PRODUCTION MANAGER JOB

DOT COMEDY: dotMaze: GET LOST!

Dot Comedy is in need of a production manager for the tour to Virginia Arts Festival  - Monday, April 25 – Monday, May 9, 2016 (3 days OFF within). 

See link to show here: http://www.vafest.com/vaf-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2016/04/28/22041/-/dotmaze-get-lost

dotMaze: Get Lost! is an artistic vision combining elements of fairytale, myth, comedy, art and landscape. In true Dot Comedy style, the dotMaze will delight confuse and inspire all those foolhardy enough to lose themselves within its walls. They have created the perfect environment in which to experience a healthy disregard for normality. So please, we implore you…Get Lost!…you may find more than you bargained for…

The stipend for this job is $200/day plus $50/day for per diem ($2750 total). The job is 11 work days.

Production Manager responsibilities:

If the promoter follows the tech rider fully, it can be relatively easy to get everything sorted as most needs are defined in it. (Tasks crossed out below have already been taken care of, but do need to be confirmed):

Basic Tasks, IN ADVANCE of gig:

-Make sure the site is suitable for the show i.e level ground (within reason), size of area, access for lorry, electricity, If not on hard standing maybe the maze is not going to sink if there is some rain.

-Organise the haulage of the maze, liaise with festival to discuss time and date.

-Schedule performers travel, flights, transfers, etc

-Organise a crew through the festival to build the maze. This crew need to be strong and able to work a long day. It is always preferable to have experience theatre crew because they are the easiest people to work with.

-Organise dressing room, mirrors, supply of water, a toilet and food for cast.

-Organise 24-hour security for the maze. Also four stewards for the show times. They need radios to communicate from the front and back.

-Organise accommodation and travel for cast. Make sure Richard has cast finalised and email them to instruct them as to time of arrival, address, working hour etc.

-You will need to arrange some props which need replacing for each gig. These are- 1) straw for the Minotaur’s alley way, you will need about 4 bales which you replace every 4 – 5 days. 2) Wool for the storytale (white). Malt loaf for Minotaur. 3) liquid for smoke machine. 4) bones for alley way. 5) chalk for writing on boards. 6) Jammy rolls for the family.

-You will need to purchase cable ties, cable cutters, and gloves for the get in and maintenance of the maze. Roughly – 4,000 Green 200mm x 4.5mm + 1,500 white 450mm x 9mm

-Make sure the dry cleaning is done and with the other costumes.

-Answer any questions to promoter may have.

-Lighting – if there are any night-time shows the promoter will have to organise lighting – we do not carry any lighting or a design for such. Best way to light seems to be white light down-lighting from each corner and the middle on towers - plus approx 10 colour up-lighters around the maze – plus lighting for the front of the Maze. They will also need to supply any cable ramp necessary.

Job Description ON SITE

-Check site night before gig for the access for the truck.

-Arrive on site with truck and crew. Set up Maze, there are detailed instructions for set-up

-Main points of setting up- make sure foot blocks are laid out correctly before building maze, make sure electricity is being wired in, make sure the maze is being build with the artistic interest at the heart of it. Motivate the crew!

-Note – all of the Maze PA and electrics are 240V – you will need to arrange an inverter 110V – 240V if performing the show in US or Canada

-Liaise with promoter to organise how the show will run and how they want to work it.

-Assist performers with their arrival and food/accommodation

-Inform performers of call times each day

-Make sure performers are ready on time for each show.

-Prep the maze each day for the show

-Organise 24-hour security.

-Inform stewards what their jobs are, where emergency exit is, how to count people in and out, capacity, queuing system, etc.

-Open and Close maze for each show and make sure stewards are doing their job.

-Float around the maze making sure the show is going well and help cast with their needs.

-Monitor audience and make sure everyone is happy and behaving themselves.

-Maintain the maze daily

-Organise dry cleaning as needed throughout the run.

-Help develop new ideas for show throughout run, inform Artistic Director how other cast members are doing.

-Organise crew for get out, organise cast for get out, make sure lorry is on site for get out.

-Liaise with promoter to make sure they know what they will need to clear up once you have left the site – we leave a lot of mess behind!

-You need to make sure that the promoter fulfils their obligation on the tech rider.

YOUR POINT OF CONTACTS:

Richard Stamp (Artistic Director) – you’ll need to discuss with Richard at which point of the organisation and negotiation he is with the festival. This will give you a starting point from where you take over for the production side of things.

Ben Raine (the usual Production Manager) – he will send instructions on the tour advancement.

You will need to gather instructions from Ben, Maze plans, speaker layout, mark out plan, emergency exit plan, stewards’ roles, Risk assessment, health and safety doc, fire doc, cable tie specs, suppliers’ numbers etc.

Please send resume to Ben Raine with your interest in this job: ben.raine@yahoo.co.uk     +447590 835 014