Being a stagehand in a venue or on a site is hard work, but it is where most people in the live entertainment industry start out in their careers. This is for various reasons of course. Some like the hands-on experience before applying to larger roles, some like the networking and shadowing opportunities it can bring, and some like to get an overall knowledge before deciding a specialty. Whatever the reason may be, there is also some understanding that stagehands do the majority of the grunt work. This is why it is considered a starting point, or closing point, to one’s career in the industry. Whether you are just beginning your career, or having it come to a stopping point, these are tips from long-standing stagehands who have been around the block and seen many shows come and go. These rules of a stagehand can be carried from any country, and help you make your stagehand experience last until you decide your next steps.
As of 12:01 AM (PT) on 9 November, the SAG-AFTRA Strike is over! The TV and Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously on approving a tentative agreement, establishing an extraordinary win for the union’s members everywhere. Strikes were suspended immediately upon the approval of the agreement and picket locations closed. The following days came with copious amounts of information being released to the union’s members as well as public statements from several people on the committee.
Following an extensive public consultation, Bedfordshire Council has approved plans for a 1.75 million ft2 Film and TV studio. The studio plans were originally announced back in spring of 2022 with the 143 acre land already purchased. Construction was supposed to begin earlier this year with hopes of finishing the site sometime the following year. However, it seems the strikes across America and rising costs have delayed those plans.
Tiziana (@tizipagliarulo on Instagram) is one of five founding members of Our Legacy Creations. In this interview, she discusses how she went from being a dancer herself to being hand picked by a legendary director before his passing, and taking her career further than she could have ever dreamed in the Live Entertainment Industry, Television, and Cinema. This is an interview with Tiziana Pagliarulo Part 2: Our Legacy Creations
Taken so suddenly, no one could have seen this coming… Matthew Perry was found dead in his own home in Los Angeles in his jacuzzi. After first responders were dispatched from responding to a 911 call, they quickly found Matthew Perry unresponsive. The dispatch audio has been released to the public but parts of the 16 minute clip have been edited out. After closing off the area to the public, local law enforcement made a statement to TMZ about the actor’s death stating there were no drugs found on the site, and foul play is not currently suspected. His death is still under investigation as his family, former co-stars, and fans are heartbroken at this sudden tragedy.
Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre celebrates 20 years of Wicked performances by rolling out the green carpet and some amazing extras were added to make the performance that much more memorable for those who were lucky enough to witness the anniversary show. The celebration ran for the entire month of October allowing fans the experience of a lifetime. From the time you entered the theatre and were handed your special playbill celebrating the anniversary, to the bows at the end of the show, 20 years of Wicked has not slowed them down, and the entire theatre community expects Wicked to run for a very long time.
After 148 days on a gruelling strike, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) reached a tentative deal. When the negotiations began in spring earlier this year, the WGA made it very publicly known that they were willing to go on strike and that is exactly what they did. This resulted in a complete stoppage of work, and their allies at SAG-AFTRA quickly came to their aid and began their own strike (which is still ongoing). Upon completion of the negotiations, the WGA made a public statement congratulating everyone who held strong during the tough times.
After 148 days on a gruelling strike, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) reached an agreement. When the negotiations began in spring earlier this year, the WGA made it very publicly known that they were not going to just take crumbs from the larger companies. This resulted in a complete stoppage of work, and their allies at SAG-AFTRA quickly came to their aid and began their own strike (which is still ongoing). Upon completion of the deal, the WGA made a public statement congratulating everyone who held strong during the tough times.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC for short) has declared new rules to instate the regulation of podcasts. In their newest regulatory plan, they state the commission aims to ‘modernise’ Canada’s broadcasts. Their efforts have widely displeased the public in the country as many are outraged and call this new regulation a ‘crush of free speech’.
Michael Sheen has turned himself into a “Not for profit” actor. How did he manage to do that? The Welsh actor trained at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and mainly worked in live theatre roles in the 1990s until his big break into the film industry in 2002. Since then, he has gone on to work in several major productions but has recently made himself into a ‘social enterprise’ and became a ‘not for profit’ actor.
The moment so many of us have craved is finally here, after 13 years! Burlesque, the movie that helped put Christina Aguilera on the charts, is getting a stage adaptation from those who worked very closely on the film. Christina Aguilera is the one spearheading the production of the upcoming stage adaptation. The film’s Director, Steven Antin, is reportedly writing the new soon-to-be musical himself.
Tiziana (@tizipagliarulo on Instagram) has over 20 years of experience in the live entertainment industry. Growing up in a small village of Italy, she dreamed of becoming a dancer but had no idea where to start. Only that NYC was calling to her. At the age of 18 she traveled to New York to study dance and began her career working with some of the worlds greatest directors in the Live Entertainment Industry, Television, and Cinema. In 2019 she began collaborating with the legendary Director Franco Dragone, and ever since, she has continued to work on multiple film and television projects. This is a glance at her past.
Most of the younger generation knew Michael Gambon as Dumbledore in the last six Harry Potter films.On 27 September 2023, we raised our wands for another fantastic actor who was a part of the film, and theatrical industry. He was 82 when he died of pneumonia. This is a tribute to Michael Gambon and his accomplishments in the film and theatrical industries.
As of 22 September, the Actors’ Equity Association has recognised a new title for its members: Production Assistants. This is the first time in decades the union has supported a new role within itself and the first time Production Assistants have unionised.
You read the title correctly, the massive company Live Nation ends merch cuts in all of their club sized US venues starting immediately! It’s all thanks to an unlikely hero, Willie Nelson.You read the title correctly, the massive company Live Nation ends merch cuts in all of their club sized US venues starting immediately! It’s all thanks to an unlikely hero, Willie Nelson.
Even though the strikes are happening across the pond in America, it is having major impacts in the TV and Film industries in the United Kingdom. According to a recent survey conducted by BECTU (a UK entertainment industry union), found that three quarters of workers are currently not working. Most of those who answered they are not working are freelancers.
Originally launched in 2021, after an obvious lack of skillful employees in Film and TV, BBC Studios continues to run a successful Assistant Producer Accelerator Programme. A dozen more candidates have been offered one-year contracts to aid in launching their careers to the fast track lanes. BBC Studios continues to be the only United Kingdom based company to make such large strides in supporting and helping those with newer careers and those who show promising skills to develop.
The streaming era of music has been inevitable in many ways, whether some like it or not. But does this streaming era have the same kind of fairness in the music industry from its predecessor of the physical copy era? It’s not all bad for consumers, but for those who write/produce/publish music on their own it’s a nightmare. It’s not a secret that streaming platforms for artists such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music help greatly to promote your personal brand. But unless you already have the followers to back up these promotions, you’re likely going to be getting the same 50 listeners every month. In the time of the physical era, it was actually about the same if you consider the larger companies factoring in.
It’s more than slightly difficult to find support as a female in the industry. I mean that in any entertainment industry, whether it be live events or film or corporate or something else. Finding an entire company run by and supported by females who know what you’re going through? Unheard of, hell impossible even. Not anymore thanks to Crew Gal’s launch.
I have some bad and even disturbing news, in short the answer is simply it’s not going to happen. For anyone in the entertainment industry who is affected by the SAG-AFTRA strikes in America, benefits are unfortunately not accessible for the majority of workers. Where does this leave the workers? It means once again, most of its people are barely holding on and surviving off of their savings. As there is no end in sight for the SAG-AFTRA strikes, this means people are running out of time with the holiday season fast approaching.
As someone who works in sound, one of the basic regular parts of my job is to have a patching sheet. For those who I’ve already lost and have no clue what this is, an audio patch sheet is a document used to list the inputs and outputs for everything on the stage that you are using for live sound. Making a list is the easiest part of it. Having it be comprehensible by everyone else who reads it is where things start to get difficult. Why is this such a difficulty? The short answer is typically one of two reasons:
Either your handwriting sucks and not everyone uses the same short hands as you do
Or the other person genuinely has no idea how to read the patch list
In case there are any lingering questions of how to practise Fair Work in the creative industries in Scotland there is now a step-by-step guide, and it has pictures!The Illustrated Fair Work Guide provides the absolute basics of Fair Work with practical examples of how to put them into practice in the work environment. Introducing each of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work Dimensions – Effective Voice, Opportunity, Fulfilment, Respect and Security – with pictures guiding you along the way. The Illustrated Fair Work Guide has 144 pages (including cover page) and also dedicates a chapter to Fair Work with Freelancers, as well as contributes resources and support for those within the industry.
The Vault Festival in London has been running for 11 years and featured more than 3,000 shows during that time period. But, as of 1 September, the Vault Festival team has announced that the festival will not be going ahead in 2024.
Since the closing of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it’s no secret that this year is still not stacking up like it was in 2019. Since the doors to the festival reopened in 2022, with a brief soft reopening in 2021, it has become clear just how lacking the large festival is for both artists and industry professionals alike.
