Art Production > Liberation Festival > Stage Manager
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Besides executing the activities in Liberation Festival, I was also stage manager on one-day music festival. It was my first time doing this job, so I previously asked for the information about doing stage management from some friends who had experiences. And below is what I’ve done.
Before the music festival, I worked closely with the audio company and performing groups to coordinate all the required equipment list, song list and performer information. I thought I could do jobs better if I previously get their information as detailed as possible. With reference to my friend’s suggestion, I made a questionnaire and sent it to all performing bands. The content of the questionnaire included the equipment model (loudspeakers, amplifiers, drum set, fixtures…etc.) and their plot on the stage, preset input list of the audio company. Besides the contact information, the band members provided their instruments model and song list, they can state their requirements on the questionnaire if they could. |
Due to the fact that I was meanwhile having a part-time job on the audio lighting company cooperating with Liberation Festival, it’s easy for me to contact with the staffs. I gathered the questionnaires, sent the equipment requirements to sound designer and stage crew; and I sent the song lists to lighting designer.
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Because I was also responsible for the affairs of greeting the performers, I made a schedule sheet to remind them their arriving time and performing time. It can also make my stage-managing job smoothly.
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schedule sheet
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On the music festival, I communicated with performers, audio company, and stage crew at any time and handled the emergencies. I remembered it rained suddenly and heavily during the show, I had to command team members to find plastic bags and canvas to cover the equipment. As a performer arrived late, I had to evaluate the situation and change the process resourcefully.
The song lists helped when I was controlling the schedule time. I previously checked I know how all songs sound like, and I monitored the performances with the list. Thus, I was able to know if a performing set delay and reminded the band.
The song lists helped when I was controlling the schedule time. I previously checked I know how all songs sound like, and I monitored the performances with the list. Thus, I was able to know if a performing set delay and reminded the band.
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Luckily, the whole show wasn’t delay over 10 minutes.
Being a stage manager was not only physically exhausted but also mentally stressful. I can’t even leave the stage 10 meters away in almost 9 hours! I think it’s because I didn’t have enough experiences but load too much on myself. Nevertheless, having this opportunity to meet with those famous bands and handle with various emergencies was an amazing, unforgettable memory. Again, I realized how hard an accomplishment of a performance is.
Being a stage manager was not only physically exhausted but also mentally stressful. I can’t even leave the stage 10 meters away in almost 9 hours! I think it’s because I didn’t have enough experiences but load too much on myself. Nevertheless, having this opportunity to meet with those famous bands and handle with various emergencies was an amazing, unforgettable memory. Again, I realized how hard an accomplishment of a performance is.
