Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Speaking Of The Unspeakable
The project of which we cannot speak was completed last week. It was both enlightening and stressful.
We were contributing colour, noise, energy and contrast to a big internal sales conference. There were thirty of us meshing with a day of presentations. The script was written by elsewhere by someone we didn’t know. They were juggling demands of the client and promptings of the production company who had engaged us. Consequently the script changed regularly, sometimes substantially and ultimately late. The venue was vast and stuffed with kit designed to deliver the conference’s technically sophisticated A/V show. We didn’t have a tec and the dress rehearsal barely merited the name. In many ways we were the ideal team to deal with such challenges.
As the captain of a ship almost totally at the mercy of the elements I was steering, in command of the crew but not our course, a fact that was strangely liberating. Ultimately I think we did a decent job. Nick (Tigg) and Amanda were great in the speaking roles. The rest of the Stan team added a few subtle touches that may have been spotted by some in the melee.
It was great to be working with a team of 22 from a local casting agency, hired in by the production company, all good sorts and patient as Job himself. Ultimately it was great to have helped pay a few people’s bills for the month and to raise a decent kitty for Arvo and Nina to spend on kit for The Cleansing Of Constance Brown.
Would we do it again if asked? Yes, if the circumstances were right.
James
We were contributing colour, noise, energy and contrast to a big internal sales conference. There were thirty of us meshing with a day of presentations. The script was written by elsewhere by someone we didn’t know. They were juggling demands of the client and promptings of the production company who had engaged us. Consequently the script changed regularly, sometimes substantially and ultimately late. The venue was vast and stuffed with kit designed to deliver the conference’s technically sophisticated A/V show. We didn’t have a tec and the dress rehearsal barely merited the name. In many ways we were the ideal team to deal with such challenges.
As the captain of a ship almost totally at the mercy of the elements I was steering, in command of the crew but not our course, a fact that was strangely liberating. Ultimately I think we did a decent job. Nick (Tigg) and Amanda were great in the speaking roles. The rest of the Stan team added a few subtle touches that may have been spotted by some in the melee.
It was great to be working with a team of 22 from a local casting agency, hired in by the production company, all good sorts and patient as Job himself. Ultimately it was great to have helped pay a few people’s bills for the month and to raise a decent kitty for Arvo and Nina to spend on kit for The Cleansing Of Constance Brown.
Would we do it again if asked? Yes, if the circumstances were right.
James
