Scene changes - how fast?
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Topic: Scene changes - how fast?
Posted By: magic612
Subject: Scene changes - how fast?
Date Posted: 7/25/08 at 5:54pm
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I've been in shows where we literally choregraphed the set changes so that they would be fast and smooth, and I've been in other shows where it seemed like an eternity (even backstage!) for the sets to change. In my mind, anything much over about 30 seconds or so feels like an eternity to the audience (though I know it's not always practical to do it in less based on the theater's set up). So in your group, what is typical of a "strive for" amount of time for a set change to occur? ------------- Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness how genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. ~ often attributed to Goethe |
Replies:
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 7/26/08 at 1:17am
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I always try an engineer a seamless scene change as even 15 seconds is far too long. ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 7/26/08 at 9:00am
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I agree with Joe. I like to keep scene changes to 10 seconds or less, be dead quiet and look absolutely seamless. If I can incorporate the scene change into the flow of the show, all the better.
Linda
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Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 7/28/08 at 12:35pm
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I agree with the others, the faster the scene change the better. I think what a lot of people forget is that for a scene change to go fast it needs to be rehearsed just like everything else in the show. There have been tricky scene changes in a few show where we actually spent time repeatedly doing the change. We would make the change, reset everything, and do it again. Dan
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Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 7/28/08 at 3:05pm
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The shorter, the better! Like dboris, we've rehearsed scene changes, both with lights and in the dark so we're used to it by curtain. I've also had an actor cover with monologue down center during scene changes while the changes are occuring right behind her. The audience was amazed, especially since it was a bunch of Jr. High students (in costume!) moving everything from tables and chairs to a sofa!
Although, the one exception I'll make to the length of the scene change was during a recent performance of 'Harvey' at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, MN. The did all of the scene changes in 1/2 light and kept the actors in character. They were much longer than would be the norm, but it was amazing to see the interaction continue between the characters.
I wouldn't want to see if every time I see a show, but it was a nice (interesting) change. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:03am
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A lot of scene changes I have endured, as a punter, I could have gone out of the theatre & had a smoke, they took so long, to the point it was almost an interval.
A lot of this is the fault of the Director & inability to rehearse or get it choreographed. By using the warm props, luvvies &/or twirlies to effect the change, as suggested.
I have been in productions where we have tech rehearsed the crew on scene change change, over & over again. Much to the annoyance of a director & it does get up the actors noses, when only being used for first & last lines - as though they thunk they are the most important thing on the stage?
Also I hate it when directors seem to think that a tech run, is a full dress rehearsal - thus not giving the crew a chance to shine! ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 7/29/08 at 4:40pm
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Not a second more than necessary... or a second less than it takes to get the job done... ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 8/20/08 at 9:54am
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The most egregious example of scene change time was a high school production of The King and I. A few times, they actually turned the lights on in the auditorium during the scene change - which lasted as long as five MINUTES...while the orchestra (argh!) vamped the same 16 measures over and over again. It took so long, that they ended up adding in a second intermission - which made the play even LONGER than it is already (and let's face it - The King and I does go on and on). My favorite (not! LOL) scene change took FOREVER, and when they finally turned on the lights and started the scene, it was a BARE stage with a trunk sitting on it. LOL I think they didn't exactly grasp the concept of a scene in one to cover scene changes! LOL |
Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 8/20/08 at 10:18am
| Longest I can remember was a recent production of The Miracle Worker. When Annie moves into the little house we had Viney Martha and Percy move the props in fully in character in 1/2 light. Same for removing the props. |
Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 8/20/08 at 10:20am
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Wow, you can't edit here? Anyways...it was originally so long we had a wheel barrow built for Percy cause the kid was so slow. It was still long, but much better than before. Why can't I edit?? |
Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 8/20/08 at 12:22pm
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There's no such thing as a scene change that's too fast
 My rule used to be no longer than 30 seconds, now even that seems too long, try to shoot for 15-20 seconds whenever possible. Of course safety is the #1 priority, that's why we choreography and rehearse scene changes just like dance numbers, the problem is who dances well in the dark with 10 foot platforms. hehe.
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Posted By: jungle16jim
Date Posted: 8/21/08 at 11:25am
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I personally attend theater just to watch scene changes. There's nothing I hate more than dipping to black while watching a tech crew bump into each other for a minute and half while the band vamps.
Solution? When I directed Treasure Island, almost all the scene changes happened in full light while the action continued downstage or around the moving set. Our longest transition was going from the town into the ship. We choreographed it to music and I actually had to slow the cast down so it would happen in time. Applause at the end. Another transition from the island to the ship had pirates fighting on the moving pieces. The one change that happened behind a closed curtain went from an empty stage to the inn which was 30' wide. It happened in 8 lines from the actor in front of the curtain. Audience gasps at the open. These should not be an afterthought handled in hell week. They should be choreographed just like your dance numbers or blocking. You wouldn't let an actor stand onstage for a full minute in silence because it would kill the momentum of the show. Same for set changes. |
Posted By: whitebat
Date Posted: 8/21/08 at 6:12pm
| Our set changes are excrutiatingly long. Mostly because I am the only one who is in our CT mainly for tech. Our sets are much too heavy, as nobody else has any concept of building stage sets. There are too many set changes and short scenes. Playing music during an insanely long blackout does not really help much. Everyone else acts like there is nothing wrong with overly long blackouts. Our last play, I just stayed in the light booth and didn't even go backstage because it was such a nightmare. Having very little space backstage doesn't really help either. |
Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 8/25/08 at 12:43pm
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Reading some of the scene changes posts did remind me of when we did "Noises Off". Of course those scenes changes were longer than 30 seconds, hehe. But the audience loved watching the run crew do the change during the intermissions. We left a decent level of light on the set (for the crew to see) but also because the audience loved seeing those huge set peices turn and roll across the stage. Several times the end of the scene shifts got applause and by the end of the run they had it down to less than 5 minutes from what started out taking about 8-9 minutes of a 10 minute intermssion. |
Posted By: chel
Date Posted: 9/14/08 at 5:42pm
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I learned the hard way. Scene changes behind a curtain in the dark that take 5 minutes are no fun for crew or audience. I like the choreographed ones the best.
The Odd Couple there were two of us changing props about and we were trying hard to do it in blues with some cool music playing. (fun finding flung food on the black stage with stage manager whispering in headset "pickle downstage by the chair" and groping for it) I'm not sure how long we took...not the whole song, that's for sure. Our fastest changes were because we had a great "Felix". He was a fantastic "futzer". One scene he pretty much cleaned everything for us...we had no excuse but to have a fast scene change.
I'm in tech week now...trying to change lots of cooking props without a hitch. The choreography is fun. ------------- chel www.windhamtheaterguild.org |
Posted By: SpenceKenzer
Date Posted: 2/12/09 at 11:39am
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Scene changes in SILENCE should be 15 seconds or less if at all possible. Scene changes with MUSIC can be 15 to 30 seconds if need be. If the amount of time required to pass IN THE PLAY between the ending scene and the following scene is short, then the scene change should be as short as you can manage. If the amount of time required to pass IN THE PLAY between the ending scene and the following scene is LONG, then the scene change may be a bit longer, just to reinforce the passage of time IN THE PLAY. Creative scene changes can be entertaining. EXAMPLE: In Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite" we had only 1 intermission between Act 1 and 2, so we had the stage crew come on dressed as hotel staff (bellhops, waiters, chambermaids) and perform the scene change between Act 2 and 3 under full lights with music playing over. It took more than 15 to 30 seconds, but provided a bit of visual diversion so it didn't seem long at all. ------------- --------------------<*> Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... ! |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 2/12/09 at 1:20pm
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I love the scene changes that are creative as Spence mentioned. If the audience can see it then it should be entertaining, otherwise you should devise to make the change behind a drop, a curtain, or in a darkened zone of the stage while action is taking place elsewhere.
If the scene change is visible, it should entertain if at all possible and last no longer than the entertainment factor allows. And if not visible, then the rule ought to be 15 seconds without music and up to 30 seconds with. ------------- _____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people |