow auditioner is trying to prepare, and don’t be the blowhard that keeps talking loudly about their various amazing auditions and upcoming gigs (#Shunned). After your name is called, you walk in, make small talk with the people behind the table, and hand the pianist your music. You then sing, make more small talk, and then sometimes you’re asked to sing another song you have with you or perform your own monologue. Sometimes, you’ll be asked to read something from the show that you received in advance. If it’s not a monologue, you’ll do the scene with a reader. A reader is an actor who’s hired to perform various scenes with everyone auditioning. (By the way, these readers are good. Santino Fontana began as a reader before he won his Tony Award for Tootsie!) After you’re finished, you’ll usually be thanked, and you’ll find out later whether you got a callback. Sometimes you’ll be asked on the spot if you’re available later for a callback. It’s always a delicious feeling to walk out of an audition room knowing they want to see you again! But try not to smirk too much when you walk by the other peeps auditioning. Dance auditions are similar in terms of being in a rehearsal studio with a pianist. The studio has walls with mirrors so you can watch yourself as you learn the dance. The audition that's not an audition The most frustrating type of audition is one where you don’t get to actually audition. That’s when the powers-that-be type you. This happens during auditions where there are lots and lots of hopefuls. They bring in groups of around 10 to 20 people who stand in a line, and the person in charge of the audition looks at everyone and decides what types look right for the show. Those people who pass the physical test are asked to stay … and everyone else is asked to leave — without ever having auditioned! When that happens, it means you’ve been typed out. You’ve waited for hours just to have someone look at you and say no … in about 20 seconds. It happened to Priscilla Lopez when she auditioned to be one of the young girls in the original production of Gypsy. But years later, she won a Tony Award, so there! Focus on these tips for auditioning Preparation is key. Here are some quick tips for auditioning, no matter what level of musical theatre you’re doing: Have a few great go-to audition songs. Have a song (or songs) that shows who you are. It doesn’t have to have incredibly specific lyrics. A general song about happiness or love can be great because you can bring your specific self to it. The way you express the lyric makes you unique. Think about how you would say “I love Paris in the Springtime” and think about how your mom would say it. I bet it’s totally different. My point is, if you express the lyrics as you really would in real life, you’ll be special. And always be thinking when you’re singing and when you’re not singing. Make sure you’re always thinking and that it shows in your facial expressions. “What good is sitting alone in your room?” (Thought: Here’s a great idea for you to cheer yourself up!) “Come hear the music play!” Avoid going blank-faced between phrases. “What good is sitting alone in your room?” (Blank-faced) “Come hear the music play.” The way you look when you’re thinking or expressing that thought in the air is uniquely you, and that’s what will make you stand out at an audition. Know exactly in what key you sing your audition song. You may sound fantastic on a sustained belted A, but the sheet music you have ends on a C. Change the key! Find the key that fits your voice. You can do this if you’re singing an audition song not from the show you’re auditioning for. But if you’re auditioning for a specific part in the show, the music you sing should be in the key of the show. It’s not that common for a theatre (except Broadway) to transpose the key of a song from a show that already exists. No matter what, always run your audition song with a pianist in advance. I’ve played piano at so many auditions where people bring music they’ve never rehearsed. They buy the sheet music thinking it’s the same as the recorded version they’ve sung along with … and it’s not! They wind up singing something that doesn’t suit their range at all — too low or too high — or it’s a version of the song with a different ending than what they know. The result is the same: a bad audition. You can sing from the show if you want, but you don’t have to. I suggest you bring a song that’s similar to the role you want to get. After you’re done, the people behind the table making the casting choices may ask you if you know a song from the show, and if you do, that gives you another opportunity to sing for them! Remember that the people behind the table have a problem, and they want you to solve it. They need to cast this show, and it would be great if you were the person they could cast. Then they can move on to the next phase of the show. So, don’t think they’re sitting there thinking, “How dare this person think they can be in our show?” They want you to succeed. The meanness of the judges on American Idol isn’t how Broadway (or other theatres) is. Yes, there has been the random hostile director, casting director, music director, or whatever, but it isn’t the norm! So go in there confident that you’re the person they want.

Article / Updated 03-17-2023

Listen to the article:Download audio If your number-one priority is seeing your favorite Broadway show, in the best seats, at a specific time, with no hassle, then the best option is to plan ahead. That means buying your tickets months in advance and planning to pay significant, although not astronomical, prices. The good news is that popular musicals release tickets six to eight months in advance. That allows patrons to plan an entire Broadway trip (like booking plane tickets, securing vacation time, and getting hotel rooms) and experiences (like seeing other tourist attractions) well beforehand. You can purchase tickets through the production’s website directly or by visiting the theatre box office. Buying directly from the box office is ideal because it allows you to make sure you’re paying the actual ticket price listed versus a higher price through processing fees or additional charges from a ticketing agency. And if you don’t live in New York City, surely you know someone who does, right? Ask them to go to the box office for you and snag those tickets! Taking a chance at a TKTS booth Sometimes you can’t purchase tickets in advance. If you’re not set on a specific show, a wonderful and definitely cheaper option is to visit a TKTS ticket booth. TKTS ticketing booths sell day of tickets anywhere from 25 to 50 percent off the regular ticket price. That adds up to substantial savings for you and potentially fuller audiences for struggling or less popular shows. A show’s producer(s) makes these tickets available to TKTS because the show isn’t sold out. On the other hand, shows that do sell out often aren’t available on TKTS. You can count on popular shows being available, but not the hottest ones. TKTS has four locations in New York City, with the most well-known being in Times Square (see photo above). London has one in Leicester Square for West End shows. These booths traditionally open four to six hours before shows begin and are run by the Theatre Development Fund in New York City and the Society of London Theatre in the West End. If you live near New York City or visit regularly, then the Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is fabulous to join. If you’re eligible, it’s only $40 a year, and you get lots and lots of tickets to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway shows offered at discounted prices. Check out www.tdf.org. And if you’re going to be spending time in the U.K., check out https://solt.co.uk/ to buy Theatre Tokens, which can be used to get tickets to more than 260 venues in the U.K. — they have no expiration date! I have so many fond memories of going into New York City with my dad on the weekends and lining up on 47th Street. One of us would run ahead and see what shows were on the board. If there was one we really wanted to see, we’d be thrilled but so anxious waiting in that long line because the available tickets for the show we wanted to see could be gone by the time we finally got to the booth. Therefore, then, as well as now, it’s always important to have a second choice. Nowadays, you can download the TKTS app, which is extremely helpful, especially on the days leading up to your theatre adventure. Why? Because you can check every day to see the shows that are available so you can get a sense in advance of what you want to see. And, with the TKTS app, you can see if your favorite show is listed every day and, if not, what day is the most likely for your show to be available. Getting discounted tickets to the most popular shows on the weekend is more difficult. Weekday nights are a better time to visit TKTS. Playing the lottery and winning big Another option is to explore whether or not your favorite show has any lottery options. Lottery sales on the day of a show can include tickets sold in the front two rows of a theatre, reduced-price tickets for students with a valid student ID, or cancellation lines for those who purchased seats but unexpectedly have to cancel. Whereas TKTS is the place to get tickets to shows that don’t sell out, lotteries are the best bet for shows that almost always sell out. Go to the show’s website to find out what their lottery process is before you trudge to the theatre. Lotteries began during Rent and the sight of people camped out hours before the show added to the show’s reputation as a mega-hit. And during Hamilton’s lottery, Lin-Manuel Miranda and other cast members would often put on a live show on the sidewalk to entertain those waiting to see if they’d win. Search for those shows on YouTube — they’re so fun. You don’t have to be special to win the lottery. It’s a number’s game, so if you have time on your hands, enter lotteries often. The more you do it, the more chance you have of winning those coveted tickets. And just because you won this week doesn’t mean they won’t let you enter next week. If you’re obsessed with a show, lotteries are a great way to see your obsession multiple times without declaring bankruptcy. Try out TodayTix A relatively new and wonderful way to tickets is through TodayTix.com, which offers nicely priced tickets for same day, same week, or advance sales of Broadway shows (and many other events). They also have same day lotteries and rush seats available. To enter, you usually just have to post something on social media announcing that you’ve entered the lottery. TodayTix has expanded from New York City to around the world so download the app onto your phone for when you’re travelling and want to know what performances are happening in the city you’re visiting. Buying from a reseller: When ya just gotta see it Sometimes, you find yourself with little to no options other than getting out your credit card and paying whatever it takes. When you find yourself in that situation, going through a ticket broker or reseller is your only avenue. One of the risks associated with this option is the possibility of using a reseller who sells you fake tickets or tickets at exorbitant prices (such unsavory types were previously known as scalpers). Just like with sporting events, make sure you realize that any tickets you acquire that aren’t from the theatre or an approved vendor can be a dicey proposition. That’s why you should carefully vet any ticket agency you eventually use. Going through a reseller or secondary ticketing agency includes paying extremely high ticket prices, but it also helps ensure that you can get what you pay for: the best tickets, on the best day, in the best location. Before you buy these tickets, feel free to vet whether they’re legitimate by posting on a theatre message board. They are full of major theatre fans who can tell you if you’re being scammed. I recommend AllThatChat.com for quick responses from knowledgeable theatre folk.

Article / Updated 03-17-2023

Listen to the article:Download audio If you ever have the option of using a time machine to relive the era when Broadway churned out hit after hit after hit, set those dials to the late 1940s and set your return date for the end of the 1950s. When you open your chamber door, you’ll be entering into what’s known as Broadway’s Golden Age. After Oklahoma!, the hits just kept coming. Musicals that opened during these years are still being done all over the world — regionally and in summer stock, community theatre, high schools, and so on. And they’re often revived on Broadway. Gypsy (1959) has had five Broadway productions! Read on to find out why all the elements were right for the most fertile time in Broadway history and overviews of some of the most popular productions from this era. What made this age so golden? The Golden Age came into its stride after World War II because of three main reasons: A bustling economy: Many Americans had money to spend on entertainment such as Broadway shows. Travel to New York City was easier, so tourists from across the United States and around the world could see Broadway shows, guaranteeing a steady stream of audience members. Broadway on TV: The Ed Sullivan Show, which consistently staged long segments featuring Broadway musicals, brought Broadway shows into people’s living rooms every week. It’s one thing to have heard the title of the new R&H musical, and perhaps bought the album out of curiosity, but it was another to see the original cast perform three songs with full staging, whetting your appetite to order tickets and see the entire production. Better quality: Broadway shows had reached a level not seen before; American tastes coincided with what Broadway was producing. The shows that defined the Golden Age Shows of the Golden Age had many differences, yet the bones of them were the same: They were different because they took place in various locations (Siam, New York City, Napa Valley, London), different time periods (modern day, the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1800s, the early 1900s), and had different styles of music (classical, tin pan alley, jazz, swing). They were all similar in terms of having an overture, an intermission, a chorus, multiple leads, big and small moments of comedy, dancing, and more. However different or similar, the following Golden Age musicals are all musical theatre classics and are the result of the most fertile time on Broadway in terms of hit shows. (For more details and interesting anecdotes about these shows, check out my book Musical Theatre For Dummies.) On the Town (1944) When Oklahoma! opened in 1943, three audience members were poised to have their own musical smash just a year later. On that fateful opening night, composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist/librettists Betty Comden and Adolph Green, apparently, were on the street and offered tickets to Oklahoma! By 1944, they had their own hit musical called On the Town. The three not only wrote it, but Comden and Green also starred in two of the six main roles! Kiss Me, Kate (1948) Cole Porter had a smash with Anything Goes in the 1930s, but Kiss Me, Kate proved to be his longest-running hit. The show lasted for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway, was made into a film, and was revived on Broadway in the late 1990s and again in 2019. The show-within-a-show concept centered around two former lovers (who fall in love again) playing the leads in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Porter churned out a bunch of hit songs for the show, like “Too Darn Hot,” “Wunderbar,” and “So in Love.” South Pacific (1949) Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who were already famous for State Fair, Carousel, and Oklahoma!, continued their successful partnership with this musical based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. You probably know this show is filled with beautiful songs like “Some Enchanted Evening,” “This Nearly Was Mine,” “Younger Than Springtime,” and “Bali Ha’i,” and charming uptempos like “Cockeyed Optimist,” and “Wonderful Guy.” But did you know it also has a strong progressive and anti-racism message? R&H got a lot of pushback for their song, “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught,” which explains that racism is passed down from generation to generation, but they insisted the song stay in the show. Guys and Dolls (1950) Guys and Dolls was composer/lyricist Frank Loesser’s second hit Broadway musical (his first was Where’s Charley? in 1948, based on the play Charley’s Aunt) and was called “The greatest American Musical of all time” by Bob Fosse. Guys and Dolls was a smash on Broadway, a successful film, and had an enormously successful revival in the 1990s, winning Faith Prince a Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award for her show-stopping performance as Miss Adelaide. “Luck Be a Lady Tonight” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” are just two of the hit songs from Guys and Dolls. The King and I (1951) One of R&H’s most enduring musicals, The King and I has been a Hollywood film and revived on Broadway three times. It continues to play all over the world. The musical is based on the novel Anna and the King of Siam, which was based on the memoirs of Anna, an actual British governess who went to Siam (now Thailand) to be a governess for the King’s children. The show won numerous Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and introduced now classic R&H tunes, like “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” and “Something Wonderful.” Original leads Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brenner both won Tony Awards for their performances of Anna and the King, respectively. The Pajama Game (1954) The Pajama Game has a libretto by George Abbott and a score by then newcomers Richard Adler and Jerry Ross; it’s a truly enjoyable show featuring the often recorded “Hey, There” and, one of my personal favorites, “I’m Not at All in Love.” This musical also boasts the Broadway debut of two theatrical titans and the launchpad of a movie star. The Pajama Game was the very first show produced by the man who won more Tony Awards than anyone else, Hal Prince! Hal Prince hired Bob Fosse to choreograph, starting Fosse’s ascension as one of the most famous choreographers (and later director) on Broadway. Carol Haney played the role of Gladys and got rave reviews dancing and singing the lead in the trio “Steam Heat.” No one ever thought she’d miss a show, but she had no choice when she hurt her ankle. Her understudy went on (without rehearsal) and because a film agent was in the audience, she wound up signing a five-year Hollywood contract. The understudy was Shirley MacLaine, and that story has given hope to understudies ever since. Damn Yankees (1955) The next musical that contained a score by Adler and Ross was Damn Yankees. Again, produced by Hal Prince with choreography by Fosse, this show cemented the stardom of Gwen Verdon who played Lola, a woman who sold her soul to the devil in order to be beautiful. The plot involves Joe Hardy who temporarily sells his soul to the devil so his beloved baseball team, The Washington Senators, can beat those “damn Yankees” and the Devil wants Lola to use her skills so he can own Joe’s soul permanently. My Fair Lady (1956) The longest running musical of the 1950s was My Fair Lady. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, the show has a score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and contains hit songs, like “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” and “On the Street Where You Live.” The show made a star out of Julie Andrews, the flower girl who’s taught to speak “proper” English. However, she wasn’t enough of a star, according to producer Jack Warner, to be cast in the film, so the role went to Audrey Hepburn. Luckily for Andrews, she was cast as Mary Poppins the same year as My Fair Lady. She then got sweet revenge when Hepburn wasn’t nominated for an Oscar and, not only was Andrews nominated, but she won! Jamaica (1957) Jamaica is important in the evolution of Broadway because it was one of the few Golden Age musicals to have a Black leading lady. Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg (who composed the music and lyrics to The Wizard of Oz) wrote a score for Jamaica using the style of calypso music made popular by Harry Belafonte. The musical was actually written for Belafonte, but when he became unavailable, the lead character was changed to a woman so Lena Horne could star. This role led to Horne being the first Black woman to be nominated for a Tony Award! And in the 1980s, she won a special Tony for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. In 2022, the Brooks Atkinson Theatre was renamed the Lena Horne Theatre, making her the first Black female performer to have her name on a Broadway theatre. The Music Man (1957) The Music Man is one of the rare shows with book, music, and lyrics all by the same person: Meredith Willson. On the surface, The Music Man appears to be an old-fashioned show with old-fashioned values, but it’s actually a very forward-thinking show. Rather than celebrate so-called small-town values, the show mocks the closed-mindedness of the citizens of River City, the fictional Iowa small town where the action takes place. West Side Story (1957) The Broadway classic West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but instead of being about two feuding families, it’s about two rival gangs: The Sharks, whose members are of Puerto Rican heritage, and The Jets, whose members are of Polish heritage, represent the Capulets and the Montagues. The show is filled with hit after hit: “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Something’s Coming,” and “Somewhere,” which became a hit again almost 30 years later when Barbra Streisand recorded it for 1985’s The Broadway Album. The role of Anita, created by Chita Rivera (see the photo above), requires not only comedic and dramatic acting chops, but also Broadway belting, and incredibly difficult dancing while singing. By all accounts, Rivera was brilliant as Anita. Yet, infuriatingly, not only did she not win a Tony Award, but she wasn’t even nominated. I’ve been traumatized by the unfairness since 1957, and I hadn’t even been born! Gypsy (1959) Gypsy is a musical fable based on the story of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous stripper, and many consider it to be the all-time greatest American musical. Jule Styne wrote the music, and like West Side Story, Sondheim wrote the lyrics (his second Broadway musical) and Arthur Laurents was the playwright. Ethel Merman originated the role of Mama Rose, and although it’s considered her greatest role, she didn’t win the Tony Award. That year it went to Mary Martin for The Sound of Music, adding fuel to the fire of their supposed feud. In truth, they were good friends and, on a side note, if you’re wondering what a Tony Award goes for, Mary Martin’s sold at an auction in 2015 for $35,000! I thought a nun takes a vow of poverty! The Sound of Music (1959) The Sound of Music represents the end of the Golden Age. Not only was it produced in 1959, which most people consider the final year of the Golden Age, but it was also the final musical written by R&H, whose Oklahoma! started the Golden Age. The final lyrics that Hammerstein wrote were for the sweet folk tune “Edelweiss.” The show is based on the Von Trapp family singers and, proving again that Broadway embraces aging much more than Hollywood, Martin was 46 when she played the young virgin nun. Besides the title song, the show has the classic, “My Favorite Things,” which many consider a Christmas song for some reason. I guess because it references winter and presents?

Article / Updated 02-22-2023

The Academy Awards, casually called the Oscars, is a formal awards ceremony to honor the best achievements in filmmaking from the previous year. The Academy Awards, from the nomination and voting processes to the ceremony itself, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy has more than 10,000 members and is a professional honorary society of people involved in all aspects of making movies. The first Academy Awards were distributed in 1929 at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. Cinema has changed since then, and so have the categories for awards. Currently there are 24 awards categories presented at the ceremony, with more Oscars handed out for other lesser achievements before the formal ceremony. Some top categories of Academy Awards are Best Actor/Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Music, Best Visual Effects, and Best Animated Feature Film. One of the more prestigious award ceremonies in the world, The Academy Awards ceremony is televised in over 100 countries. Those who love cinema tune in to see how their favorite movies and performers fare. Those who love fashion watch to see what the celebrities are wearing — which is often the latest in couture with astronomically expensive (usually loaned) jewelry. A film must open in the previous calendar year in Los Angeles County to qualify for the next year's Academy Awards ceremony (the one exception to this is Best Foreign Language Film). Often, if moviemakers think they have an award winner on their hands, they'll release a movie in the last week of the year to qualify for the upcoming awards. For example, Silver Linings Playbook was released on December 25, 2012 and was nominated for Best Picture and other Oscars in January, 2013). Conversely, the 2009 Best Picture Winner, The Hurt Locker, was first released in 2008, but didn't release in Los Angeles County until 2009, so it won its Best Picture award in 2010. In late December, all Academy members receive ballots to select nominees for the next ceremony. For most categories, Academy members vote only for their peers (directors vote for nominees for Best Director, actors vote for nominees for Best Actor, etc.). The exceptions to this are for Foreign Film, Documentary, and Animated Feature Film categories, which are nominated by special committees made up of members across the Academy, and all members are allowed to vote for nominees for the coveted Best Picture award. The winners for each category are determined by a second voting round, which is opened up to all members of the Academy for most categories. Here is some fun Oscar trivia: Walt Disney won more Academy Awards than any other person, with 26 Oscars (22 for his films and four honorary awards). Edith Head won more Academy Awards than any other woman, with eight Oscars (all for Costume Design). Katharine Hepburn won more Academy Awards than any other actor/actress, with four Oscars. Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Walter Brennan are tied for male actors winning the most Oscars. Meryl Streep has been nominated for more Academy Awards than any other actor/actress, with 21 nominations (she's won three times). Three films are tied for winning the most Oscars total: 11. These films were: Ben-Hur, in 1960; Titanic, in 1998; and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in 2003. Tatum O'Neal is the youngest person to win an Oscar — she was 10 when she won Best Supporting Actress for Paper Moon (1973). Anthony Hopkins is the oldest person to win the Best Actor award; at age 83, he won for The Father in 2020. Before that, it was Christopher Plummer, who was 82 when he won for Beginners (2010). James Dean is the only person to be nominated for two posthumous Academy Awards, for East of Eden (1956) and Giant (1957). Beatrice Straight holds the record for winning an acting award for the shortest role — in 1975's Network, she was on screen for 5:40 minutes. Woody Allen has been nominated for 21 Academy Awards, but he's only attended the ceremony once (in a year he wasn't nominated). No one really knows how The Oscars got its name. One story is that an Academy librarian saw one of the first statuettes and exclaimed "it looks just like my Uncle Oscar!" Another story is that Bette Davis named it after her ex-husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, Jr.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-13-2023

Whether you strive to become involved with musical theatre or you’re an enthusiastic fan who can’t get enough, you’ll want to know which shows truly made a difference in musical history. Want to star in a musical? Find out how to nail the audition! Want to impress even your most-in-the-know friends? Reference off-Broadway musicals!

Video / Updated 11-17-2022

In this video, you learn about the rule of thirds for framing digital video shots and gain a better understanding of the types of shots in filmmaking you can take from extreme wide shots to extreme close-ups. The rule of thirds, although not a rule that can't be broken in filmmaking, is all about how to frame a shot or where to place the subject in the scene. To understand the rule of thirds, visualize imaginary lines crossing your viewing area. When placing your subject in the scene, you place them on one of the intersecting lines. For a vertical shot like the one shown in the video, you place the subject on one of the vertical lines. For a horizontal shot, you would place the subject on one of the horizontal lines, making sure that the focal point (what your audience is looking at the most) is where the lines intersect. When taking shots in filmmaking, you have several types to choose from, depending on how far away or close you want the subject to appear in your digital film. A wide shot, also known as a long shot, shows more of the surrounding scenery or a wider view. A mid shot or medium shot is commonly used for television shows and is good for showing hand movements and facial expressions. A close-up is great for capturing facial expressions and emotions in your digital film. Close-ups, like the one in the video, often show just a subject's face. Extreme close-ups in filmmaking show strong emotions and fine details (like wrinkles or skin flaws). How to use the rule of thirds in digital filmmaking Framing shots for your digital film is not just about pointing a camera at a subject and pressing a button. You should take time to consider the best way to frame your shot — every shot — because doing so will always pay off in the final edit. The rule of thirds is one of the most basic and important rules to remember when shooting your film. It’s not really a “rule” in the strict sense, and you won’t be arrested for not using it, but it does make your shots look better. The rule of thirds was first used in paintings and photography and then later in film and TV. Instead of placing subjects in the middle of the frame, artists, photographers, and filmmakers use the rule of thirds to position their subjects and actors to make the shot look more interesting. Here’s how the rule of thirds works. Each of the images below is an identical shot of one of our actors. The second frame has been divided into thirds, horizontally and vertically: three sections across and three sections down. This is where you get rule of thirds from. The goal in this shot was to draw attention to the actor’s eyes, so the shot was framed with the eyes two‐thirds of the way up the frame and two‐thirds of the way across the frame. This leaves the actor positioned more to the right of the frame. You could move her more to the left instead, but because the actor is already looking to the left of the frame, positioning to the right is the preferred choice. It’s better to leave some open space for the actor to look into. As you can see, moving the actor over to the left of the frame looks odd and crowded, and may distract the audience from the point of this filmmaking shot. Using the rule of thirds is like riding a bike: It takes practice. If you use the rule of thirds often enough, framing shots this way will become natural to you, and you’ll be able to do it easily in your filmmaking without thinking about it. Next time you watch a movie, look out for the ways the director uses the rule of thirds. Sometimes you can spot moments in films where the director intentionally breaks the rule of thirds to make the shot feel awkward. (Just make sure you spot these moments quietly. Constantly pointing out awkward shots may annoy your family or friends.) Types of shots in filmmaking The beauty of digital filmmaking is that you can move your camera around and change your shot types throughout a scene. Choosing the right type of shots for your film can enhance a scene’s look and build emotions and mood. Be sure to take time in choosing your shots. A wide shot, also known as a long shot, shows your audience more of the scene you are filming. You do this by zooming out on your camera or by simply moving your camera farther away from your subject or character. Here is a wide shot; next to it is the same shot with a grid superimposed on it so you can see how it was framed using the rule of thirds. As you can see, the actor’s head is framed in the top left. Some filmmakers like to start their scenes with a wide shot. When a wide shot is used this way, it’s called an establishing shot, and is used to show more of the location surrounding the subject or characters in your scene. Imagine you’re filming a scene, and you want your audience to know that your characters are on a beach. One way to do this in your filmmaking is to begin the scene with a wide shot showing your characters, the sky, the sea, and the sand. Instantly your audience knows the characters are on a beach. When framing a shot, look out for any straight lines you can find, either horizontally or vertically across the shot. Use these lines to keep your framing straight. For instance, the shot above is framed so that the horizontal line of the shot follows the line where the grass meets the trees. An extreme wide shot is filmed even farther away from your subject or character — in fact, sometimes they’re not even visible in the shot. This shot is great was for filmmakers to introduce the location of your scene. Often blockbuster movies establish the location of a scene by using an extreme wide shot that includes landmarks, buildings, or sights that the audience will recognize. Shooting a mid shot in your film The mid shot or medium shot frames the characters from a space above their heads to a point roughly midway down their bodies. This shot is the most commonly used shot on TV and film because it’s great for capturing hand movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Here’s a mid shot taken from a DVD series. The mid shot is used a lot in news reports because it focuses the audience’s attention on the upper‐half of the bodies of your characters. Because the viewpoint of a mid shot is similar to your own viewpoint when you’re having a conversation with someone, it’s also the most natural‐looking shot for an audience to watch. It’s a great shot to use for conversations and dialogue with small groups of people. A two shot is a mid shot used to film two characters together. A two shot is often used in TV when two presenters host a show. It can be used when you have two characters side by side sitting together or walking, or when they’re face to face at a dinner table or having coffee. Over-the-shoulder shots are great for conversations between characters who are facing each other. With an over-the-shoulder shot, you see both characters at the same time but only one character faces the camera as you film the shot. Over-the-shoulder shots are fun because they allow you to see the expressions on a character’s face. Because the character faces the viewer, over-the-shoulder shots can make the audience feel like they’re in the conversation. Over-the-shoulder shots also can be used within close‐up shots to capture more expression from your character and to build emotion. With over-the-shoulder shots, it’s common for actors to look at the camera during filming because the camera is very close to the shoulder of the second actor. Actors looking at the camera can be distracting to the audience. One way to keep your actors from looking at the lens of the camera during filmmaking is to move the camera farther back away from the actor and then zoom in. See what happens when an actor looks at the camera? Shooting a close‐up shot in your film Bringing the camera closer or zooming into your subject or character creates a close‐up shot. A close‐up shot is a great way to show a character’s facial expressions, which can help build emotions in your film. Directors normally use close‐ups in scenes to show how a character is feeling. This degree of detail is hard to get with a wide shot or mid shot. Because close‐up shots convey so much detail on the actor’s face, these shots can allow actors to express subtle emotions. An extreme close‐up shot comes in even closer to your character or subject to show an even greater degree of strong emotions or fine detail on a subject. If you want your audience to know that your character is really angry, say, you could use an extreme close‐up of the actor’s face to show the anger in her eyes. You can use an extreme close‐up for any shot in your film that requires a lot of detail. For example, if you want to show the object that your character has in his hand, you could use a cut‐in to an extreme close‐up shot of that object. A cut‐in is a close‐up shot used to show detail on an object or on a part of the subject already visible in the main scene. In this scene, it is important that the audience see the key being passed from one character to another.