development

Recommendations Backstage

Personal recommendations – curse or blessing?

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How do you get new bookings? Do you send out promo material, contact people via email, do cold calls, go to auditions, send letters, or have personal appointments? These are all great options, and they might even work (or not). However, nothing beats a personal recommendation. Why?

Finding a way in

When you are starting a business, or trying to enter new markets, it can be quite frustrating to hit a firewall over and over again. I have contacted hundreds of agencies, theatres, and production companies over the years and often wondered what they were looking for: I had high-quality videos, great photos, international working references, and creative ideas. But somehow, all this wasn’t enough for guaranteeing smooth access. In some cases, I managed to get a new client – however, many contacts didn’t come through at all.

In other cases, I have been recommended by a friend or colleague. A week later, I held a signed contract in my hands – sometimes even without showing any of my gadgetry. So, what was the missing link? How does a personal suggestion outclass any other point of contact? It is trust.

professional trust

In my book “Collaborating Backstage”, I dedicated a whole chapter on various aspects of professional trust. They range from basic attitudes like being punctual and reliable, no drugs, no stealing, etc. to more complex facets like capability trust. This part means that people can trust you to not only deliver the expected quality, but that can do so throughout the entire contract. For example, if you are a fantastic singer, but you physically can’t go through 10 shows a week (as the agreement suggests), you are likely to break the companies professional trust by sitting at home drinking tea.

The most important part, however, is communicational trust. It refers to your ability to integrate your skills into the group, being respectful and productive while trying your best to achieve maximum results. This aspect is hard to measure, and it is not observable in any CV, promo video, or headshot. That’s where personal recommendations come into play: When a company found someone they enjoy working with, a recommended person probably has a somewhat similar attitude. Chances are, the attached network of someone you trust already is like-minded. As a result, personal recommendations appear as a shortcut to developing trust.

creativity required

The not so good news is: Alongside your promo material, you need to find ways to prove your trustworthiness. This demands constant creativity as there is no fixed recipe for individual success.

The very good news is: It gets easier down the road. The bigger your trusted network, the more often you will be recommended, which further expands your contacts and so forth.

If you want to read more about this topic, please look into my book “Collaborating Backstage” or contact me directly. I am happy to hear your thoughts about this topic!

And here comes my favorite advice to develop trust:

Stay positive and focused! 😊

sessel

The Beauty of Standstills

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Sometimes, things develop fluently and effortlessly. In other times, everything seems to be stuck – despite all efforts. Why is development to unpredictable, and what does George Leonard mean when he talks about “loving the plateau”?

The Plateau

We have all been there! After putting everything into a project, a new skill, or our career, suddenly comes stagnation. It can be frustrating, and, in down-times, we often even wonder whether to quit. But hitting a plateau is a good sign! It is the final hesitation; a preparation for the next leap.

Have you ever noticed that toddlers always turn sick when they need a break? It seems like their body forces them to slow down. Yet, as soon as they regain energy, they suddenly make their first steps, start to speak or climb a new tree. Development needs a moment of deceleration to solidify the status quo and prepare for something new.

Taking a break!

The same principle happens when we are working towards our goals. To guarantee progress, it is essential to allow space, put the pencil aside sometimes, and lean back. Muscles need time to recover, so does your creative project, your career, or your personal improvement. But if you believe in your mission, let it happen without giving up just one moment too early.

…to carry on.

The challenge is to identify plateaus as such for embracing them then. Once you do, you can be sure to thrive again soon! Gail McMeekin sums it up nicely when she says: “Creativity demands that you trust and stay on the path, despite any obstacles. The good news is that you can.”

In the meantime, here are three things to do during a plateau:

1. Treat yourself

Be kind to yourself! Sleep in, work out, eat well, go into nature, enjoy long movie nights! Plateaus are the perfect moment to recharge your batteries for having that extra drive when things pick up again! 

2. Do something new 

Switch your focus to something you have never done before: Attend a pottery workshop, learn a new language, or build a bird house. These random, new experiences will not only be highly refreshing, they also boost your creativity. Any new skill works as a valuable building-block for innovating later on.  

3. Meet people

Plateaus are also a great time to catch up with friends, make new ones or look after forgotten contacts. Now is the time to solidify and extend your network. While doing this, any exchange also brings you new insights and ideas. 

So, the next time you hit a standstill:

Stay positive and focused!

music bar

Why big venues depend on small ones

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The closing of clubs

Over the last decade, many small stages had to close down due to bureaucratic regulations or cut subsidies. It has become fairly hard to keep a little improv theater or jazz club up and running. Many company managers had to sell their property or change their concept completely. Even Vienna’s once-famous “Moulin Rouge” is now run by the franchise company Vapiano, selling Pizza. The struggle of these modest venues results not only in a large cultural loss, but it also means a threat for big institutional theaters, operas, and touring productions.

Size matters?

Working professionally in the performing arts, people usually aim for the big names – Broadway, The Westend, Cirque du Soleil, Metropolitan or alla Scala. This is where prestige and artistic satisfaction seem to wait and, on top of that, a regular income appears more secure. Once arrived at this level, only a few professionals will turn around or even admit that they worked in small, torn down venues. However, we shouldn’t leave out of perspective that large theaters profoundly depend on small ones.

Failing allowed

Nobody begins their career as an expert. Whether you are becoming a performer, technician, designer, or director, we all need to make mistakes in the beginning. We rely on playgrounds to experiment, wander off and explore new facets of our jobs. Only by going through trial and error we become stable enough to guarantee a consistent quality later on. For this development, high-profile venues involve too many risks – financially, artistically, as well as career-wise. Therefore, we need to find low-pressure alternatives to improve at.

The best training

Underground clubs, discotheques, family parties, open stages, or village festivals offer a good setting to work on new concepts. As unglamorous as they are, they appear to be the perfect surrounding for both beginners and professionals to become more solid in their craft. On top of that, these venues usually involve harder conditions than the stages we are aiming for:
Street performing, for example, leaves you without an audience if you don’t manage to keep people’s attention. As a technician, if you are able to work safely in a nightclub with bad equipment surrounded by drunk teenagers you can cope with any backstage stress in large theaters, too. As a juggler, if you manage to pull off your routine in front of grandma, you can surely focus anywhere.

Becoming a more complete professional

These are fundamental lessons to foster our senses while making us both attentive and adaptive to unforeseeable occurrences. Working in small, uncomfortable productions turns us into solid and more complete experts of our niche. And this, ultimately, is an unaffordable quality to keep also large venues alive.

Want to read more about the importance of try-out fields?

Check out chapter 6 of “Collaborating Backstage”!

 

Thanks for following my blog! It means a lot!

Stay positive and focused!

Yours,

backstage toolbag

5 Things You Should Always Bring Backstage

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Every department holds specific tools for their professional assignments. But there are a few accessories every member of the performing arts should possess for making life more comfortable and efficient during rehearsals, set up, or install. Here is a list of the things you’ll always want to bring – independent on the field or kind of production you are working in.

 

  1. A drinking bottle

It might sound needless at first, but there is a reason why drinking bottles stand at the top of our list. Working in stage productions is connected to physical operations for all involved. Whether it be rolling flight cases, carrying costumes, taping cables on the floor or climbing a rig. Everyone is constantly on their feet organizing stuff.

On top of that, we often work in dusty and air-conditioned venues. Chances are that dehydration is a more significant topic than most of us would expect. Having too little water then makes us tired, reduces our focus and leaves us less resistant to work-related stress.

To bypass these problems, we need to think of a way of making water consumption as easy and convenient as possible. Bringing your own drinking bottle is a note-worthy solution. Every standard bottle holds more fluid than most disposable cups. They can hardly be confused with the other umpteen bottles on the catering table. You can refill them at any tap or water dispenser, and they are safe to bring backstage without the risk of spilling your drink over valuable equipment.

 

  1. Pen and paper

In times of smartphones and tablets, most people don’t carry pens anymore. And indeed, these new technologies hold a lot of advantages compared to the analog way of taking notes. However, some situations still require a traditional piece of paper to scribble on. You may want to leave a note for someone, label your props or sketch a quick draft. In these situations, you still need physical paper and pen. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people ask around for a pen during setups over the last few years. You’ll be astonished how carrying simple writing accessories can not only support your individual tasks but also help you to easily make friends with other colleagues.

 

  1. A zipper hoodie

Whether you are working in theatres or convention halls, open-air festivals or cruise ships, most venues provide us with a permanent cold breeze that makes our muscles tense and necks stiff. A simple hoodie can gently counteract and support our physical condition. Over and above that, it is a multifunctional piece of material for covering props, having a blanket to sit on, bundling up valuables or keeping our kidneys warm. I often even wear my zipper hoodie front to back putting on the hood over my face for a comfortable dark space during power naps.

 

  1. In-ear headset

One of my favorite backstage accessories is headphones. Not only do they make me free to listen through scenes again without having to bother the sound tec, but it is also comfortable to have my personal plugs for in-ear monitoring or intercom. Connected to my phone, they also keep my hands free when solving a problem over a call. But most importantly, I use them to reduce the noise burden during setups, soundchecks or travel. Standard in-ear headphones lower the din around you, keeping you less stressed and more focused.

 

  1. Tape

Last, but not least, stands our best friend gaffer. We all know what it is good for: everything! From keeping props together to fixing costumes, from creating stage marks to taping down cables, and from indicating directions to hiding nipples – the application areas are sheer endless. For that reason, there will usually be a roll of tape lying around somewhere.

Nevertheless, people typically don’t like to give it out because it always disappears miraculously. The generosity of technicians too often left them without supply in the end, and you don’t want to be the next one touching this sensitive spot. To be safe, bring your own tape and make sure look after it well!

training backstage

Fitness Backstage

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Talking about fitness in the performing arts, we instantly visualize the workouts of dancers and acrobats, muscular bodies, and six-packs. But being in good physical shape is crucial for anyone working behind the scenes!

typical movements

Every stage production is physically demanding for the team involved. Whether it be a theatre or a convention hall, a cruise ship, or an arts festival, every department has its particular movements that put a strain on their bodies. Some of us might be rolling flight cases or taping down cables; others carry costumes or heavy props. Some walk around for miles during rehearsals, while others sit in one rigid position. This stress is often connected to little or bad food, lack of sleep, and extensive traveling on buses and airplanes.

keep your focus!

Physical fatigue takes away valuable energy that we need for working at our personal best. When our body is challenged, it affects our general attendance: Exhaustion reduces our focus, and we start to avoid any additional strains. The more tired we are, the rather we channel our energy to essential tasks only, instead of being open to our surroundings. Flexible communication, as well as creative exchanges, drop.

the ultimate tool

By reducing our attention, we lose the most important asset for working behind the curtain: teamwork and cooperation. When we are busy looking after ourselves, the quality of the overall production suffers.

pushups, yoga or long walks?

Being resistant to physical, work-related stress, therefore, is a fundamental requirement for all jobs in the performing arts – from technicians to the make-up department, from a prop master to the stage manager, and from the director to the wardrobe assistants. Everyone needs to find their personal way of being fit. And “in shape” doesn’t necessarily mean having a six-pack or doing yoga every morning. It means being resistant to physical stress, having a robust immune system, and keeping a fresh mind through long nights, exhausting load-outs, and walking marathons backstage.

In my book “Collaborating Backstage” you can find my favorite Tricks to stay fit on the road, reduce jetlag, and keeping your energy levels high during lengthy productions. Let me know which techniques work best for you and what you do to stay positive and focused!

Yours

recipes for communication

The Perfect Recipe for Communication

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shortcut solutions

Today’s world offers us a wide range of possibilities for developing personally, growing our business, or improving our creativity. Everyone has access to learning almost anything. Simultaneously, our available time for diving into such topics has reduced enormously. Most of us live at a fast pace that asks for goal-orientated, quick solutions. The result is that we tend to seek easy, ready-made templates that tell us, for instance, which diet to follow, how to become successful, how to lead a happy marriage or how to communicate effectively. Promising solutions can be found easily: “Sixpack in 30 days”, “3 steps to playing piano like a pro”, “How to boost your business today”.

My goal

These kinds of instructions were also the first idea for my book „Collaborating Backstage“. I wanted to come up with a collection of recipes for exchanging backstage, such as „how to communicate with a composer, with a choreographer, with a costume designer, and so on. Halfway into my research, I had to accept that I would never achieve this goal – due to two reasons:

All productions are the same?

For once, every stage production is completely different regarding its conditions, requirements, goals, budget, target audience, network, and setup. As a consequence, similar positions might encompass unequal assignments. Many performances, for example, are supported by individual light and sound technicians. But in others, the two roles are performed by only one person. In even other productions, the “sound” department alone is divided into several segments and representatives. As a result, these different job allocations make it impossible to draft a fixed recipe for a department exchange.

All people are the same?

Secondly, creativity and communication always involve the interplay of human beings that are anything but the same. Every personality carries along a different expert knowledge and uneven experiences even if they find themselves in a similar professional position. Working with individual characters effects our communication as well as the creative inputs we give or the language we should choose. Some people prefer strict guidelines while others seek artistic freedom. Some work with images, others with lists, sounds, or personal associations. Occasionally, it might be helpful to create as a group. Other times, it is more goal-orientated to establish an idea alone. There is just not one best solution in creativity because the paths towards a new performance are as varied as the people involved.

Giving chances for individuality

A „recipe“, therefore, is only applicable to standardized procedures that might be carried out by humans but don’t involve their input – like baking a particular cake for example. As soon as personal factors come into play, we need to acknowledge that there can’t be an all-encompassing recipe. This might sound shattering at first, but elaborating adequate ways for each cooperation not only improves our communication, it also enables our show performances to become innovative and unique, far away from standardized, same-looking productions.

If you are interested which creative instruction I ultimately came up with, check out the T.I.M.O.-technique in my book “Collaborating Backstage”. It presents you with a straight guideline that still allows individuality and artistic freedom.

collaborating backstage timo niermann curiosity

The True Value of Curiosity

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Why?

Kids are curious by nature. They ask questions, they investigate, they seek to understand how things run – and why they run. “Why?” is what children constantly ask – but why? Because “Why?” opens the door to an endless supply of new puzzle pieces. “Why?” can bring parents to rage, because we don’t always know the answers. Why? Maybe because we haven’t investigated enough ourselves?! And Why? Because we’ve often been told not to be so curious. I wonder why!

Is it really negative?

Curiosity, in our society, is often seen as a negative trait. It seems besetting and may violate one’s privacy. We think of stalkers and creepy people. By the time we reach middle school, we distanced ourselves from that and learned to study what is given to us – not what we urge to discover. However, curiosity is not only a reliable tool for personal development, but it is also a necessity for being creative.

scientific!

During their studies for the psychological trait-model named the “Big Five”, scientists compared bankers with artists and found that the latter group scored high on curiosity. They liked to travel, meet new people, learn new languages and often even changed their jobs on a regular base. They try to surround themselves with new influences all the time. “Why?” Because their intuitive curiosity offers them building blocks for working creatively later on. Any impression or experience manifests as an ingredient for new, innovative results.

New, unseen ways

Whether in the performing arts or in any other business, we often need to find new solutions, adapt to given situations, or come up with innovative products – which could essentially be defined as creativity. And in order to be creative, we have to ask questions that others overlook! If no one has walked this path, who shall be your teacher? You have to find the approach yourself by researching, experimenting, and learning – all of which is triggered by curiosity.

Why?

Difficult situations can only be solved with the help of many uneven inputs that, ultimately, can be used and combined towards a new outcome– a performance, a technique, or any other product. Without curiously adventuring into the world and gathering random bits and pieces, there would no material to be creative with.

So, the next time you are wondering “Why?”, follow your childlike instinct and discover what lies beneath! Because in that very moment, curiosity is feeding your very own creativity.

 

I hope you enjoyed this article. Let me know what your experiences are! I’d be curious to hear them!  😉

Comment below or just send me an email!

And most importantly:

Stay positive and focused!

cross thinking

Specialists for Broad Knowledge

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As the performing arts develop, new challenges arise. We often discover unreached goals that are pushing us to seek for increasing quality. As a result, our productions become more complex, involving a rising number of detached crafts.

Improvement through specialization

Improvement brings with it evolving requirements. Meeting these efficiently demands higher, more specialized expertises for each facet of a show. Instead of using “all-rounders” we are likely to reach out for niche specific masters. Their high proficiency helps us to lift the production’s quality level through every department. As a result, backstage operations that used to be run by one technician are now covered by separate specialists for Light, Sound, Rigging, and so on. The same happens on stage: Rather than working with diversified performers we employ numerous experts for each segment: singers, actors, musicians, acrobats, and even separate ballet-, tap- or breakdancers. Hence, each person’s assignments are narrowed down for reaching distinct quality peaks.

Ignorance as a kind of personal focus

The career of these specialists depends on the individual development of a particular craft. Each member needs to become exceptionally good at a single task so they can thrive at high-end productions. Achieving this expertise involves an intense focus on one topic – and one topic only. For becoming a topnotch drummer, for example, you need to spend countless hours in the studio practicing. Any distraction or temptation to go in a different direction will take away from worthy hours needed to master one skill. This inevitably leads to a certain degree of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, simply because it is a prerequisite for becoming the best. A diva-esque behavior in this case often points at the uncompromising focus of a peak specialist.

Diversity versus Expertise

This would all be fine if it weren’t for creativity, which relies on diversity, complex thinking, and connecting separate building blocks. Innovation demands openness and broad knowledge to enable critical thinking as well as finding adequate solutions for difficult situations. It appears to be the opposite of narrow specialist knowledge.

Who are the broad specialists?

Hence, stage productions are facing the problem that high expertise becomes most valuable when correctly embedded in the overall process. More than ever are we depending on key positions for linking separate units while guaranteeing both a rising quality and creativity. A paradox emerges: The more professional experts we employ, the more important become people focusing on the broad overview. We need to find partners who truly master the art of making fine peak performances available and accessible. It turns out to be rare expertise finding instant access to the various working areas, mastering cross-thinking and connecting the different crafts – all of this on the demanded high level!

Though, as innovation proceeds, the performing arts will need to focus extensively on ensuring a smooth collaboration between the segments for giving niche experts the freedom to do what they are best at: contributing their master art.

mutual language

The power of a mutual language

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Converting thoughts

Working in the theatre brings us together with a high diversity of people, all of which embrace different tasks, ideals, viewpoints, and – as a result – also different languages. And by „languages“ I don’t only mean English, Russian, or Chinese. I mean a specific way to choose and apply words for converting our thoughts into sentences.

Cultural codes

Initially, different tribes, clans, or groups of people developed specific languages to facilitate achieving their common goal – finding food, building a shelter or surviving the winter. And since these tasks involved different facets for each group, languages emerged unequally: In some areas, people needed to differentiate between various types of snow while in others they needed to focus on coping with extreme heat and sandstorms. The words that a society uses, therefore, reflects their issues, tasks, and relevant topics.

Cultural codes in the performing arts

The same principle can be noted in the performing arts. Every department deals with different assignments and, consequently, develops various languages. This involves not only technical jargon but also how strict or polite members exchange, the kind of slang they use, their verbal sense of humor and much more. Everyone uses language in a slightly different way depending on their individual background.

Misunderstandings and verbal culture shocks

When these uneven worlds come together for a shared work process – as it happens in every stage production – it often results in misunderstandings, lack of clarity, and puzzlement. Still, all backstage departments must work in the same direction. The director’s original idea should be both perceived and carried out in the same manner and independent of personal preferences or niche-specific approaches. And since creativity often involves producing something that does not yet exist, we can’t even fall back to common or already established language templates.

Bridge the gap!

So, we need to find ways for people to speak of the same literally. And the most effective way to do so is by learning the language of our partners. This might involve taking Spanish classes, but just as much finding out more about the worlds of our associates. What kind of terminology does my composer use? How would our designer describe her costumes? Which information would be helpful for our dancers? Some people prefer talking in images, while others need lists and numbers. In some cases, you might need a mood video or music track to exemplify a feeling. In others, it is more helpful to present a few single catchwords instead of lengthy descriptions. Whatever way you may choose, the focus needs to be on finding the best input for your partner – instead of going through with your own preference.

Creating a culture

By doing so, you not only rise chances that you will be understood correctly. You also present yourself open, caring and interested. By making an effort to synchronize with other members, you make them feel welcome and appreciated. This has a direct effect on all further creative steps as well as the general quality of cooperation within the team. More on that topic can also be found in Chapter 3 of “Collaborating Backstage”. There, I explain how to define production related vocabularies and create a common (work-)culture.

But what are your experiences in finding a mutual language? How do you shape your creative inputs? Let me know your ideas and help all of us to improve our exchange!

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